Many lovers indoor plants raise their pets themselves, because it’s not always possible to find what you need in the store home plant. In addition, buying flower seeds will be much cheaper than mature plant. But all this is not so important. The main thing is what it is exciting process– cultivation indoor flower! And what a pity it is when a flower seedling dies. Having lost my seedlings of indoor plants several times, I decided to approach the issue of growing them more responsibly. As it turned out, during cultivation it is of great importance proper feeding seedlings.
If the condition of the plant does not cause concern, you can use universal fertilizers for feeding. In fact, the main elements that are necessary for the growth and development of a plant are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It is good to feed young seedlings with a mixture with a predominance of nitrogen salts.
But there are situations when you need to know which microelements your seedlings lack. This can be understood by her appearance.
Lack of nitrogen leads to slower growth of plants, leaves become small and pale. The stems of this plant are thin and weakly branched.
Lack of phosphorus. Plant growth is significantly delayed. Plants become weak, leaves turn yellow at the edges and fall off. Disease resistance and cold resistance of seedlings decreases.
Potassium deficiency. In addition to the fact that plant growth slows down, their resistance to fungal diseases decreases. The edges and tops of the leaves turn brown and die.
Lack of calcium leads to the death of young leaves and tops of stems, weakening of growth and development of roots. First, young leaves become light in color, then light yellow spots appear on them. The edges of the leaves curl down and they fall off.
Magnesium deficiency. The leaves of the plant become “marbled”, spotted, and turn pale between the veins. Gradually they turn yellow, curl and fall off. The growth and development of the plant slows down.
Lack of boron leads to stopping the growth of stems, roots, and the death of the apical point of growth. Young leaves acquire a dark color, their edges bend down. The shoots of the plant become brittle.
For fertilizing with nitrogen, ammonium, salts of nitric and nitrous acids are used. If there is a lack of potassium, potassium nitrate and potassium phosphate are used. The plant can obtain the necessary phosphorus from mixtures containing phosphoric acid salts or superphosphate.
Having correctly chosen the necessary fertilizer, you also need to properly feed the seedlings. Let's learn to do this correctly.
It is recommended to fertilize seedlings once every 7-10 days. Seedlings are fed only during the growth period. You cannot feed plants that are not yet rooted.
It is best to fertilize early in the morning on a sunny day, but under no circumstances should you feed the plants when hot weather. It is very important that the fertilizer does not get on the leaves and stems, as this can cause the plant to burn.
To feed seedlings, you should use low concentration fertilizer. Mixtures that are commercially available are used as fertilizing. The bags indicate for which plants and in what quantities they are needed.
A few hours before feeding, the seedlings are well watered. This protects the roots from burning and promotes uniform saturation of the entire clod of soil with fertilizer. But remember that excessive fertilization harms the development of the plant.
Also, I learned that it is very good to alternate fertilizing with mineral fertilizers and biofertilizers with growth stimulants based on humic acids.
To grow tomato seedlings at home, you need to follow some rules. And one of these rules is proper and timely feeding.
Let's take a closer look at how to feed tomato seedlings.
Traditional mineral fertilizer for tomatoes. It contains three components: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. This type fertilizer is the most commonly used for tomatoes. It supplies tomatoes with all the necessary nutrients.
It is added not only when growing seedlings, but also when planting them in open ground. A tablespoon of nitrophoska is poured into each hole and carefully mixed with the soil. In addition, this drug is used in the form of a solution (50g of the drug per 10 liters of water). The resulting liquid must be watered over the plants 7 days after planting in the garden.
It should be noted that when using this drug you get environmentally pure product. The main thing is to adhere to the dosage when feeding.
One of the popular dry fertilizers for growing tomato seedlings. The product contains: 13% nitrogen; 20% potassium and phosphorus, as well as magnesium and essential trace elements.
First this fertilizer applied 2 weeks after planting the seeds for seedlings, repeated feeding after the appearance of the ovaries, the third time root feeding is carried out after 10 days. After another 7 days, the plant is sprayed with this product, and then again after 10 days.
Used in both dry and liquid form. The method for preparing the solution can be read on the packaging.
The nutrients in this preparation are balanced, which makes it possible to supply tomatoes with all the required nutrients. Tomatoes should be fertilized with Agricola only after abundant watering.
