Peat pots for growing tomato seedlings appeared relatively recently. However, they are already very popular. Even inexperienced gardeners can grow seedlings in them without any problems.
In this article you will learn how to properly prepare peat pots and seeds for planting, how to care for such seedlings, after what time it can be planted in the ground. And also tell you about all the pros and cons of peat tanks and warn against the most common mistakes when growing tomatoes in this way.
The essence of the method
The essence of the method lies in the fact that when the tomato seedlings reach the required age, the peat pot is placed in the open ground together with the seedling. With this method, the plants do not die, which often happens with other methods of transplantation.
Important! After the tomatoes take root digging pots is not necessary. This can harm the root system.
What are these containers?
Peat pots are small containers.
They come in the form of:
- truncated cone;
- trapezium;
- dice.
You can find peat pots, connected in blocks of several pieces. The wall thickness is 1-1.5 mm, the transverse dimensions range from 5 cm to 10 cm.
They consist of a mixture:
- peat 50-70%;
- cellulose;
- humus
Peat pots do not harm the soil, seedlings and crops.
Properties
Peat pots are used due to the unscathedness of the roots; when transplanted to a new place, the plants quickly take root and grow. In the ground, poured into such containers, moisture remains longer. The roots of tomatoes from the time of sowing to the period of disembarkation to a permanent place are located in the same substrate.
Located potted seedlings do not interfere with getting the necessary food and oxygen. After the roots are planted in the soil, the roots quietly germinate through the soft walls of the pot. They are well able to withstand the load of the soil.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of peat pots for tomato seedlings are:
- moderate porosity;
- natural turnover of moisture when transplanting to the ground;
- free germination of the roots of a growing plant;
- strength.
There are no downsides to high-quality peat pots for seedlings, except for the fact that these products are disposable.
Training
Peat pots recommended to buy in specialized agricultural stores. The average price of one container is 3 rubles, and the cost of a set depends on the number of pots and varies from 120 to 180 rubles. Independently, they can be made at home.
To do this, mix:
- garden, humus, compost and sod land;
- sand;
- stale straw cutting or sawdust.
So that the resulting cube does not fall apart, you need to add water and mullein to the consistency of thick cream.
- After thorough mixing, the mixture is poured into a greenhouse or a box in which the film is placed. The thickness of the cast layer is 7-9 cm.
- After drying up and down cut with a knife.
The ideal size of a peat pot for tomatoes is 8 × 8 cm. To start planting tomato seedlings in peat pots, it is necessary to prepare the soil.
To do this in the same proportions mixed:
- sod land;
- humus;
- sawdust;
- sand;
- vermiculite
The composition is required to disinfect. To do this, you can warm it in the oven or spill a solution of potassium permanganate.
Cups
At the bottom of the peat cups it is required to make small openings with an awl in order to drain excess water. It will also allow the roots to make their way easier. So that the pots are not dry, experienced gardeners are advised to wrap each with plastic wrap. Otherwise, the salt in the soil crystallizes and damages delicate tomato seedlings. You need to remove it right before planting bushes to a permanent place.
Seed to germination
The preparation of tomato seeds consists of the following steps.:
- rejection;
- disinfection;
- soak;
- stratification.
During the culling, empty, dried and broken seeds are harvested. They are left for 5-10 minutes in a solution of sodium chloride. Float throw out, because they are not suitable for landing.
In the process of disinfection in 3% hydrogen peroxide or 1% solution of potassium permanganate, the seeds become resistant to various diseases. Soaking procedure helps seed germinate faster.
Seeds spread on a damp napkin or cotton, which cover with a lid. All this is put in a warm place, due to swelling, they begin to germinate.
The stratification procedure consists in placing the tomato processes in the refrigerator for the night, in the fridge, on the day they are placed in a room where the temperature reaches + 18 ° C ... + 20 ° C. This needs to be done several times. As a result of the stratification, the seedlings become resistant to temperature changes.
In the case when old seeds are used for planting tomatoes, they are advised to be treated with phytohormone compoundsthat stimulate the growth of seedlings.
Important! It should be borne in mind that if seeds are used from fruits that were deficient in manganese and potassium, their germination rate will be low. So that such seedlings do not stop their growth, they need to be soaked in a solution of complex fertilizer for 24 hours before sowing, and dried before planting.
