An original way to grow tomato seedlings in plastic bags
Anyone who has grown seedlings at home knows about the difficulties and inconveniences that one has to face when placing a huge number of different containers with seedlings throughout the apartment.
But there is a way that allows you to get a large number of seedlings without much hassle.
Anastasia Kovrizhnykh , an expert of the online publication "BelNovosti", a scientist, agronomist and landscape designer, told about a clever way of growing seedlings.
The first stage is normal. Seeds are sown in rows in flat containers. The seedling can develop up to 3-4 true leaves.
Meanwhile, prepare a container for the seedlings: cut square sheets of polyethylene measuring 10x10 cm.
When the time comes to harvest, proceed as follows. A teaspoon of soil is poured onto a polyethylene sheet, the seedling is carefully removed from the container, a long root is pinched off and wrapped in polyethylene like a diaper almost to the leaves. Such a column with leaves is placed vertically in the container.
A small cup can hold up to 20 of these columns.
The most difficult thing with this method of growing is daily watering, since a very small amount of soil dries out quickly. This procedure is conveniently carried out with a syringe or a baby syringe.
As the plants grow, every two weeks or so, the diapers are unrolled, soil is added, and the size of the diapers is increased. The green part of the plant grows slowly, but the root grows vigorously.
The main idea behind this technique is that tomatoes in natural conditions have a taproot that can draw water from 1.5-2 meters.
When growing seedlings in the traditional way, a fibrous root system is formed (in a bowl it simply has nowhere to grow), which is located in the ground at a distance of 30-40 cm from the surface.
Such artificially grown seedlings require constant watering, and high humidity promotes the activation of fungal infections (powdery mildew, crown rot).
Benefits of Growing Tomato Seedlings
• Seedlings are located compactly, improving the possibilities of caring for them: lighting, hardening.
• Plants do not stretch, the stem is stocky and stable.
• The root is formed from the taproot.
• Saving consumables (containers, soil).
• When planting tomatoes in open ground, the root reaches a size of 20-25 cm.
On the prepared beds, using a drill, which winter fishermen use to make holes, deep holes are made at a distance of 50 cm from each other.
Liquid organic fertilizer (mullein solution) is poured into the hole, the seedlings are unrolled and carefully placed in the hole up to the leaves, squeezed from the soil and left for a week. Watering from above is not carried out.
Further care is normal, watering only once a week.
With such agricultural technology, the plant takes root perfectly, grows quickly, since the root is already formed, it immediately begins to perform its functions of supplying the plant with water and nutrients.
Of course, the method is unusual, but amateur gardeners should try it and see for themselves the advantages of this method.
Earlier we told you what to put in the hole when transplanting tomato seedlings.
