How to grow good seedlings of tomatoes

Growing tomatoes in the middle lane of the Russian Federation only possible through seedlings. Since the beginning of spring, gardeners are waiting for the first sprouts in homemade containers. To the seedlings grew healthy and gave a great harvest, it is important to properly care for them. The main stages in the breeding of tomatoes: seed germination, sowing, picking and hardening.

You will need

• Seeds;
• - gauze and wipes;
• water;
• - soil (peat, sand, compost, ash or garden soil);
• thermometer;
• lamp power of 25 Watts;
• - potassium permanganate;
• - polyethylene;
• - place the containers;
• - pots according to the number of seedlings.

Instruction

1. Calculate the appropriate time for planting tomatoes. Between planting and transplanting plants in the greenhouse, the greenhouse or the open ground should be about two months. The first important stage of preparation of tomato seedlings will be the selection of quality seeds. Prepare them in advance yourself from a juicy variety of tomatoes or buy from a friend of the grower.
2. Put the seeds on a damp cheesecloth, cover with a thin, porous cloth and place in a warm place (temperature 25 to 30 degrees) for germination. Do not skimp on seeds, then it is better to cull all weak shoots.
3. The soil for tomato seedlings is recommended to procure in the fall. Mix in a bucket of peat (60%), humus (30%), sand (10%) and a little ash. If you use plain garden soil, before use, should be decontaminated from pests: to be heated in the oven or to hold in the cold. You can water the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
4. Planting works produce only in the land of room temperature, in a special seed containers from plastic or wooden boxes.
5. Pour the soil and give it a little dry on top to provide the germs access of air. Carefully place in containers hatched seeds and sprinkle them with a layer of soil about 1.5 cm Cover crops with plastic wrap and place them in a warm place.
6. Watch for the first sprouts of tomatoes. It is important to provide sufficient lighting, otherwise all the power will go to the seedling stem growth. It is recommended to place the containers on a Sunny windowsill, or next to energy saving lamps with a power of 25 Watts. Additional lighting will help to bring the exposure time to the optimum of 14 hours a day.
7. When the seedlings grow at the 2-3 true leaf, make the first pick tomato seedlings. This can be performed 5-10 days after the first shoots, depending on the quality and conditions of sprouts. Discard all underdeveloped seedlings and transplant a healthy tomato into individual pots. Will zaglubit them to the level of cotyledons. Don't forget to pinch off the ends of each spine, then the seedlings will be stronger.
8. In the first three days after the pick lower lighting level and hide the pots from direct sunlight. When the seedlings get stronger, place them in a familiar environment.
9. With the subsequent picks of tomatoes (each time in fresh soil!) you can make plants more resistant to adverse conditions. Each transplant slightly retards the growth of seedlings. So it is possible to slow down its excessive pulling during a late frost. When the young tomatoes will become a height of about 25-30 cm, they will be ready for planting on "permanent residence".