Step by Step Growing Instructions
Consider how to grow tomato seedlings in peat cups. For sowing seedlings of tomatoes need seeds and peat pots with suitable soil. At the bottom of the pot poured drainage layer. It may be shredded eggshell, on top of it prepared soil. It should not reach the edge of approximately 1 cm. Potts after sowing seeds put on a tray or in a box, which is covered with polyethylene.
Sowing Tomato Seeds
For sowing it is necessary to take dry seeds, then the mold will not appear. Seed material in pots sow 1-2 pieces, immersing to a depth of no more than 15 mm. From above they are covered with earth and sprinkled with water. If the temperature is + 22 ° C ... + 25 ° C, it will take 6 days to germinate, and if it increases to + 30 ° C, seedlings can appear after 2 days. After their appearance, it is desirable that the temperature be lowered by day to + 20 ° С, at night - + 16 ° С.
The development of seedlings is adversely affected:
- drafts;
- lack of sunlight;
- very high temperature.
Pulling seedlings and the presence of thin stems indicates a lack of lighting or planting density, they need to thin out. If there are several tomato seedlings in one pot, you need to leave only one, choosing the most developed and strong one. The remaining ones are best to pinch, otherwise the root can be damaged when torn out.
How to care for seedlings before planting in the ground?
After 2 leaves appear on the seedling, they start picking. To stimulate the emergence of small roots, gardeners advise pinching the taproot by a third. At the beginning of its development, direct sunlight should not fall on the seedlings. Putting peat pots with tomato seedlings apart should be at a short distance. Tight location prevents air exchange.
After the second pair of leaves appears, the temperature in the room where the seedlings are located should be + 18 ° ... + 20 ° C during the day and + 8 ° C ... + 10 ° C at night. Such indicators should be observed for three weeks, and then at night it should be increased to + 15 ° С. A few days before planting in open ground, seedlings for the night are put on the street for gradual getting used to the place of their future growth.
A week after planting seedlings in peat pots in the ground, they should be fed with liquid mineral fertilizers. This kind of seedling is recommended to be watered often, but not abundant. Peat is a material that retains and retains water well. Bottom watering helps prevent mold and mildew.
When and how to plant in the ground?
The cycle of cultivation of tomato seedlings in peat pots is 60 days, and the date of planting in open ground depends on the variety of tomatoes and the region. Most often it is April in the southern regions, the northern - May-early June. It is necessary to plant the seedlings in the already heated soil up to + 12 ° С ... + 15 ° С, and also when the danger of return frost disappears.
- First prepare the beds and mark the furrows, depending on the number of bushes on the bed, the density of placement.
- After that dig holes.
Attention! Holes need to dig a depth of not less than the height of the peat pot. The most suitable option is considered if they are 1.5-2 cm deeper.
- To plant the seedlings of tomatoes should be together with a pot, before that they are advised to pour them with water and treat with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.
- Landing sites are also spilled with water and peat pots are installed in them, which are sprinkled on all sides with soil.
After landing in the ground can not be dry, because the cups are stiff. In the future, it is necessary to water the seedlings at the very root.
Common mistakes
When growing seedlings of tomatoes in peat cups it is not always possible to get healthy seedlings. It largely depends on good quality seeds, so you should not buy cheap seed.- Strong healthy tomato seedlings grow exclusively in suitable for her soil. If a bad soil mixture is taken, the plants will grow slowly or they will die.
- When using too tight or poorly drained peat pots, there is a suspension of seedling growth. In such a container, the seeds can simply be thrown or not at all.
- Often, if the seedbed preparation was not performed, the seedlings die. This process is considered very important. Quality of the received seedling in many respects depends on it.
- There is a great possibility of the development of fungus in tomato seedlings in peat pots if the root system is supercooled.
- If their walls impede the growth of roots, the plants will begin to grow slowly.
When growing seedlings of tomatoes in peat cups it is not always possible to get healthy seedlings. It largely depends on good quality seeds, so you should not buy cheap seed.When seedlings lower leaves become yellow, the cause is:
- lack of light;
- nutritional deficiencies;
- development of the black leg.
The technology of growing seedlings of tomatoes in peat pots is not complicated. This method allows you to get healthy and high-quality seedlings. And in the future to collect a good harvest.
