Tomatoes are a crop that is grown by seedlings in most regions of Russia. Without noticing it themselves, gardeners take actions that lead to seedlings outgrowing. Such plants become weak, brittle, and produce low yields. Knowledge of the main mistakes and methods for solving them will help you avoid pulling tomatoes.
Early planting of seeds
The correct choice of timing for planting seeds is the key to the growth of strong and healthy seedlings. Beginning gardeners often choose the wrong time for sowing, focusing only on the lunar calendar and favorable numbers. At the same time, they do not take into account the varietal characteristics of tomatoes and the climatic conditions of their region.
If sowed too early, the seedlings receive enough heat but too little light. Therefore, it begins to stretch out, trying to absorb more sunlight. Early sowing is recommended in cases where additional lighting is provided for the seedlings. Such seedlings are subsequently transferred to the greenhouse.
When calculating the timing of sowing seeds, it is taken into account that the seedling period is from 50 to 60 days, depending on the plant variety.
Violation of temperature and lighting conditions
Even with the correct choice of sowing time, a common reason for seedlings to stretch is a violation of temperature and light conditions.Beginning gardeners strive to keep containers with seedlings warm, providing them with greenhouse conditions all the time. At the same time, they forget about sufficient lighting. Such plants grow weak.
To prevent seedlings from stretching, it is necessary to observe the temperature regime and organize additional illumination with lamps. Daylight hours should be at least 16 hours.
To prevent the sprouts from stretching, the seeds are germinated at a temperature of 23–25 degrees. After emergence of seedlings, the temperature is reduced to 16 degrees. It is important that for the first 3–4 weeks of plant development it remains at that level. Then it is gradually increased so that during the day it is 20–27 degrees, and at night it does not fall below 10 degrees.
This temperature regime most closely corresponds to the natural conditions for the development of tomatoes.
Too frequent watering and overfeeding of plants
Another action that often leads to stretching of seedlings is excessive watering and fertilizing. Often the soil is moistened according to a precise schedule, without taking into account whether the soil has dried out or not. Excess water causes the stem to elongate.
To avoid the problem, it is necessary to moisten the soil only when the top layer has dried to a depth of 1.5-2 centimeters.
Like overwatering, excess fertilizer causes plants to grow rapidly. Fertilizing should be applied no more than 2-3 times before planting in the ground. The prepared composition is used as fertilizer. Additional substances are added only when signs of starvation of seedlings appear - with slow growth, yellowing of foliage.
Picking too late can also lead to overgrowth of tomato seedlings. The sprouts should be replanted after 2 true leaves appear. At the first signs of stretching, experts recommend taking measures to slow down plant growth. The easiest way is to lower the temperature to 15–16 degrees.
Compliance with the timing of planting seeds, maintaining temperature conditions and proper care of seedlings will allow you to obtain strong and healthy seedlings.
