Methods and conditions for growing seedlings

In the risky farming zone, where the middle belt of Russia belongs, the yield of some heat-loving crops (tomato, pepper, eggplant, etc.) can only be obtained by sowing seeds for seedlings. You can not do without it and growing early cabbage, cucumbers, headed cabbage, late ripening - celery, cabbage, leeks and other crops. Growing seedlings is a long and very exciting process for every summer resident. But will it work out? How to avoid mistakes in seedling care? Our article will help to answer these questions.

Content:

• Preparation of soil and containers for seedlings
• Features of growing seedlings of different crops
• Temperature conditions of seedling cultivation
• Features of picking plants
• Seedling Care
• Features of sowing and planting vegetables

Preparation of soil and containers for seedlings

In order not to damage the root system when transplanting seedlings into the soil, it is better to grow it in peat bricks. Cubes are made from lowland, well decomposed, and high peat, adding in equal proportions by volume dolomite flour (60-80 g) or two glasses of wood ash and mineral fertilizers in the form of a garden mixture (90-100 g, i.e. 5-5, 5 matchboxes).

Fertilizers, in addition to dolomite flour and ash, are applied in dissolved form in the ratios calculated per 1 bucket (10 l) of the mixture. The sizes of the cubes (feeding area), seed consumption and the duration of seedling cultivation are described in the paragraph “Features of growing seedlings of different crops”.

You can save the root system of plants if seedlings are grown in paper cups, milk bags filled with garden soil or a nutrient mixture with holes in the bottom for water drainage, or in special peat blocks that are sold in hardware stores. You can fill the egg trays with the nutrient mixture and grow seedlings in them. In the latter case, it is necessary to reduce the duration of cultivation and more often water the seedlings.

Features of growing seedlings of different crops

What crops, how dense and when to sow seedlings, given the duration of their cultivation before planting in open ground, you can see below.

Squash

• Sowing rate (without picking) - 15-20g per 1m²;
• Feeding area - 8 × 8; 10 × 10 cm;
• Growing time - 20-25 days from emergence to planting.

White cabbage

Early

• Sowing rate (with pick) - 12-15g per 1m²;
• Sowing rate (without picking) - 3-5g per 1m²;
• Feeding area —6 × 6; 7 × 7 cm;
• Growing time - 45-60 days from emergence to planting.

Mid-season

• Sowing rate (without picking) - 1.2-2g per 1m²;
• Feeding area —5 × 5; 6 × 6 cm;
• Growing time - 35-45 days from emergence to planting.

Late ripening

• Sowing rate (with pick) - 12-15g per 1m²;
• Sowing rate (without picking) - 4-5g per 1m²;
• Feeding area —6 × 6 cm;
• Growing time - 40-45 days from emergence to planting.

Cauliflower

• Sowing rate (with pick) - 12-15g per 1m²;
• Sowing rate (without picking) - 3-5g per 1m²;
• Feeding area —6 × 6, 7 × 7cm;
• Growing time - 45-60 days from emergence to planting.

Onions and leeks

• Sowing rate (without picking) - 12-15g per 1m²;
• Feeding area −3 × 1 cm;
• Growing time - 60-70 days from emergence to planting.

Cucumber

• Sowing rate (without picking) - 4-5g per 1m²;
• Feeding area —5 × 5, 6 × 6 cm;
• Growing time - 15-20 days from emergence to planting.

Squash

• Sowing rate (without picking) - 10-15g per 1m²;
• Feeding area —8 × 8, 10 × 10 cm;
• Growing time - 20-25 days from emergence to planting.

Pepper

• Sowing rate (with pick) - 10-12g per 1m²;
• Sowing rate (without picking) - 4-5g per 1m²;
• Feeding area —5 × 5, 6 × 6 cm;
• Growing time - 55-60 days from emergence to planting.

Head salad

• Sowing rate (with pick) - 5-6g per 1m²;
• Sowing rate (without picking) - 2-3g per 1m²;
• Feeding area —3 × 3, 5 × 5 cm;
• Growing time - 25-30 days from emergence to planting.

Celery

• Sowing rate (with pick) - 3-5g per 1m²;
• Sowing rate (without picking) - 1-2g per 1m²;
• Feeding area —3 × 3 cm;
• Growing time - 60-80 days from emergence to planting.

Tomato

• Sowing rate (with pick) - 8-10g per 1m²;
• Sowing rate (without picking) - 1-1.5g per 1m²;
• Feeding area - 7 × 7, 8 × 8 cm;
• Growing time - 45-60 days from emergence to planting.

Sowing norms (given in the subtitle of the publication “Features of sowing and planting vegetables”) are designed for high-quality seeds. If the seeds have low germination (old, small seeds), then the sowing rate must be increased by 10-20% or more.

Temperature conditions of seedling cultivation

When growing seedlings, the conditions described above and the temperature conditions shown below must be observed.

