Tomatoes are a vegetable crop that grows only in conditions of sufficient heat and sunlight. The most favorable region for cultivating tomatoes is the southern part of the Russian Federation. This vegetable is grown using the seedling method. The percentage of obtaining a high-quality harvest will be high if the following conditions are met before planting seedlings in open ground.
Ready for disembarkation
The readiness of seedlings for planting in open ground depends on the variety of tomatoes. Adaptation of plants in the garden will be successful if transplantation is carried out at the optimal time:
- for early ripening varieties - from 45 to 50 days;
- for mid-season - from 55 to 60 days;
- for late ripening - from 70 days.
If the above recommendations are followed, the adaptation period of sprouts on a plot of land is significantly reduced, the bushes actively develop and have strong immunity to diseases.
Hardening
An important stage in preparing seedlings for transplanting into the ground is hardening. Thanks to hardening, plants get used to outdoor living conditions: temperature changes, sunlight, wind. Two weeks before replanting the plants, when the air temperature outside does not drop below 10 °C, it is useful to “walk” the seedlings, for example, on the balcony.It is recommended to place the plants in a place where direct rays of the sun do not reach, so that the young fragile stems and leaves of the seedlings do not get burned.
The stay of seedlings in the fresh air should begin with several hours, and then gradually increase to 9 hours. A couple of days before transplanting, seedlings can be hardened around the clock if there is no frost.
Top dressing
Before planting, seedlings can be fed with biostimulants, which help strengthen, quickly root and stimulate plant growth. Such drugs include “Zircon”, “Epin”. The drugs must be used strictly according to the instructions.
Rejection
For planting in the ground, strong shoots with a high-quality appearance are selected:
- squat seedling (height up to 30 cm) with developed roots;
- the stem is thick and strong;
- number of leaves - from 6 to 10 pieces.
Underdeveloped bushes with signs of disease should be discarded.
Air temperature and soil heating for replanting
An extremely important condition for planting seedlings in the garden is the irreversibility of frost (night temperature - at least +15 ° C, daytime - 22 ° C) and a warm top layer of soil (soil at a depth of 8-10 cm from the surface is heated to +12 ° C). The soil temperature is measured 3–4 days before transplanting.
Preparing land for replanting
To transplant seedlings into open ground you will need:
- choose a plot of land for growing tomatoes;
- dig up the soil to saturate it with air;
- apply fertilizers;
- form beds.
Tomato seedlings need careful transportation to the plot of land where they are planned to be transplanted.
A week before transplanting into the garden, you should stop watering the seedlings; this will lead to a loss of elasticity of the stems, and all plants will reach the beds without damage.
The plants will need to be watered 5–6 hours before planting.
