How to prevent pulling tomato seedlings
Why seedlings are pulled
How to tell if a tomato is stretching? If there are long distances between the nodes on the trunk, this is a signal of excessive growth. The main problem is non-compliance with the temperature regime. It applies especially to those vegetable growers who grow seedlings indoors or on the balcony. A comfortable indicator for planted seeds is a temperature in the range of 22-24 degrees. As soon as the seedlings hatch, it must be reduced to 15-20 degrees. It is difficult to do this in apartment conditions.
The most common cause is lack of sun. Unfavorable weather conditions or, more often, the location of the room leads to the fact that the tomatoes can stretch out. This is natural: a plant needs photosynthesis for normal growth and development.
The lack of solar activity is also the reason for the stretching of the culture. Usually, the first shoots appear in early spring, when the sun does not appear enough and gives off heat. Unfavorable weather conditions are also the reason for stretching, for example, the plants have already grown up, and the spring has dragged on or suddenly it has become cold.
Another reason is too dense seedlings. Even with good lighting, not all plants get it equally well, because they overshadow each other.
It is important to know that tomatoes stretch when the gardener picked up the wrong soil, which is high in nitrogen and low in phosphorus and potassium.
Too careful care does not improve the quality of vegetables: due to excessive fertilization and watering, they tend to rise.
How to fix
What to do if tomato seedlings are stretched out? First, the plants should initially be planted in soil rich in phosphorus and potassium. The first element is responsible for the development of a powerful root system, and the second thickens the intercellular sap in plants, plays the role of a restraining factor. Therefore, tomatoes do not have a strong cell expansion.
A mixture of lowland and high peat, sand as a baking powder, dolomite flour is added to most specialized peat for seedlings. This is the main combination. There are options, for example, dry chicken manure is mixed into the soil. Secondly, the land for the seedlings needs to be fed. By itself, it is not very nutritious. Thirdly, the soil should contain a minimum amount of nitrogen.
The gardener's job is to use the soil for nightshade crops. It makes the right balance of nitrogen and potassium with phosphorus, since these plants are demanding for nutrition. It is advisable to add vermicompost depending on how long the plants will be in the seedlings. For tomatoes, up to 50% will be optimal. You need to mix up to 3% wood ash, but do not overdo it so that there is no strong inhibition in growth.
Solar activity can provide photosynthesis, so keep your tomatoes in a convenient location with plenty of sun.
What to do: tomato seedlings are stretched out, but it is not possible to change the composition of the soil? Plus, is your apartment in a shaded area? In such cases, vegetable growers use drugs that are stimulants and fertilizers at the same time. "Athlete" is one of them. It stops the growth of the aerial part of plants by thickening and shortening the trunk.Within a week, the vegetable will decrease in height, but the root system will actively develop.
The drug should be used several times, since the period of its effect on the root system is a week. Then the tomatoes will be stretched again. "Athlete" consists of ampoules. It can be sprayed onto leaves.
The manufacturer recommends dissolving the substance in 1.5 liters of water. Remember: small plants cannot be processed, you need to wait for three leaves. If tomato seedlings are stretched out a week after using the drug, they can be sprayed again. The manufacturer recommends this procedure no more than 3 times. If, due to the density of planting, the vegetable needs to be held 5 days before planting, then a week before transplanting, you can spray it for the fourth time or water it.
In case of an overdose of "Atlanta", white spots may form on the leaves, which disappear after a couple of days.
There is a non-standard method, thanks to which you can not only save tomatoes from pulling, but also increase the yield. You need to cut the trunk of the plant over the second or third leaf and put it in the water. After about five days, the cut vegetable will have roots and is good for planting. On another cut trunk, stepchildren will sprout during the same time - new branches, which can also be cut off and lowered into the water or left to grow. In the future, the stepsons need to be planted so that their lower part is in the ground. That is, the plant is planted lying down.
If the tomato variety is determinant (undersized), then it is undesirable to use the above method.
To eliminate the problem with light, you need to arrange additional illumination of plants through a lighting device. It is equipped with a special twine, with which you can change the height, bringing the lamp closer to the seedlings; as it grows, it can be lifted. The advantage of this clarification is convenience. But electricity costs may follow, so gardeners will be happy to purchase not only useful, but economical lamps.
Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) will serve simply and cheaply. If the illumination area is approximately 60 by 60 cm, then 4 lamps of 15 kW each should be used. The color temperature for such fixtures should remain in the range of 2700-6400K, since the plants need a blue color.
Vegetable growers can use LED strips and LED lamps. The main task is to find out if the color temperature is suitable for growing a nightshade crop. The devices can be purchased at a free price in specialty stores.
Video "How to prevent pulling seedlings"
After looking at the entry, you will receive answers to such questions: what to do if the seedlings are pulled out and how often you need to water the seedlings.