It is clear that observing such regimes at home is not easy, but using them as guidelines is very important. The proposed modes contribute to the hardening of plants. But it does not end there. It is necessary for plants 10-15 days before planting to begin to "accustom" to the conditions of open ground. To do this, in warm weather, plants are briefly taken outside, gradually increasing this time. Hardening of plants and avoiding overgrowing of seedlings is also facilitated by more moderate watering in the last days before planting.

White cabbage, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Savoy

• Air temperature from crops to seedlings - 20 ° C;
• Within 4-7 days after emergence: during the day - 6-10 ° C, at night - 6-10 ° C;
• Afterwards: on a sunny day - 14-18 ° C, on a cloudy day —12-16 ° C, at night - 6-10 ° C;
• Ventilation - strong.

Cauliflower and Kohlrabi

• Air temperature from crops to seedlings - 20 ° C;
• Within 4-7 days after emergence: during the day - 5-10 ° C, at night - 6-10 ° C;
• Afterwards: on a sunny day - 15-16 ° C, on a cloudy day —12-16 ° C, at night - 8-10 ° C;
• Ventilation - strong.

Tomato

• Air temperature from crops to seedlings - 20-25 ° C;
• Within 4-7 days after emergence: during the day - 12-15 ° C, at night - 6-10 ° C;
• Afterwards: on a sunny day - 20-26 ° C, on a cloudy day —17-19 ° C, at night - 6-10 ° C.

Pepper and eggplant

• Air temperature from crops to seedlings - 20-30 ° C;
• Within 4-7 days after emergence: during the day - 13-16 ° C, at night - 8-10 ° C;
• Afterwards: on a sunny day - 20-27 ° C, on a cloudy day —17-20 ° C, at night - 10-13 ° C;
• Ventilation - moderate.

Cucumber

• Air temperature from crops to seedlings - 25-28 ° C;
• Within 4-7 days after emergence: during the day - 15-17 ° C, at night - 12-14 ° C;
• Afterwards: on a sunny day - 19-20 ° C, on a cloudy day —17-19 ° C, at night - 12-14 ° C;
• Ventilation - moderate.

Onions, leeks, lettuce

• Air temperature from crops to seedlings - 18-25 ° C;
• Within 4-7 days after emergence: during the day - 8-10 ° C, at night - 8-10 ° C;
• Afterwards: on a sunny day - 16-18 ° С, on a cloudy day –14-16 ° С, at night - 12-14 ° С.

Features of picking plants

Vegetable growers often use picking, the meaning of which is to transplant seedlings with one or two leaves into peat bricks or simply into the soil with a larger nutrition area than it was before the transplant. After a dive, the plants remain in a new place until the seedlings are planted in the garden or in the greenhouse. The use of this technique allows more economical use of protected soil.

The fact is that for the first time, 8-10 times less area is enough for growing seedlings than for seedlings. Tomato seeds, for example, are sown densely to get from 1 m² 2000-2500 seedlings. Two to three weeks after the emergence of seedlings they are dived by 150-200 seedlings per 1 m². The pick is carried out in cubes or in well-moistened, cut and labeled soil, in which a place for each seedling is pre-planned.

When transplanted in sunny weather, seedlings take root poorly. To reduce the loss of water and better regrowth of roots, peaked seedlings are shaded for 2-3 days. If the area allows, it is better to grow seedlings without picking, as it delays, in comparison with conventional sowing, the growth of seedlings.

Seedling Care

Mulching

In addition to sowing preparation and seed treatment, the emergence of seedlings can be accelerated by mulching (covering) crops with an old film or peat. This technique is especially useful in the early stages of sowing and in hot weather. In order to avoid stretching and pampering of mass shoots, it is very important to remove the film in a timely manner, before they appear.

Proper watering seedlings

Accelerates the emergence of seedlings and sowing watering. Watering after sowing in hot weather can cause crusting on heavy soils. That is why, if such watering was done, it is very important in the following days to repeat it or loosen the surface to destroy the crust.

You need to water vegetable plants regularly, as the soil dries. In hot weather in the evening, and when the nights are cold - in the morning. Do not water plants with cold water. It must first be heated in the sun. Before watering, as well as some time after it, the soil around the plants must be loosened.

When growing seedlings, as well as fruit-bearing plants in a room or sheltered ground, it is very important to exclude waterlogging of the soil, stagnation of water.

Pinching, pinching, removal of peduncles

When growing a tomato, it is necessary to carry out stepsoning. Stepsons are called side shoots, which should be broken out as often as possible. After removing the stepsons, the bulk of the plant's nutrients are used to form the crop.

You need to remove all stepsons, except for one or two of the top. They are necessary, especially in hot weather, to restore a rapidly dying leaf surface.

Pinching is no less important, that is, the removal of the apical bud in a plant. It is carried out, first of all, in vigorous varieties of tomato and cucumber grown in greenhouses, after the plants form the last of the necessary inflorescences or flowers. Their further formation may delay the maturation of the main crop. In the open ground, pinch the tomatoes after two or three flower brushes are formed, and the pumpkin - a month before the onset of frost, that is, usually in early August.

