What to add to the ground for tomato seedlings. Recommendations of experienced gardeners for preparing the ground for seedlings of tomatoes

Hello dear gardening friends!

It's time to think about the upcoming garden season, so today we'll talk about how to prepare the land for sowing seedlings. Namely, “cook”, because we will not sow the seeds directly into the first land that comes across from the garden. Yes, and purchased soil also does not hurt to prepare.

I advise you to take this step seriously. It will be a pity to lose the crop or part of it due to poor soil at the first stage. We are looking for good seeds (""), we sort, lay out, process ("") .... And then all this sprouts poorly, the seedlings get sick, etc. Therefore, let's, as briefly as possible - the most basic - consider the preparation of the land for sowing seeds and planting seedlings.

All land for seedlings can be conditionally divided into 2 types: "own" and purchased. Let's consider each type separately.

Here you need to follow a few rules:

You should not, no matter how much you want, take the land directly from the garden. It is unlikely that you regularly carry out a complete disinfection of your garden or completely change the soil from time to time. So, there we have accumulated a lot of all sorts of harmful muck, which can greatly harm the small and tender shoots of seedlings. You can, of course, freeze the soil from the garden or ignite it, but the risk remains. Although many gardeners take land not from the garden, but from the forest or turf. About this next point:

There are also a lot of dangerous bacteria and pests in the forest and soil land, therefore, it requires processing. The best is the land from under the acacia plantations (if you can find it - try it!). oak land is also considered good, but remember that in addition to useful substances, tannins are also contained there, it is not known how they will affect the growth of seedlings.

Soddy land must be prepared at least a year in advance: folded in a “slide” so that the roots can overheat.

Conclusion: it is better not to take land from the garden (although a little can be added to the mixture so that the plant “gets used” to future life in the garden). All self-prepared land must be treated from pests.

Purchased soil

There are quite a lot of ready-made soil for seedlings in stores, even for specific types of seedlings: tomatoes, peppers, flowers, etc. the main danger is to buy soil from an unscrupulous manufacturer, when the package may contain completely or not quite what is written on the package. There is only one advice here: look for reviews, do not risk planting all the seedlings in the ground from an unfamiliar manufacturer.

When buying ready-made soil, know

what is purchased soil for seedlings made of

Almost all the soil in stores is made from peat. Peat, as you know, is raised, middle and lowland. High-moor peat is poor in nutrients (not yet decomposed) and acidic (by the way, very good for). Median peat is better, but in its pure form it is not very suitable for seedlings. Low-lying peat is best suited for sowing. Well decomposed, it is most similar to good garden soil, but in its pure form it will be a little heavy.

What is added to the finished soil

- mineral fertilizers . On the packaging they write: "Enriched with mineral fertilizers." Experienced gardeners do not recommend using such soil: for young plants it will simply be redundant, especially before picking.

- organic fertilizers . It is quite possible to use, just know the measure.

I confess: I add a little (!) Superphosphate to the soil mixture. But not in the one that is for germinating seeds, but in the one that is already being prepared for picking. Although with experience I begin to understand that this is not at all necessary. It is better to provide seedlings with a balanced diet as they grow.

Biosoil for seedlings

Now on sale you can find Biogrunt for seedlings. This is a very good option. Moreover, usually biosoil is enriched biohumus (simply speaking - compost processed by worms). But again, for dived seedlings, the biohumus bio-soil is ideal, it is heavy for germination. It will be necessary to add something to facilitate.

What to add to the ground for seedlings

- sand . Only river, well washed and calcined or steamed (1k 10). I put sand in the first place not because of its usefulness, but because of its ease of use.

- peat . High-moor peat (cheaper) can also be added to good soil, but only to make the earth lighter. Do not overdo it: break the acidity of the soil.

- vermiculite . Proven, inexpensive. On vermiculite, neither fungi, nor bacteria, nor mold start. Good humidity control. Not harmful in overdose.

- coco substrate . This product has recently appeared on our markets, but has already gained popularity. Sold in briquettes or in other forms, prepared according to the instructions. It loosens the soil very well, has a positive effect on moisture…. Significantly improves seed germination. We add 1 to 5.

