To achieve a high yield of tomatoes, you need to make some efforts. After all, the culture is attacked by various pests, diseases, negatively affected by environmental factors. To avoid all this, it is important to responsibly prepare seedlings for transplanting into open ground. How to do it right, I will tell in this article.
Firstly, it is important to harden seedlings before planting in open ground. Secondly, she needs to provide regular top dressing with mineral or organic fertilizers.
Top dressing of tomatoes
When growing strong and healthy tomato seedlings, fertilizing is indispensable. At first, seedlings actively grow and develop, feeding on useful elements in the soil. But over time, the land is depleted, and the culture lacks the substances it needs. Therefore, I recommend regularly feeding tomatoes with organic or mineral supplements.
How to understand that tomatoes lack nutrients
By the appearance of the seedlings, an experienced gardener will quickly determine what she lacks:
- discoloration of the leaves indicates the use of low-quality water for irrigation. If you water tomatoes with tap water with chlorine, this will negatively affect them. Also, the reason for the change in the color of the leaves and the appearance of veins that are very noticeable on them indicates a lack of iron;
- the appearance of brittleness. If, when touched, the seedlings break off their leaves and stems easily, then they lack magnesium;
- with a strong darkening of the leaves and when acquiring a purple hue on the opposite side of the leaf plate, it can be understood that the plant does not have enough phosphorus;
- falling leaves and their light shade indicate a lack of moisture, heat and nitrogen.
Feeding times
The first time I apply fertilizer after the appearance of the third leaf on tomato seedlings. Also during this period I carry out the prevention of diseases and pests with special preparations. The second time I feed the tomatoes in a week with special complex fertilizers. And then you can fertilize the seedlings every 10 days.
Fertilization after picking
Picking always provokes stress in plants. And for the adaptation of seedlings in a new place, it takes a certain time. It usually takes two weeks, and after that it can be fed with complex mineral fertilizers.
organic top dressing
Of the folk methods I use when applying organic fertilizers:
- tea leaves;
- eggshell;
- humus;
- iodine;
- ash.
Now in more detail about each individual option. When using tea leaves as a fertilizer, it is enough just to pour it under the tomato bushes. As for the eggshell, here you will need:
- several liters of water;
- dried eggshell.
The shell is filled with water and infused for several days. Then the solution can be watered beds with tomatoes. This composition will enrich the soil with calcium and make the tomatoes stronger.
As for the use of iodine, it has a beneficial effect on tomatoes, and contributes to a large formation of ovaries on them. I prefer specialized top dressings with a high content of iodine. Usually such fertilizers are dissolved in water, and seedlings are watered with a solution.
Useful for tomatoes and ash. It contains phosphorus and potassium, necessary for tomatoes. Also, the regular application of ash as a fertilizer prevents the development of fungal diseases.
As can be seen from everything I have said, at home you can fertilize tomato seedlings in various ways. As a result, the culture will become stronger, more powerful and will delight you with a bountiful harvest.
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#tomato seedlings#seedling feeding#helpful tips