Otherwise, you can harm the plant. Be sure to adhere to the required dosages when feeding, otherwise you can destroy the seedlings. The drug should not be used in concentrated form.
An organic fertilizer that stimulates the growth of seedlings, obtained by composting peat with added dolomite flour or shale ash, phosphorite flour and potassium chloride. This drug is widely used both in open ground, and in greenhouse conditions.
This product is more effective than manure. In addition, it does not contribute to the development of pests and weeds in the soil.
This is a fertilizer that is used to slow down the growth of the part of the plant located above the soil surface. It is widely used when growing seedlings at home so that they grow better and not stretch in length, which can cause a decrease in yield.
When using Athlete, the escape gains required thickness, the roots are strengthened, and the number of fruits increases by 30%.
When feeding with this fertilizer, you must adhere to the following rules:
Tomato seedlings are watered with this preparation after the appearance of four true leaves. This feeding, if desired, can be replaced by spraying. Only in this situation, the seedlings are processed three times with an interval of 8 days.
Although today there are many different organic and mineral fertilizers, some gardeners believe that it is better to use traditional methods. Let's look at some of them.
Since yeast is rich in fungi (and, as a result, protein), as well as iron, amino acids, macro and microelements, their use can improve the quality of tomato seedlings.
To do this, you need to feed with yeast, which is prepared as follows:
You can use infusions of yeast with herbs (the main thing is that the added plants were without seeds).
You can also use the following recipe: 0.5 liters of litter + 0.5 liters of ash + 10 liters of water + 10 g of dry yeast. All this should be mixed and left for 5-6 days. It is used only in diluted form, in a ratio of 1:2.
This type of feeding is characterized by the fact that it beneficial features do not lose their power. Ash is applied in combination with various organic fertilizers, as it goes well with them.
To disinfect tomato seeds, the usual potassium permanganate can be replaced with hydrogen peroxide. In addition, this drug helps tomato seedlings fight late blight.
To do this, one tablespoon of peroxide is diluted in 10 liters of water and 40 drops of iodine are added. The resulting mixture is sprayed onto the seedlings. For root feeding, dilute 30 drops of peroxide in a glass of water.
The use of hydrogen peroxide promotes:
At the time of flowering, you need to feed with manganese. Potassium and superphosphate, 20 g each, are added to it. It is necessary to use iodine supplement.
As it turned out, “iodine deficiency” can occur not only in humans, but also in tomatoes. If a plant does not have enough iodine, the seedlings become sick. Feeding with iodine solution (2 drops per 1 liter of water) is carried out when the first leaves appear, and again after 14 days.
In order for the seedlings to grow better, they are sprayed with the same solution. To disinfect seedlings, you can use the following recipe: 1 liter of water + 5 drops of iodine + 1 glass of skim milk.
If you used a store-bought soil mixture before planting, then fertilizing the tomato seedlings is not necessary. In this case, there will be an excess of fertilizer for the plant. This can lead to bad consequences.
Tomato seedlings also do not need to be fed before planting. The first feeding will be after transplanting into a greenhouse or open ground.
Fertilizing for tomatoes is necessary in the following cases:
To properly feed tomatoes, gardeners have developed a unified scheme. Fertilizers are additionally applied when the soil in your garden is poor in minerals, the seedlings have a weak appearance, and poor flowering.
However, with good formation of tomato seedlings and excellent appearance, excessive fertilizers can only do harm.
When applying fertilizing, you should adhere to some requirements:
It should be noted that root feeding using any nutrients is carried out only after good watering.
Seedlings are required to be fed only twice:
In the future, monitor the formation of seedlings. You can fertilize tomato seedlings every 14 days. And if the plants develop properly, you don’t have to feed them at all.
If this is your first time growing tomato seedlings yourself, then keep a diary. It should record: what fertilizers were applied to the soil, and for what date.
The first time the seedlings are fed is when the first leaf appears. This time we need fertilizing with the following fertilizers: “Nitrophoska”, “Agricola - Forward” or “Agricola No. 3”. One teaspoon of any product is diluted per liter of water. This amount is enough to feed 40 bushes. This procedure helps small shoots grow stronger.