Preparations for tillage for seedlings

- EM preparations . EM are effective microorganisms. These include the well-known "Baikal", "Vostok" and others. They improve the structure of the soil, destroy harmful bacteria, while enriching them with useful ones. There are many more benefits from these drugs. But I know gardeners who refused to use them. They probably have a reason for this.

- BTU complexes . Also a biological agent, actively gaining popularity in recent years. Accelerates the appearance of homogeneous seedlings, increasing the energy of seed germination; protects plants from a wide range of pathogens without the effect of addiction; improves the survival of seedlings and seedlings; increases resistance to negative natural factors (drought, temperature changes) and pesticides; provides a balanced nutrition of plants with micro- and macroelements, providing phytohormones and vitamins.

- « Fitosporin-M" . a well-known and proven drug for the fight against diseases. First of all, phytophthora. It is harmless, it works even in winter (you can shed the soil in the greenhouse in autumn, and let the beneficial bacteria eat the harmful ones all winter).

- Alirin, Gamair - biologically active drugs. They well destroy the spreaders of any diseases: phytophthora, root rot, black leg, powdery mildew ... The combined use of these preparations for tillage gives a good effect.

When to prepare the soil for seedlings

Another important issue, which for some reason not everyone pays attention to. It is necessary to prepare the ground for seedlings at least 2 weeks before sowing seeds or picking.

We prepare the mixture according to the scheme you have chosen. We spill the selected preparations. We cover with a DARK film and put in a WARM place (not necessarily on the stove, but somewhere in the house). And in 2 weeks, the soil temperature will even out, humidity will be adjusted, and, most importantly, our bacteria will put things in order in the earth: beneficial bacteria will multiply, pathogenic ones will die. That is, in microbiological terms, our soil is completely balanced.

There are a lot of things to do, but if you plan everything, prepare in advance, such worries will only bring joy, and our plants will thank you with a gorgeous harvest in the fall!

Yes! Watch the video in which the main points of preparing the soil for seedlings are voiced.

Spring is the time when gardeners begin to prepare for the upcoming summer season. Just a few months to endure, and now you are already planting young plants in your favorite garden - your seedlings, which have managed to grow and get stronger in order to settle in a greenhouse or on the street.

But how to grow good seedlings, which will not only sprout and take root in pots on the windowsill, but will also please with good juicy fruits when they turn into strong adult plants? The answer is simple - provide her with favorable growing conditions.

Soil or soil is the main source of chemical elements that a plant consumes during its active growth. It has a special property, which is called "fertility", due to which it provides plants not only with useful substances, but also participates in creating the optimal temperature regime, humidity regime for the root system of the plant. And young seedlings more than an adult plant require good nutrition and suitable conditions for development.

The natural soil that you can collect in your garden does not always contain the right amount of elements necessary for seedlings, and its structure may be too “coarse” for a young plant, so gardeners either prepare the soil themselves, improving the physical and chemical characteristics of summer cottage land, or acquire ready-made soil in specialized stores.

Basic soil requirements

Soil for seedlings, sold in stores, is different:

universal, which, according to the information on the package, is suitable for all types of plants;
special - manufacturers make its composition optimal for any type of crop (for example, soil for peppers, tomatoes, flowers, etc.).

Special primer is not a marketing ploy and not an attempt to deceive the consumer. The fact is that the composition of such soil is optimal for a particular crop: each species, be it pepper, tomato, eggplant, requires a certain amount of nutrients and soil structure in order to develop well and gain strength. In special soils, the necessary balance is maintained, while in universal soils, some fertilizer may have to be added.

