Content
List of fatal mistakes that kill your harvest already in February. Check how you do it
13.02.2025 11:45
Gardeners are being warned about the risk of seedlings dying as early as February if they do not check their plantings now. Here are just a few of the most common ones.
Watering
Excess water causes root rot (Pythium and Fusarium fungi).
The optimum soil moisture is 60–70%. Use moisture sensors or check the soil with your finger: if the top layer is dry by 1 cm, it’s time to water.
Folk method. "Watering with milk (1:10)" supposedly protects against diseases, but the milky film blocks oxygen access to the roots.
An experiment at the Russian State Agrarian University-Moscow Agricultural Academy showed that seedlings watered with milk lag behind in growth by 20%.
Temperature
Roots stop developing at temperatures below +15°C. The ideal option is thermal mats with adjustable heating.
Folk method. "Hot bricks under boxes" are dangerous: overheating the root zone to +35°C kills microorganisms in the soil and damages the roots.
Picking
Classic picking involves shortening the central root by 1/3, stimulating the growth of lateral roots. Suitable for tomatoes and cabbage.
Pepper and eggplant seedlings, whose roots are easily damaged, are grown without picking.
The varieties "Bogatyr" and "Almaz" tolerate transplantation better without picking.
Hardening
Gradually reduce the temperature from +22°C to +10°C over 7–10 days. Start with 1 hour on the balcony, increasing the time daily.
Folk method. "Taking the plant out into the cold for 5 minutes" causes shock: the leaves turn white, growth slows down. In 90% of cases, plants die after such stress.
Overfeeding with nitrogen fertilizers
The plants are "getting fat": they grow foliage, but do not form ovaries. For example, tomatoes of the "De Barao" variety, with an excess of nitrogen, produce up to 50 leaves, but only 2-3 clusters.
Use complex fertilizers with phosphorus and potassium (for example, "Agricola for tomatoes").
Tight fit
Lack of light causes stems to stretch. If the distance between plants is less than 5 cm, the risk of fungal diseases increases by 40%.
Follow the 5x5 cm pattern for greens and 7x7 cm for tomatoes.
Real reviews
"I poured milk on the seedlings - mold appeared a week later. Now I only water them with water and add Fitosporin once every 10 days" - Olga, "Garden World" forum.
"I didn't pick the peppers - they grew strong, but I got my first harvest a week later. But the roots didn't get sick!" - Dmitry, Telegram channel "Harvest Beds".