The seedlings are fed the second time when the stems have lengthened. For this feeding, superphosphate is used (1 tbsp diluted in 3 liters of water) or Effekton (1 tbsp per 1 liter of water). If the seedlings are too elongated, then use the drug “Athlete”, it will slow down the growth of the top. At this stage of growth, you can already use folk remedies, for example, bird droppings.
This feeding is carried out 7 days after the second stage. One spoon of “Nitrophoska” is diluted in 10 liters of water. Pour 0.5 cups of the resulting liquid into each pot of seedlings.
This feeding is carried out after 10 days. It is needed to strengthen the root system. One tablespoon of potassium sulfate or superphosphate is diluted in 10 liters of water. The soil is watered generously with this solution.
After 10 days, another feeding is introduced. 1 tbsp. l nitrophoska is diluted with 10 liters of water and watered at the rate of 1 glass of solution per 1 plant. This way we fed the root system. And now we need to implement foliar feeding. To do this, spray the leaves with the same solution as for the roots.
After 3-4 days, it is necessary to spray the plants with clean water. And if the seedlings have weak leaves, we spray them with the “Bud for Tomatoes” preparation for 3 days.
We have reviewed the most effective methods feeding tomato seedlings. If you want to get a high yield of delicious tomatoes, you can use one of them. Comply with everything step-by-step recommendations to achieve maximum results.
Kirill Sysoev
Calloused hands never get bored!
Content
People who have their own personal plots, annually grow vegetables (especially tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers) on their own. Planting seedlings in the ground and watering them regularly is not enough to get a good harvest. Plants need to be fed by different means to kill pests, overcome diseases, and get tasty, fleshy, large fruits. There are several folk ways providing seedlings with the necessary nutrients, with which it will not be difficult to grow healthy, vitamin-rich vegetables.
This is the process of introducing tomato and pepper seedlings under the root system nutrient solution, a fertilizer that strengthens the plant’s immunity, helping to withstand stressful conditions under the influence of external environment. To do everything correctly, you need to be able to recognize what exactly a pepper or tomato needs, how and when to add the solution, how to knead it, etc.
Answers to these many other questions will help novice gardeners get a full harvest vegetable crops. The benefits of using nutritious folk remedies are obvious - they help seedlings grow healthy, strong, resistant to various diseases and pests. Feeding is carried out in two main ways: root, foliar.
Before you start fertilizing, you need to familiarize yourself with the types into which any fertilizer for tomato and pepper seedlings is divided:
The amount of fertilizing and its composition depends on the quality of the soil mixture. Primary fertilizing is carried out no earlier than 15 days after sowing and the appearance of full shoots. Before planting in open ground, peppers and tomatoes do not need early feeding, and after the procedure you need to wait at least a week. Very good result gives alternation mineral mixtures with organomineral. This fertilizing is applied every 7-10 days. It is worth noting that an excess or lack of mineral nutrition has a bad effect on seedlings:
|
Name |
Symptoms of excess |
Symptoms of deficiency |
||
|
Intensive growth of stems and leaves, the appearance of a rich green color, decreased resistance to disease |
Stop fertilizing with nitrogen, feed with phosphorus-potassium products |
Reduced development of the root system and stem growth |
Add liquid nitrogen |
|
|
The appearance of chlorosis, decreased iron absorption |
Feed with potassium or dolomite flour |
Reduced stem growth, the appearance of chlorosis, yellowing, falling leaves |
Water 1-2 times a week with calcium nitrate (7-9 g per 3 liters of water) |
|
|
Stunted growth, lightening of leaves, spots and leaf drop |
Feed with potassium supplement |
The appearance of blueness on the leaves, spots, a brown tint along the edges, loss of immunity |
Water with 1% saltpeter once a week |
|
|
Rapid aging of plants, wilting of fruits, appearance of chlorosis |
Feed with phosphorus fertilizer |
Poor plant growth, the appearance of red veins on the leaves |
Insulate the window sill, pour it with azophoska solution (5g per 3l) |
There are fertilizers for seedlings of peppers and tomatoes, which are prepared from natural ingredients at home. Experienced gardeners prefer such folk remedies to purchased drugs, since they are not just an excellent alternative chemicals, but also absolutely safe for future fruits. Most folk products for feeding seedlings are made on the basis of:
The main microelements that tomatoes and peppers need are:
The main disadvantage of processing and feeding tomato and pepper seedlings with folk remedies is the inability to calculate the exact amount of microelements in the mixture. Considering this fact, it is better to reduce the dosage of applied fertilizer than to exceed it. In addition, fertilize better in the morning, in wet soil and maintain the temperature of the mixture from 220 to 250. To disinfect the soil and fertilize any varieties of tomatoes, use an infusion from a handful onion peel(cleaning) and 3-5 liters of water.