And although the soils sold in stores have a different composition, nevertheless, when deciding on a choice, remember the basic requirements that apply to seedling soil:

Looseness. Pay attention to the physical shape of the soil - it should not be lumpy. For seedlings, the soil should be airy and even tender. The mixture should not harden or cake.
"Health". There can be many useful substances in the soil, but if spores of fungi, pathogens, insect larvae, weed sprouts are found in it, then this substrate is no good. Weak young plants will not cope with such a "biological" attack and will die.
Fertility. The composition of the soil must contain the microelements necessary for the plant, otherwise the seedlings will not be able to eat.
Acidity. This property of the soil should be close to neutral pH, that is, be equal to 6.5-6.7. It is harmful for tiny plants to be in an acidic or alkaline environment.
Toxicity. The composition of the soil should be free of oil products, salts of heavy metals, radionuclides.

Many of these indicators are difficult to assess at home, and therefore it is not always possible to comply with all soil requirements. Ideally, in order to determine how suitable the soil is for planting seeds for seedlings, you need to submit it for analysis to the laboratory. But, since this is not always possible, it is worth choosing trusted brands in stores.

The main brands of soils

In stores, you can now choose soil of various price categories, various compositions and from brands that have long been known or have just entered the market. The table below shows the main ones.

Name	Characteristic	Compound
living earth	Peat-based soil suitable for planting seeds and growing strong seedlings of any fruiting and flowering plants. Can be used as a fertilizer during planting seedlings. There are several types: universal, special (for certain types of seedlings), flower.	High-moor peat, biohumus, aggloperite, mineral fertilizers. Nitrogen content - not less than 150 mg/l, potassium - 300 mg/l, phosphorus - 270 mg/l. pH is about 6.5.
	Universal soil, which has long been used by summer residents for growing any seedlings, improves its germination and increases productivity.	Peat, sand, fertilizer complex. 1 liter contains nitrogen at least 200 mg / l, phosphorus - 200, potassium - 300. pH - 5.5 (alkalinization is required for some plant species).
Biud Grunt	A multi-component balanced mixture that allows you to improve the growth of plants and in the future will affect the taste of their fruits. There are several types: nightshade, flower, pumpkin, vegetable, etc.	Peat, compost, horn-hoofed meal, vermiculite, sand and mica. Mass fraction of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium - not less than 0.1% of the total mass.
Humimax	Suitable for growing seedlings, vegetables on windows, loggias, balconies, often used as a fertilizer when planting seedlings in beds or greenhouses. Including used for indoor flowers.	Sand, lowland peat, Humimax fertilizer. Chemical composition: ammonium nitrogen - not less than 700 mg/kg, nitrate - 100 mg/kg, potassium oxide and phosphorus oxide - not less than 800 mg/kg each. pH - 6.0-7.5.
Garden land	Peat soil, excellent for growing seedlings of various horticultural crops, is also used as a substitute for turf in the formation of beds, for planting shrubs and trees.	Riding peat, purified river sand, fertilizers. The content of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus mg / l - 300, 400, 300, respectively. pH - 5.5-6.0

How to choose soil

How to choose the right soil for your seedlings in such a variety? Follow the directions below and you'll be good to go:

Some tests to determine the quality of the soil can be done at home, as well as at home to prepare the soil for planting seeds.

Video - instructions for choosing soil for seedlings

By choosing a place for planting tomatoes, properly preparing seedlings and organizing high-quality care for sprouts, you can get a healthy crop that will bring the desired profit. Moreover, the farmer will be able not only to earn, but also to provide personal needs with products!

Tomato is one of the favorite vegetables, which is especially common in Russia. Tomatoes have received well-deserved recognition not only for their rich taste, but also for their ability to be useful in canned form. Tomato paste, salted and pickled tomatoes are a traditional dish on the table in any family. What is a feast without salted tomatoes?

Tomato traditionally participates in many dishes that are firmly rooted in our menu. One of the most important, namely Russian borsch, is not possible without tomato paste. To stew meat and vegetables without fresh tomatoes or pasta, many housewives do not even know how. Yes, and for many nations, tomatoes are the main dish, as raw, dried, stewed, pickled or salted. The field of application in cooking is huge: excellent juice is obtained from tomatoes, thick pastes are made that are perfectly stored in canned form and are available all year round, tomatoes can be preserved whole or in the form of salads, they are frozen and dried. The only thing that cannot be done with tomatoes is to keep them fresh for a long time. Like any vegetable, a tomato is not suitable for long-term storage, only processing.

