What to do with overgrown tomato seedlings
When growing tomatoes, some gardeners are faced with the phenomenon of pulling seedlings. Overgrown tomato seedlings do not take root well after planting in the open field, they often die and give a poor harvest. But such consequences can be prevented. It is important to understand the peculiarities of caring for elongated plants and use some tricks in planting them. If the gardener does everything right, his plans for a large harvest will be saved.
If tomato seedlings have outgrown
What seedlings are considered overgrown?
Every gardener knows that getting a quality crop depends on whether the seedlings were grown correctly. Most often, the plants are completely ready for transplantation to a permanent growing site for 55-60 days. Their height reaches 20 cm, the leaves become elastic, and the stem is dense, purple.
Pulling tomato seedlings, for various reasons, makes them less powerful. Its stem lengthens and becomes thinner, it is difficult to plant such a plant without damaging it.
In addition, an increase in internodes and the formation of several pairs of leaves are also noticeable. That is, the plant is preparing for flowering, and this period is very important for the appearance of fruit ovaries. Delaying planting, the gardener runs the risk of being left without the desired harvest. In addition, seedlings become very weak and may not withstand changing growing conditions. That is, it will die without throwing away flowering.
It is also important how much the seedlings have grown in tomatoes, which should be planted in a greenhouse or in open ground. With a slight extension up to 30 cm, the gardener does not need to do anything. A simple hardening before planting is enough for the tomatoes to take root in the new growing area. But, if the growth of seedlings reaches 45 cm, you will have to apply some agrotechnical tricks. Seedlings that have grown to 55-60 cm often already have buds on themselves. Blooming tomatoes cannot be transplanted, so any action will not be effective.
Reasons for outgrowing
The reasons for pulling tomato bushes are often associated with a person's inattention. In addition, seedlings outgrow for a number of reasons:
- lack of lighting;
- early sowing;
- non-compliance with the growing temperature;
- excessive watering;
- improper fertilization.
It should be remembered that late frosts often cause changes in the development of tomatoes. The seedling outgrows, waiting to be transplanted to a new growing site. At such moments, it is important to figure out what is best to do to stop their growth. Experts recommend removing tomato pots or trays in a cooler place. You should also reduce watering, or stop it for a short time.
What to do with overgrown seedlings
Even when some of the available tomatoes are overgrown, the seedlings can be further grown.
There is no need to rush to "put an end to" the harvest, it is enough to know some tricks that will help not only maintain the level of fertility, but also increase the number of seedlings themselves. The fact is that one of the most effective methods for planting overgrown tomatoes is to divide them into 2 parts. The lower part will grow out of the stepson, and the upper, after being placed in the water, will take root and will also be ready for planting.
But, before pruning overgrown bushes, it is important to understand some of the features of caring for them. The fact is that such tomatoes have weak immunity, and it becomes difficult for the root system to supply all parts of the bush with useful microelements. Therefore, gardeners try to do the hardening procedure before planting. Also important are other tricks that will help organize the planting of overgrown seedlings in a greenhouse or on the street.
Hardening
Seedlings must be hardened before planting.
Overgrown tomatoes have the worst immunity, which can lead to problems in its further cultivation. The root system becomes more sensitive to the external environment, therefore it is important to provide it with softer conditions for transition to new conditions.
One of the effective options for preparing overgrown tomatoes for planting is hardening. This procedure will take from 7 to 10 days, so you should know the features of its implementation:
- The first day of hardening should be warm, with high air humidity. Such conditions will not harm tomatoes, but only benefit.
- The time spent on the street tomato should be increased gradually. On the first day, 1.5-2 hours is enough, on the second - 2.5-3 hours. Experts recommend increasing the hardening time by 1.5-2 hours daily. By day 7, overgrown tomato bushes can be left outside for the whole day.
- When placing trays or pots of tomatoes outside, they should be protected from direct sunlight and wind. Every day, you can give your plants access to light, but not much. If it is cloudy outside, such measures are not needed.
The whole process of hardening tomatoes can take from 10 to 14 days. According to experts, it will be more effective if at home, tomatoes were grown at a temperature of no more than 20 ° C, and they were not "poured".
Favorable conditions for transplantation
If the seedlings are outgrown in tomatoes, there is less chance of active fruiting. In addition, the timing of the formation of ovaries can shift by 10-15 days. After hardening, it is important to figure out how to plant the bushes correctly and what conditions will be more effective for them. In part, it depends on the most suitable time for planting and the weather:
- In order for the bushes to grow healthy and develop well, we plant them only in warm soil. Cold soil can kill a crop or damage it with fungal diseases.
- For planting, only light fertile soils are used.
- The air temperature must be at least 15 ° C.
That is, a person should observe the weather conditions and prepare for a transplant only with an established warmth. In domestic conditions (except for the northern regions), this time falls at the end of April-beginning of May.
How to plant overgrown seedlings?
Having decided to plant overgrown seedlings in open ground, you should cut them into two equal parts. The upper one is placed in water, and the lower one is dug into the hole, covered with earth by 1/3 and watered. The top cut off stem will be ready for planting only after root formation. To speed up this process, you can soak the seedling in a growth promoter.
If the tomatoes have grown by no more than 10-15 cm, pruning can be skipped. The main thing is to dig them in at an angle, so that ½ of the stem is underground. The dug-in seedlings are watered with warm water, and the soil is covered with black polyethylene, which will create the necessary moisture.
Further actions differ little from the usual care of tomatoes.The main thing is to feed it after 2 weeks and cut off the lower leaves on the bushes. The culture should be watered only with warm, settled water.
Conclusion
In order to plant overgrown tomatoes, you should know some of the features of caring for it. Before planting them, you should take care of the correct hardening, and the transplantation itself to a permanent place of growing the culture should be carried out in safe conditions, when the risk of frost is minimal.
No agronomic tricks will help if flowering has already appeared on the grown tomatoes. In such conditions, any methods are useless. Tomatoes will die within a few days after being transplanted.