The most popular fertilizer among gardeners is wood ash, which contains phosphorus and potassium, which is necessary for feeding seedlings. The substance protects plants from pests, diseases and nourishes them. Before diving the seedlings into the ground, add 2 tbsp to each hole. l. ash mixture, and on top - a layer of earth to avoid damage to the roots. At the end of the second week after planting, the first feeding with liquid ash is carried out; to obtain the mixture, you need to dilute 100 g of ash powder in 1 liter of water. This solution should be added to the base of the stem, 1 liter each.
You can also carry out foliar feeding by diluting 10 liters of water with 300 g of ash and half a piece of laundry soap. Next, the mass is boiled for about half an hour, filtered, and cooled. It is not necessary to add the last component, but it helps the mixture adhere better to the seedling leaf. The resulting ash solution should be sprayed on top of the plants.
Banana peels are rich in potassium, which is necessary for seedlings during the flowering period. The skin of the fruit must be dried in any way and then ground to a powder. The resulting mixture is added when planting seedlings. It is best to dry the crusts in the fresh air, where this will be facilitated Sun rays and the breeze. The product must be strung on a thread and covered with gauze. This ensures maximum conservation useful substances and getting rid of harmful impurities with which fruits were processed.
You can also use liquid banana fertilizer, obtained by infusing the peels of 2-3 fruits in a three-liter jar of water for at least 3 days. Next, you need to strain the liquid and add 50 ml to each bush. There is another simple way to get a nutritious banana mixture - grind 1 fruit skin with a glass of water in a blender and add soft pulp 1 tbsp. l. for each seedling once a month. Organic elements, contained in bananas, not only nourish plants, promoting abundant flowering, but still effectively fight aphids.
There is another way of feeding - spraying the seedlings with a spray of banana peels (4 pcs.), eggshell powder (2 tsp), magnesium sulfate (20 g), 1 liter of water. The first component must be dried, crushed, and mixed with the remaining ingredients. Spraying is carried out no more than once every 7 days, the mixture is stored in the refrigerator, and before use it is heated to 20°. Several finely chopped skins filled with the Baikal EM1 preparation will make excellent compost. The mixture needs to steep for a month.
This type of feeding is very popular among gardeners and is one of the first to be carried out. The mixture is necessary to stimulate the growth of seedlings and if there are no signs of nitrogen starvation, then there is no need to fertilize. The mixture is prepared simply – bird droppings are poured with water 1:2, covered with a lid, and left to ferment for 3 days. Then the solution is diluted 1:10 and used for root feeding. This method– the most effective, since it 100% eliminates “nitrogen starvation” of seedlings.
Plants, like people, extract clean energy from sugar, so “sweet” fertilizer will be useful for pepper and tomato seedlings. Needs to be sprinkled granulated sugar the surface of the earth around the stem, or dilute 2 tsp. sweet substance with a glass of water, water the plant with the solution. You can even use regular glucose tablets (sold at the pharmacy), dissolve 1 pc. in a glass of water and use the liquid to water the seedlings. This type of feeding should be carried out no more than once a month.
Feeding tomato and pepper seedlings with folk remedies can also be done with the help of iodine. The microelement protects plants from pests and diseases. To obtain a solution, dilute 10 g of iodine with a bucket of water (10 l), you can add another 10 g of phosphorus and 20 g of potassium. The fertilizer is suitable for root feeding 1-2 times a week, and can be added to settled water used for watering seedlings. Main advantage this method– availability and low cost of iodine.
One of effective means, which feed vegetable seedlings, is eggshell. Experienced summer residents, gardeners collect it all winter to scatter it over the beds in the spring. Crushed shells help loosen the soil, distribute moisture evenly, and reduce the volume of water required for irrigation. The product is 90% rich in calcium carbonate and nutrients necessary for seedling growth.
