Growing tomatoes from seeds is an annual ritual that gardeners use to get in the mood for the growing year. From February to mid-March, tomato seeds are sown in pots and trays indoors where it is warm. After just a few weeks, the seedlings begin to crowd each other out, which leads to the next step – pricking out tomato plants. When pricking tomato seedlings, the young plants are carefully separated and placed in their own pots. Here's how to do it, why it's important and what tips there are to help your seedlings grow into full-grown plants.
Prick out tomato plants a few weeks after sowing
UsuallyTomato seeds germinatebetween 5 and 14 days after sowing. The seedlings emerge stem first from the soil, with the head buried backwards. After that, they stand up and begin to grow quickly. First they unfold the so-called cotyledons, which are rounder than the true leaves. Soon after, a second set of leaves appears - the first set of serrated true tomato leaves. This happens about 1.5 – 2 weeks after germination.
At what point do you have to repot the seedlings?
Some gardeners prick the seedlings before the true leaves appear, but the traditional practice is to wait until they have them. This way you don't have to worry about damaging the plant if you accidentally damage a cotyledon. If it gets damaged after the real leaves have already grown, it's no big deal.
Do you have to fertilize tomatoes when transplanting?
When you plant your seedlings, you will need richer soil. When repotting into new pots, it is best to use multi-purpose compost. Let the plants grow in the original seedling soil, top up the pots with multi-purpose compost. The tomato plants do not need any additional food until they are much larger and can be placed in the greenhouse or outdoors.
Pricking out tomato plants: Which pot size?
Tomato plants are about five centimeters tall when planted out, so they will eventually need to be planted in pots that are six centimeters in diameter. You can plant them to this size immediately after pricking out, or repot them into smaller pots and repot them later.
The advantages of smaller pots and later repotting are saving space and compost as well as reducingDanger of fungus gnats. These are annoying fly-like insects that like to reproduce in moist soil. They are a real pest for indoor houseplants and seedlings. Their larvae can also damage plant roots.
You can also prick tomatoes in egg cartons
You can also use egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, paper or plastic cups, or almost any other shallow container that will hold your potting soil. Whatever vessel you usefor your seedlingsIf you use it, make sure it has good drainage - if your tomatoes' roots are too wet, they are more susceptible to disease. Although cardboard egg cartons are suitable for smaller seedlings, the tomatoes will outgrow their flat cells very quickly.
To grow a single plant from a box crowded with seedlings, you should work from the outside in. Gently grasp a cotyledon of a plant and carefully remove it from the compost using a pencil, plant tag, skewer or other tool.
Use the end of the tool to guide the seedling into the hole of the new pot. You can bury the plant to the bottom of the cotyledons if you wish. Roots form from the buried stem, and if yourSeedlings are leggy, this is a handy tip for promoting a strong stem. It is not recommended to prick tomato seedlings that are damaged, stunted, or appear less healthy than the others.
Grow the young plants correctly
After planting, the seedlings need to be watered regularly to keep the soil moist. They also need light and warmth, which is why it makes sense to keep them indoors, in a winter garden or in a heated building. The multi-purpose compost is enough to feed them and they grow from 2.5 to 5 cm tall to 10 cm within a few weeks.
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Lighting for your seedlings
Tomato seedlings need plenty of light to grow into healthy plants. There is often not enough light on the windowsill, especially in late winter or early spring. If you don't already have plant lighting, you can set up simple lighting with a grow light. You can mount it on the windowsill, or you can also use a traditional light fixture that you hang from above.
Not everyone has the space for a special light shelf, so a windowsillfor the hobby gardeneris bright enough to start sowing early in the year. It is also inexpensive. If your plants' stems are tall and spindly, it probably means they are stretching to get more light. Give them light by moving the lights to within a few inches of the leaves.
Also avoid prickingthese errors.