Determine the type of soil.

Tomatoes are extremely demanding on the soil. Sandy loams with abundant addition of organic fertilizers are perfect for growing. Heavy soils, as well as cold and wet ones, are categorically not suitable. Excessive acidity also harms this vegetable. One of the most important factors in which tomatoes will not grow is cold. Everything else can be corrected by new and classic agricultural technologies.

Properly prepare seedlings.

Tomatoes are planted in open ground in the form of seedlings. Seedlings are obtained from seeds. The seedling preparation process will be described below.

Proper care.

During growth and ripening, tomatoes require attention. To get large and juicy fruits, it is necessary to take care of the crop - weed, remove weeds, loosen the ground in the beds and water regularly.

The first thing a gardener needs to do in early spring is to plant seedlings. Of course, it can be purchased, but a true gardener will grow seedlings personally. He himself will select a variety or use seeds from a previous crop. How to prepare the soil for planting tomato seeds? First, land for seeds can be bought at a specialized store. Such soil will already be prepared - it will contain all the necessary substances. Then it will be enough just to divide the land into containers and plant seeds in them. They plant seeds for future seedlings at the very beginning of spring, choosing the brightest place in the house - window sills on the sunny side. Often they mount special lamps over seedlings, then the choice of a place is not fundamental, although there is still one thing - this place should not be cold and there should be no drafts. The ideal temperature for seedlings is 20-24 degrees.

Remember that the future harvest depends on the quality of seeds and, accordingly, seedlings!

Seed preparation for seedlings

Seeds are prepared several days before planting - they are immersed in water and everything that has surfaced is removed. A quality seed will remain at the bottom. The water is drained along with the garbage, and the remaining seeds must be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate:

make a solution of potassium permanganate to get a thick purple hue.
dip the seeds in the resulting solution for 25 minutes.
after disinfection, the seeds are soaked in ordinary water until they swell, for about 10 hours.

When the planting material is ready, it is planted in the ground for two or three seeds. Planting containers can be bought, such as small peat pots, which are then planted in open ground. You can use disposable cups or cut off the bottoms of plastic bottles. Here the fantasy of gardeners is not limited by anything.

It is necessary to plant to a depth of one centimeter, not deeper, otherwise the seed may not break through. During the growth of seedlings, it is necessary to ensure that the plant does not dry out, but is not flooded with water. It is ideal to water by spraying moisture to maintain uniformity.

As soon as the seeds rise to about a height of 5-7 centimeters, they need to be planted or simply thinned out. It is necessary to carefully examine the seedlings, remove unhealthy plants, and plant the necessary ones again one at a time. This process is called picking.

Preparing the soil for planting seedlings

The process of preparing soil for planting tomato seeds is different from the process of preparing open ground. In the first case, it is enough to buy a few kilograms of finished land in the store. But the plot itself for growing must be prepared carefully and in two stages:

prepare the soil in autumn.
prepare the soil in spring.

In autumn, after harvesting, the land is carefully removed from the remains of plants and debris. Then it is dug up by a deep method, to a depth of 20-25 centimeters with the layer being thrown over. If the soil is noticeably heavy, then it is necessary to add sand at this time - 1 bucket per square meter. You should get a fairly light and fertile soil.

Increased acidity is "treated" with lime in the amount of half a kilogram per square meter. Soil liming is done at the time of digging.

In autumn, organic fertilizers are also laid - manure, compost or humus. The cultivated soil is left in this form for the winter - frosts will have to destroy all pathogenic bacteria from the surface of the earth, and fertilizers will be able to soak evenly into the soil during the melting of snow and spring rains.

In spring, the soil is also cultivated before planting. Mineral fertilizers are applied during spring loosening or digging of the earth. Mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil to a depth of 15-20 centimeters per square meter:

20 grams of saltpeter
50 grams of superphosphates
20 grams of potassium chloride.

Good digging and loosening is extremely important because tomatoes have a weak root system and need to take all the substances from the soil from a limited space. Uniformity and good saturation of the soil with oxygen is important. In this case, the plant will develop well and give a good harvest.