Root feeding is carried out with a liquid solution prepared in this way: the shells of 3-4 eggs are placed in a three-liter jar, filled with water, infused for 3 days in a dark place at room temperature. Do not close the lid tightly. The main signs of readiness of a folk remedy are its cloudiness, the appearance unpleasant odor, which will subsequently repel various pests. Eggshells also improve perfectly mineral composition soil. The infused liquid is applied every 12-14 days under the root.
Fertilizing pepper and tomato seedlings with yeast is very effective, as it ensures rapid growth of seedlings, strengthening the root system, and improving the yield of these vegetable crops. You can prepare the solution as follows: combine 10 g of yeast, 4 tbsp. l. sugar, 10 liters of warm water, stir, let stand for a while. The finished mixture turns out to be very concentrated, so it needs to be diluted in a ratio of 1:10.
Reading time ≈ 12 minutes
Do you want to get the perfect tomato seedlings at home and have the right feeding? Then this article is just for you. Follow these recommendations and soon you will be able to enjoy delicious tomatoes from your garden.
It doesn’t matter where you will study, in the country, in country house, the main thing is to be patient and pay enough attention to this matter.
Home grown tomatoes
It is worth noting that tomatoes are one of the most popular crops in our country. And no wonder. The fruits have a lot of vitamins, a pleasant taste and saturate well. But isn't it easier to buy seedlings on the market? Of course it's easier. But by doing it yourself, you are guaranteed to receive good harvest, which will not only be large, but environmentally friendly.
Growing any crop begins with preparation. First you need to select planting material to get the best results. There is an opinion that seeds of foreign brands are many times better and of higher quality than their domestic counterparts. If we talk about the seed, then this rule does not apply here. The fact is that each manufacturer creates products for certain regions. In this case, adjustments are made to the climate, soil typology, rainfall and other factors.
So it is better to use seeds from domestic market. This way you will achieve better results when growing. Varieties such as “Russian Ogorod”, “SeDeka”, “Ilyinichny” and others are very popular for growing at home. The main thing is to choose zoned varieties of crops.
Also, don’t stop at just one variety. Buy four or five types at once, so that later you can select those that have proven themselves best. Purchased seeds do not require additional processing before planting. They've already been poisoned special means. But if you use planting material that you collected yourself, then you need to prepare it correctly. To do this, take potassium permanganate and make a dark pink solution. Then soak the seeds for 30 minutes. To make it more convenient, you can wrap it in cotton pads. After soaking, you need to thoroughly rinse the seeds in several waters.
Tomato seeds
Gardeners still have a dilemma: to soak the seed before planting or not. There are two opinions.
If we talk about soil, then there are no special requirements here. Tomatoes tolerate dry soil and dry air well. The presence of special fertilizers is not necessary. Interestingly, tomatoes can grow calmly even in highly acidic soil. Moderate dry air has a beneficial effect on the crop. So growing tomatoes on a windowsill is not at all difficult.
Before planting, prepare the substrate in a suitable container. To do this you need to mix the following ingredients:
If there is no opportunity and time, then you can buy a regular one peat soil, which is sold on the market and in specialized departments of stores. No matter what kind of soil you have, it needs to be steamed well. Tomato seedlings, like any other, are an excellent field for the development of various fungi, which in open ground will not bother anyone. Do not take soil from the garden or flower bed. You won't get good seedlings.
Soddy soil should be taken from places where nothing has grown (forbs) for at least five years. Humus should not be used when it is young, but rather when it is over three years old.
Peat soil
You need to plant the crop to obtain seedlings in advance. The exact timing directly depends on several factors:
In any case, you can start planting at the end of March in protected ground.
In order to get healthy seedlings, you need to grow seedlings correctly. Experts highlight the following recommendations for getting tomatoes in an apartment on the windowsill.
Turn the box or box of seedlings daily towards the light. This way you will protect the seedlings from unnecessary stretching. And the growth will be uniform, and the stem will not bend in one direction.
Do not place containers of tomatoes on the windowsill itself. The ventilation of the root part of the crop will be impaired. First place some kind of stand to provide air access to the roots, as shown in the photo.
