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Follow 7 rules for growing seedlings: be sure to take them into account to get strong seedlings
20.02.2024 02:20
Growing healthy and strong seedlings is an important step for successful gardening.
This stage is the basis for obtaining a bountiful harvest. Today we will consider the basic rules that will help you get strong healthy seedlings.
Anastasia Kovrizhnykh , an expert of the online publication "BelNovosti", an agronomist and landscape designer, told how to get healthy and strong seedlings.
Selecting quality seeds
Selecting the right seeds is the first step to harvesting. Preference should be given to certified seeds from reliable suppliers.
Pay attention to the expiration date and monitor the storage conditions. Also, pay attention to whether the manufacturer has treated the seeds with anything.
If you do not want to deal with pickling, give preference to already treated seeds. This will reduce the risk of diseases.
Soil preparation
The soil for seedlings should be fertile, well-drained and free of weeds.
Use specialized seedling mixes or prepare your own composition, including peat, perlite and sand.
Before sowing, heat-treat the soil (bake it in the oven or steam it) to avoid diseases.
If you use homemade soil, take this into account in advance. It should not contain weed seeds or pathogens. Therefore, it is not recommended to collect soil from garden beds; it is better to make humus from fallen leaves, grass, and soil taken away from agricultural lands.
Correct sowing technique
Pay attention to the depth of sowing seeds, which depends on the type of crop. It is important to ensure that the seeds are evenly distributed and spaced correctly. This information is usually indicated on the packaging.
The depth of planting usually depends on the size of the seeds. Universal advice: the depth of planting should be equal to two sizes of the seed. Therefore, small seeds (celery, strawberries) are usually not planted in the soil at all. And pumpkin is covered with a layer of soil of 1.5-2 cm.
Lighting
Good lighting is necessary for normal growth of seedlings. Use artificial lighting if natural light is insufficient.
Adjust daylight hours to suit the needs of specific plants.
For example, Chinese cabbage needs short daylight hours, while peppers and tomatoes need long ones.
The latter must be illuminated for at least 14 hours a day.
Temperature conditions
Pay attention to the temperature regime. Different plants require different conditions.
Provide optimum temperatures for seed germination and initial seedling growth.
For example, tomatoes and peppers need at least 17 degrees Celsius for active growth. And cabbage needs conditions in which the temperature does not rise above 12 degrees.
Watering
Keep the soil moist but avoid over-watering to prevent root rot.
If you have doubts about whether to water, remember: if the seedlings wilt a little, they will quickly return to their natural state after watering. But when the roots start rotting from over-watering, it will be difficult to save them.
Picking
After the first two or three true leaves appear, transplant the seedlings into separate pots. This will allow them to develop evenly and tolerate the transplant more easily.
If you keep plants in a common container for too long, they will stretch out, their growth will slow down, and their roots will become intertwined.
When attempting to separate such plants, the root system is severely damaged, which negatively affects the further development of seedlings. Peppers are especially sensitive to this procedure, as they do not grow root mass well, especially if the damage is severe.
By following these basic rules, you will create favorable conditions for the full development of seedlings.
Remember that caring for seedlings is the key to a successful harvest in your garden. General recommendations are given here, but if you want to get a good result, you should study the requirements of a specific crop.
Earlier we talked about why cucumber seedlings die .