Soil preparation in the greenhouse for planting tomatoes

Seedlings can be planted both in open ground, when it finally gets warmer (the very beginning of summer), or in greenhouses. In any case, whether it is an open area or a greenhouse, beds are made on the ground, with a distance of at least 50 centimeters. Depending on the variety, the tomatoes can be tall or low, but the bushes will definitely be “spreading”. They need a place.

Between plants, the distance should also be at least 30 centimeters.

For greenhouses, as well as for an open surface, there is a rule - add fertilizer in the form of chicken manure or urea to each prepared hole. This will help the plant to adapt to a new place and take root faster.

The greenhouse is used when you want to get the first fruits as soon as possible, because on the open ground the harvest will come until August. In this case, the soil should be prepared in exactly the same way, having previously fertilized well and dried the ground before planting.

No matter how you grow tomatoes on your site, it is very important to rid the beds of weeds in the future, to loosen the ground under the plants in time and not let it dry out.

We hope that these simple tips will help you grow a wonderful crop of tomatoes in your home gardens and enjoy the results of your work all year round!

The future harvest directly depends on what the soil for seedlings will be like. The features of land preparation before planting will be discussed further in more detail.

General land requirements for seedlings

Initially, we will consider the main characteristics that the land for seedlings must correspond to. The list of main requirements for soil invariably includes:

balance- all soil components must be in certain proportions;
absence of germs- when there are pathogens or weed seeds in the soil, there is no need to talk about productivity;
fertility- the best land for seedlings always contains the required amount of nutrients;
looseness and moisture- life-giving moisture must be supplied to the root system along with a sufficient amount of oxygen;
purity- in the ground for seedlings, the presence of harmful metals, production waste, aggressive chemicals, etc. is excluded.

Compliance with all these conditions guarantees the health of plants, their rapid growth, as well as the subsequent ripening of fruits, the size and taste of which, no doubt, will please gardeners.

How to start preparing the ground for seedlings?

It is strongly not recommended to use the soil in the form in which it was taken from the plot for planting seeds. The fact is that it does not have the properties necessary for the speedy germination of seeds, and in some cases can cause irreparable harm to plants. In addition, such soil can compact, as a result of which the grown crops will not receive enough moisture or air. Therefore, the question of how to prepare the land for seedlings should be approached with all responsibility and scrupulousness.

At the initial stage, it is important to mix the soil taken with the following nutrients:

river sand;
sawdust (sometimes can be replaced with fine peat);
rotted manure (in some cases, compost or humus can be added).

As for the proportions in which you want to mix the listed components, they usually look like this: 1:1:0.5:0.5.

In other words, a similar part of humus is taken for one part of the cultivated soil, successively mixing the resulting mass with 0.5 parts of river sand and sawdust. This substrate is then sifted through a prepared sieve having fine holes to get rid of large lumps that cause soil compaction.

Soil adaptation for seedlings

The next step in preparing the land for seedlings will be its adaptation to a particular crop. So, for example, when growing, it is recommended to add crushed chicken egg shells enriched with calcium to the soil.
For cucumbers, it is useful to add about 200 grams of ash to the substrate, which is rich in useful trace elements that protect plants from all kinds of diseases.
For beetroots, the soil can be fertilized with dry sawdust, which provides a full flow of air.

Almost every culture benefits from the creation of living land. This type of soil contains a sufficient amount of moisture and humus, allowing the plant to freely develop the root system.

It is forbidden to apply synthetic fertilizers to such soil, which pollute the substrate with nitrates and deplete the fertile natural layer.

Peat, silt, composts, bird droppings, etc. can be used as applied substances. In this case, living land for seedlings will be an ideal place for growing any fruit and vegetable crops.

Soil disinfection

At the final stage of land preparation, it is treated from various pathogenic microorganisms and larvae of insect pests, as well as enriched with beneficial microflora. The steaming method is most effectively suited for the purposes mentioned.

To carry out this process you will need:

large iron container;
10 liter bucket;
drill;
steel tripod.