To obtain strong seedlings, before planting, you need to soak the seeds. This is quite easy to do and is not required. special effort. You need to take 1 liter of water and add your choice of one of the ingredients below:
Soaking is best done in bags made of natural fabrics. The period is about a day. But make sure that the temperature of this mixture does not fall below 20⁰ C. As soon as the soaking is finished, the wet bags of seeds should be placed in a bag and placed in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours. This is necessary for seed hardening.
You need to sow the seeds while still cold, directly into the ground. This scheme will help to achieve friendly shoots that will germinate very quickly.
Seed treatment before planting
While the seeds have just sprouted and are growing at the first stage, feeding tomato seedlings is not needed at all. Your task is only to water the tomatoes so that the soil does not dry out. As soon as two leaves appear on the sprouts, it’s time to dive. In this case, you need to immediately transplant them into separate containers. At this stage, you need to deepen the sprouts to the cotyledon leaves themselves.
When transplanting, you need to feed the seedlings a little. For these purposes, add 1 tablespoon to each container. mineral fertilizer(for example, "Signor Tomato"). After two weeks, it is worth repeating the feeding. Now you can use regular complex fertilizer.
Disposable plastic cups with a capacity of 0.5 liters are perfect for replanting. If you take smaller volumes of containers, you will be picked twice. Transplantation can be done in two ways.
Transplanting one tomato at a time
Transplanting two tomatoes
Before planting in open ground, it is necessary to harden the plants. This process must begin no less than 10 days before planting. The most in a simple way is a gradual decline temperature regime from 18-20 degrees to 14-16 degrees.
The next stage begins approximately five days before disembarkation. It is necessary to place the seedlings outside for two to three hours. Fresh air. And immediately before transplanting, you need to take it outside for the whole day.
Lowering the temperature changes the physiological parameters of the plant. And the tomatoes become absolutely ready for changed environmental conditions.
Planted tomatoes in open ground
It's no secret that all plants grown by people need to be fed. In this way, good performance and higher yields can be achieved. In addition, it helps to make the plants strong and develop fully. For such purposes, you can use specialized products and solutions. You can also use folk remedies. Let's take a closer look at the options for fertilizing tomato seedlings at home.
The main nutrition for the plant will be the soil, which should be nutritious and suitable. Fertilizer application should only occur in the morning or evening. And after feeding, you should water it well. This measure is necessary to completely wash off the substance from the leaves. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about the plants getting burned.
The first feeding should occur no earlier than the sprouts have true leaves. And the last one - ten days before planting in open ground. It is also worth performing such actions if you notice such features.
Iron deficiency
Phosphorus deficiency
Nitrogen deficiency
Such knowledge will help you properly care for plants to achieve maximum effect.
To know what to feed your seedlings, you need to follow the following recommendations. Everything will depend on what kind of feeding there will be. The fact is that at each stage of growth different substances will be needed.
For the first feeding, you can take formulations that are sold ready-made in the store. These include “Nitrophoska”, “Agricola No. 3”, “Agricola-Forward” and others. In the instructions you will find detailed description for use.
If you don’t want to buy the substances, you can make the mixture yourself. For example, fertilizing with urea. To do this you will need:
You just need to combine all the ingredients and mix well. Then simply water the seedlings with this mixture. But not everyone wants to use chemistry. In this case, it will be relevant to feed tomato seedlings at home with ash, or rather with its extract. To prepare this fertilizer you will need the following.
An alternative to fertilizing with wood ash is to use yeast. Feeding tomato seedlings at home with yeast has one feature. The prepared mixture should not be stored, so it is made in the quantity required for one-time use.
It’s very easy to make your own yeast infusion.
Video: feeding tomatoes
The second time it is worth feeding the seedlings two weeks after the first time. Suitable for healthy and strong plants complex fertilizers, as "Effecton". Superphosphate should be used for seedlings with overly elongated stems. It must be dissolved in water (hot only) in the proportion of 1 tablespoon per 3 liters of water.
You can use fertilizers based on nitrate. And for gardeners who do not want to use it, there is an alternative - iodine. It is useful for both people and plants. Feeding tomato seedlings at home with iodine is used to improve nitrogen metabolism. It also increases the yield of tomatoes. In addition to being nutritious for plants, iodine protects tomatoes well from a huge number of fungi and other unnecessary microorganisms. If seedlings have a lack of iodine, then the speed of plant development decreases significantly and various diseases appear.
