2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Tomato is a delicious and juicy vegetable that pleases us mainly in the summer. However, to grow such a crop, it is necessary to create special conditions that are comfortable for their development and fruit ripening. In this process, it is worth paying attention to many tricks and nuances. This includes the choice of soil, and the preparation of seeds, and the creation of additional lighting (if it is planned to grow tomatoes in the winter season, when the duration of daylight hours is very short)
How to choose the right seeds for growing tomatoes on the window?
In fact, not every tomato variety will be suitable for indoor cultivation. According to experts, the best option would be varieties of early ripeness, with fruits of medium or miniature sizes. Large vegetables require a lot more space and freedom, and space on the windowsill is limited. Another important condition for choosing a variety for growing on a window is that it is a short hybrid and self-pollinates. Thus, we can conclude that the ideal types of tomatoes that are grown on the windowsill are Sweet Bunch, Minibel or Balcony Miracle.
How to prepare the container and soil?
It is possible to plant tomatoes in containers for subsequent cultivation on the window only if preliminary soil preparation has been carried out. In order for the tomatoes to feel comfortable, you should prepare the ground yourself. For these purposes, it is required to mix biological humus and coconut fiber (proportions 1 to 2). As a container, it is worth giving preference to three or four liter pots.
Experienced summer residents advise planting tomatoes in two stages: germinating seeds in small containers (for example, plastic cups) and transplanting the strongest and most resistant bushes into prepared special pots. In other words, the subsequent picking.
How to prepare tomato seeds?
In order to plant seeds in the ground, they should be treated with an antibacterial method, after which only high-quality planting material should be selected. First, you need to prepare a solution of potassium permanganate diluted with warm water. The strength of the liquid should be medium. It is necessary to lower the planting material into it for two or three hours. After the seed is pulled out of the solution, you need to assess the condition of each grain. Only seeds that are at the bottom of the container are suitable for planting. Those grains that have surfaced have a very low germination rate. The seeds pulled out of the manganese solution must be dried, and then put on a cotton type cloth.
Seedling
At home, it is impossible to find too large and free space, which is why only the strongest and healthiest bushes need to be selected for planting. Typically, window tomatoes are grown from seedlings that have been planted in advance. Finished seeds need to be planted in small containers - plastic cups, the volume of which is only 100 ml. They need to be filled with soil mixture, but not completely. Remain free about two centimeters from the edge. Place approximately five seeds in one glass. They are sprinkled with a one and a half centimeter layer of soil. Fourteen days later, the first sprouts of future beautiful tomato bushes will appear. Watering is worth using a spray bottle. Before the first shoots appear, tomato seedlings must be kept in bags. After seed germination, it is necessary to select a pair of the strongest and highest quality seedlings. The rest of the shoots must be eliminated. After a week, thinning should be carried out again, leaving only one stable and strong copy of the tomato bush.
How to pinch and transplant?
Tomatoes will need to be transplanted into pots with a large volume a month after the formation of the first sprouts. The correct procedure is to turn the glass over, the sprout must be held. The other hand should help pull the planting cup up. As a result, a sprout should remain in the hand along with an earthen lump. They are sown in a prepared pot. Then you need to sprinkle the tomato bush with the required amount of earth. Further, watering is carried out. After the first true leaves appear, it is necessary to pinch the top of the bush. For this, the upper shoot is removed.
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