Peduncles ("flower", arrow) onions, garlic, rhubarb are removed manually or with a knife as soon as possible and lower (peduncle). This operation allows you to get a fairly high crop of quality products.

Features of sowing and planting vegetables

You can get a high crop of vegetables only if you sow the seeds correctly and on time or plant seedlings, bulbs, tubers, etc. Some features of sowing and planting vegetable crops are described below.

The paragraph “Sowing or planting scheme” shows the distance between rows of plants and between plants in a row during planting or after thinning for main crops. The first digit shows the distance between the rows, and the second - between the plants in the row. When sowing, for example, carrots (20 × 4 + 40) × З-4, the first digit indicates the distance between the lines, the second indicates their number, the third indicates the distance between the ribbons, and the numbers outside the bracket indicate the distance between the plants in a row.

Swede

• Seeding rate: 0.3 g / m²;
• Landing rate: 7-12 pcs / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 2-3 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 40 × 20 cm.

Peas

• Seeding rate: 15-20 g / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 3-5 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 40 × 15 cm.

Zucchini and squash

• Seeding rate: 0.3-0.4 g / m²;
• Landing rate: 2-3 pcs / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 3-5 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 70 × 70 cm.

White cabbage early ripe

• Landing rate: 4-8 pcs / m²;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 40 × 20 × 25-35 cm.

Red cabbage

• Landing rate: 3-6 pcs / m²;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 50-60 × 40 cm.

Savoy cabbage

• Landing rate: 3-6 pcs / m²;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 50-60 × 40 cm.

Cauliflower

• Landing rate: 5-8 pcs / m²;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 50-60 × 25 cm.

Kohlrabi cabbage

• Seeding rate: 0.06 g / m²;
• Landing rate: 10-12 pcs / m²;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 50 × 20-25 cm.

Onion to the north

• Seeding rate: 10 g / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 2-3 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 20 × 2-3 cm.

Onions on a turnip

• Seeding rate: 0.6-0.8 g / m²;
• Landing rate: 50-120 g pcs / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 2-3 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 20 × 10-15 cm.

Leek

• Seeding rate: 0.8-0.9 g / m²;
• Landing rate: 20-25 pcs / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 2-3 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 10 × 10-15 cm.

Carrot

• Seeding rate: 0.5-0.6 g / m²;
• Seed Depth: 1.5-2 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: (20 × 4 + 40) × 3-4 cm.

Cucumber

• Seeding rate: 0.6-0.8 g / m²;
• Landing rate: 4-7 pcs / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 2-4 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 70-120 × 15-20 cm.

Parsnip

• Seeding rate: 0.5-0.6 g / m²;
• Seed Depth: 2-3 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 35 × 10 cm.

Parsley

• Seeding rate: 0.8-0.1 g / m²;
• Seed Depth: 1.5-2 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: (20 × 4 + 40) × 3-4 cm.

Tomato

• Landing rate: 4-6 pcs / m²;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 50 × 35-50 cm.

Radish

• Seeding rate: 1.8-2 g / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 1-2 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: (12 × 6 + 40) × 3-4 cm.

Radish

• Seeding rate: 1.8-2 g / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 1-2 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: (12 × 6 + 40) × 3-4 cm.

Turnip

• Seeding rate: 0.2 g / m²;
• Seed Depth: 1-2 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: (12 × 6 + 40) × 4-5 cm.

Leaf lettuce

• Seeding rate: 0.3-0.5 g / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 1-2 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: (20 × 4 + 40) × 2-3 cm.

Head salad

• Seeding rate: 0.1-0.2 g / m²;
• Landing rate: 15-25 pcs / m²;
• Seed Depth: 1-2 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 20-25 × 20-25 cm.

Beetroot

• Seeding rate: 1-1.2 g / m²;
• Seed Depth: 3-6 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 34 × 8-10 cm.

Celery

• Seeding rate: 0.06-0.08 g / m²;
• Landing rate: 11-15 pcs / m²;
• Seed Depth: 1-1.5 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 35 × 20-30 cm.

Dill on the greens

• Seeding rate: 1.8-7 g / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 2-3 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 70 cm ribbon scatter.

Beans

• Seeding rate: 0.8-1.4 g / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 4-6 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 30-35 × 4-5 cm.

Spinach

• Seeding rate: 4-6 g / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 2-3 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: (20 × 4 + 40) × 3-4 cm.

Garlic

• Landing rate: 50-80 pcs / m²;
• Seeding Depth: 5-7 cm;
• Sowing or planting scheme: 20 × 10-15 cm.

We hope that the information posted in this article will become a good helper for you in a rather difficult task - growing seedlings.

Watch the video: How to Start Seeds Indoors for Your Spring Garden-2 EZ Ways u0026 Tips 4 SuccessSpring Garden Series #2 (March 2021).