A large container is used here as a reservoir, which is about a quarter filled with water, after which it is put on fire. Small holes are drilled at the bottom of the bucket and its walls with a drill, after which it is filled with cultivated soil and placed on a tripod in a heated tank. It is extremely important to set the bottom of the bucket directly above the level of the boiling liquid. The generated steam will pass through the soil, disinfecting it from harmful bacteria. The procedure lasts no more than 25-30 minutes, while the soil must be periodically mixed. The steamed earth is taken out of the bucket and carefully sorted into trays for planting seeds.

What to do if the earth is moldy?

Sometimes, with an excess amount of moisture in the soil for seedlings, mold can occur, which adversely affects the development of seedlings. This phenomenon can be quickly eliminated by ceasing to irrigate the soil. Within 2-3 days, the problem should disappear by itself, after which the soil should be carefully loosened, providing air to the root system of plants.

If it was not possible to get rid of the mold, then caring for the ground for seedlings should consist in spraying with water with the addition of potassium permanganate. In about 3-4 waterings, all microbes will disappear, and the soil will become its usual black color. Additionally, a special substrate with coal can be added to the soil, which neutralizes excess moisture, and the plant receives the necessary set of useful trace elements.

Thus, the land for seedlings with their own hands requires the strict implementation of the considered procedures, which allow creating optimal conditions for growing fruit and vegetable crops and subsequently obtaining a rich harvest.

Soil preparation for seedlings (video)

Much depends on the quality of the soil for tomato seedlings. You can buy it in a specialized store or cook it yourself. It will be more correct to make the soil yourself, because you can always buy low-quality goods. The soil is usually prepared according to the standard scheme. To do this, mix 1 part of the earth, 2 parts of humus and 3 parts of peat.

It is recommended to dig up the soil for the mixture in the place where garden crops have not been planted in the near future. This can be done, for example, in the forest. Perhaps there is a piece of land on your site where you have not planted any plants for the next 2-3 years. Then this soil is also suitable for planting tomato seedlings in the ground. It must be cleared of weeds and grass, dug up and put in the right amount in a cart or large container (bath, buckets, etc.).

It is recommended to prepare the soil in the fall. Compost or other fertilizers should be added to it: ash, nitrogen, potassium, grated egg shells. These additives in the soil will provide the planted tomatoes with fast growth and a high-quality harvest.

The prepared soil must be thoroughly frozen. To do this, in the winter, when there are frosty days outside, we take out the mixture and keep it in the cold for about 5 weeks.

Then we put it back in heat for the same period of time. Thus, we alternate the temperature regime for our soil throughout the winter, thereby destroying weed seeds and pest larvae, as well as many pathogens. After the soil has been subjected to such thermal tests, it is worth continuing to fertilize it. After keeping it warm for several days, add one teaspoon of urea.

Then pour 0.5 cups of ash and two teaspoons of superphosphate. Mix everything thoroughly and pour in a dark pink manganese solution. Before planting tomato seedlings in the ground, the prepared and fertilized soil must be kept warm for about 14 days. Then it is necessary to pour a little preheated water into the soil mixture. Tomato seedlings for open ground are planted already in a fully prepared environment.

Before embarking on the procedure for planting tomato seedlings, it is necessary to properly warm up the prepared beds or holes. This will help the plants settle in and start growing. Seedlings should be placed in the ground down to the first lower leaves. The root system, thanks to this, will develop well and grow stronger.

Tomatoes love heat and sun. The best air temperature for rapid growth and a good harvest is about 24 degrees. At night - 18-21 degrees. Tomato seedlings planted in the garden plot will not survive even light frosts, so do not rush to plant it ahead of time.

In the event that it was not possible to prepare the soil for seedlings on your own, or you simply do not have time for this, you can buy it. Do not rush to run to the nearest store, choose proven points of sale of soil mixtures. This way you can avoid fakes. Experienced gardeners recommend buying the following compounds: "Gardener", "Fortress", "Flora", "Gardener", "Humimax". And at the same time select high-quality ones - how to do this, read in a separate article.