Growing vegetable seedlings
The technology of growing seedlings, the process is more time-consuming, compared with planting seeds directly into the soil of the garden plot. Despite possible difficulties, seedlings allow you to get an early harvest, which means that vitamins will appear on your table in its most natural form. Already at the end of winter you can start planning the garden and preparing seedlings.
Content
- Seedlings of vegetables, cultivation video
- Growing tomato seedlings
- Seedlings of bell pepper video
- Eggplant Seedlings
- Growing seedlings of cucumbers video
- Pumpkin seedlings
- Seedlings of cabbage
- Hardening vegetable seedlings
Seedlings of vegetables, cultivation
For growing seedlings, most vegetable seeds are suitable, which have a long growing season and are demanding on average heat temperature. Tomatoes, eggplant, cabbage and pepper are the most common seedlings on our windowsills. Modern farmers also grow seedlings of cucumbers, pumpkins, and zucchini. Heat-loving vegetables are planted with seedlings immediately after the end of spring frosts, usually in mid-May, but seeds are recommended to be sown in areas already in April, which would lead to the death of tender sprouts.
Vegetable seedlings increase the opportunity to get a high and high-quality crop, plants from seedlings are stronger, better tolerate diseases. Each vegetable crop has its own conditions for growing seedlings - time of planting seeds, time of planting of finished seedlings, soil and temperature, read these rules.
Growing tomato seedlings
Growing seedlings from tomato seeds takes 50-55 days, for this the seeds are sown in mid-March so that the seedling is ready for the second decade of May. Seeds are planted in individual pots or crates, in case of general sowing, distribute 4x4 cm between the tomatoes. A peat substrate with sand in a ratio of 4: 1 is used as a base for sowing.
After sowing seeds, the container is covered with glass to maintain the required temperature (20-27C) and moisture.
Seeds germinate after 5-7 days, after which the glass is removed, if necessary, the sprouts are sprayed with water.
Ready seedlings have 5-7 dark green leaves and a height of 15-30 cm. Too high seedlings and pale leaves indicate a lack of light, bright green or yellow leaves signal the need for nutrients.
Seedlings of bell pepper
Sweet pepper seeds are planted in plastic containers with peat 7 weeks before transplanting into the open ground. Seeds germinate at 20C from 7 to 14 days. Ready-made seedlings with a height of 20 cm and leaves in the amount of 8-10 pcs are transplanted into composted or manure soil in the second half of May.
Eggplant Seedlings
Eggplant is very demanding on heat, it is 25C for seed germination and 28-30C for transplanting into the ground. A sharp decrease in temperature or its increase negatively affects the growth of seedlings or seed germination, at a temperature below 0C the plant dies.
Due to the inability to control the external temperature, eggplants are often grown precisely by seedlings. Sowing seeds is carried out in February - March, planting seedlings - in late May. For planting, peat is prepared mixed with river sand and compost in a ratio of 4: 1: 3, 200 g of wood ash is added per 10 liters of the mixture. Ready seedlings can have 2 buds, 7 leaves and a height of up to 27cm.
Growing seedlings of cucumbers
Cucumber seeds are prepared for sowing in April, of course, cucumbers germinate quite successfully without applying this technique, but in this way we can get the first crop two weeks earlier. Cucumbers need sunlight, if the weather permits, it is recommended to put the container with seeds outside, just remember to pick it up for the night, remember about possible frosts.
Seeds are sown in small plastic pots with a diameter of 8-10 cm with peat filler mixed with mineral fertilizers. Seedlings from the moment of planting the seeds will be ready in 4 weeks, if you plan to plant the plants after May 15th (at an air temperature not lower than 20C) sow cucumbers in the second half of April. After sowing cucumbers, provide future vegetables with a temperature of about 25 ° C, moderate watering at room temperature. Healthy seedlings of cucumbers, ready for planting, have 3-5 leaves and a thickened stem.
Pumpkin seedlings
Pumpkin cultivation usually begins with sowing seeds in open ground, but due to the long growing season (120-140 days) and sensitivity to frost, pumpkin seedlings can be planted. This method is more often used to benefit from an early harvest.
Pumpkin seeds are sown in March in containers with peat substrate. The first sprouts appear at a temperature of 20C in 10-14 days. Seedlings are watered with warm water, controlling the drying of the soil. Planting seedlings should begin 15-20 days after seedling, during which time the seedlings reach 20-25cm. Late planting of the plant (30-35 days) in most cases leads to the death of seedlings, they grow poorly, the yield will be significantly reduced.
Seedlings of cabbage
Open planting of cabbage seeds is not recommended, since the risk of infection and damage by pests of still immature shoots is quite high. Seeds are planted in containers for seedlings 4-6 weeks before mid-May. The ideal substrate for seedlings is 40% vermiculite + 30% peat + 30% compost. Ready seedlings with 4-6 leaves are planted in open ground only after the end of spring frosts at a stable temperature of 15C.
Hardening vegetable seedlings
The cultivation of vegetable seedlings ends with hardening and transplanting into the ground. About 10 days before landing on the site, air temperature and watering are gradually reduced. Seedlings are carried out into the open air, gradually increasing the time of their hardening. If the weather allows, and you are sure that the frost has ended, seedlings can be left without shelter for the night.
