Planted tomato seedlings do not grow well. Why do tomato bushes grow poorly. Why do not grow tomato seedlings at home? - Plant Magic

Will be healthy and strong. The most common mistakes that make it difficult for young plants to grow are: Sowing seeds in acidic soil Most flowers and vegetables need slightly acidic or neutral soil to thrive. Check the acidity of the soil purchased at the store or brought from own site, you can use the indicator - a strip of litmus paper. A handful of earth is poured into 0.5 cups of water, mixed, allowed to settle and the indicator is lowered into the water. If a strip of litmus paper turns red, the soil is acidic. It needs to be limed, but do it in advance, 2-3 weeks before sowing the seeds. In this case, not chalk or lime is used, but ground or crushed eggshell(2-3 handfuls per 1 kg of soil). The pH of the soil will approach the optimal value for the development of seedlings. The introduction of an excessive amount of humus into the substrate for seedlings This contributes to the disease of seedlings with the viral disease "". To avoid this danger, the soil, together with the humus introduced into it, must be sterilized (steamed or calcined in the oven) or processed (“Baikal”, “Shine”). frequent watering seedlings Young plants tolerate drying out of the soil more easily than waterlogging it. Watering should be done about once a week, when the top layer of the soil becomes dry to the touch, and the leaves of the plants begin. Lack of light In March, when most gardeners and gardeners sow seeds, daylight hours are still short. Especially - in February (some plants need long-term growing before planting in the ground). In order for the seedlings to grow well during these months, they need illumination with fluorescent or phytolamps. In February, supplementary lighting continues from dawn to dusk in any weather and on all windows. In March, the windows facing north are illuminated in the same mode; on the remaining windows, the backlighting is turned on on cloudy days; in sunny weather, they are not used. Premature mineral fertilizers You can only feed healthy, already well-developed plants, after about 7-10 days. More early feeding can only do harm.

Svetlana Shcherbak from Krasnoyarsk shares her personal experience of growing seedlings:

Finding out why seedlings GROW BAD

It happens that seedlings grow poorly, or even simply stop developing. Such a nuisance can happen to any culture. What is it connected with? In my practice, there were such reasons:

1. Poor quality seeds.

It is especially clearly observed when you sow one crop, but several different varieties. At the same time, the soil is the same, and the conditions of detention, but in one container there are strong and joyful shoots, and in the next one there are thin small “misunderstandings”, which at first noticeably lag behind in growth, and then may die altogether.

You can try to feed the seedlings complex fertilizers, support growth stimulants. But in my case, as a rule, such seedlings still remain among the “lagging behind”. I think so: it is easier to come to terms with the loss at this stage, because then you can not wait for a normal harvest at all. As a rule, if poor quality seeds are the cause of poor growth, nothing good will grow from them anyway.

2. Conditions of detention.

Passion for watering, lack of heat can lead to oxygen starvation of the roots and their decay, stunted growth of seedlings, and then to illness and death of the plant.

For some reason, this happens to me more often in the first days after picking: I try to support the disturbed plants with water that have undergone the stress of transplantation, and as a result - losses. If I notice that the plant is “thinking” and does not increase in growth, and even more so when other symptoms appear, I urgently take measures: I correct the microclimate, loosen it, and reduce watering. It is important to do this as early as possible, before the process has become irreversible.

* By the way! In printed sources, seedlings after picking are recommended to be sprayed with Epin-Extra. It helps plants survive picking easier, increases the survival rate of seedlings, and relieves stress. Worth every penny, easy to use. A modern drug (albeit a chemical one).

3. Seedlings of tomato and petunias often suffer from chlorosis - lack of iron.

This deficiency is manifested by a pale yellow, sometimes almost white color of the apical leaflets. Gradually, such a color scheme covers all the leaves, the plant slows down growth, weakens. I noticed that the plant does not always die, but it blooms poorly, looks weak and sick (and, for example, this is completely unacceptable for a petunia).

Trouble is easily treated. With an interval of 5-7 days, I spray all plantings with a solution of a preparation containing iron, always in a chelated form. In addition, experienced people recommend canceling the illumination of seedlings.

4. Damage to the roots when picking.

Another reason may be inaccurate picking, when the roots are damaged or bent when moving to a new container.

5. "Beach" for seedlings - root rot, "black leg".

Among the causes of the development of the disease are thickened sowing and waterlogging of the soil. To prevent the development of a black leg, I lay out the seeds sparsely when sowing, if necessary, immediately after germination, I thin out so that all plants are “ventilated”. For prevention, I water with a weak solution. Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate.

* Of the modern drugs for the prevention and treatment of the black leg, the drug "Gliocladin" is successfully used.

6. Lack of nutrients can cause growth retardation.

Yes, yes, and this happens, although I prepare fertile soil with humus for seedlings. Therefore, do not neglect fertilizers.

So that seedlings grow well ... What to do?

The seedlings will “tell” themselves about their “diseases” or the need for additional nutrition. It is only necessary to carefully inspect the landings every day and stop the troubles when they are detected. As, for example, in the case of chlorosis, described above.

What to water, feed, spray?

Pale or yellowish bottom castings indicate a need for nitrogen. With a lack of fluorine in petunias, for example, the leaves (or only their veins) turn purple, but in tomatoes this shade can indicate hypothermia of seedlings, and in cabbage seedlings - about full health. If additional nutrition is needed, we proceed to urgent top dressing.

Superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, urea or complex azofoska I bring under the root in the form of a solution (30 g per bucket of water). I use these fertilizers in cases where the plants themselves "signal" about the lack of any element.

In general, I try to feed every 7-10 days with the Nitroammofoska mineral complex. I water under the root, only after watering with plain water.

By the way, in order for the seedlings to grow well, experts recommend not waiting for alarming symptoms, but fertilizing regularly, starting from the second week after picking.

It is necessary to alternate nutritional compositions with different elements, or use complex mineral fertilizers. They note that foliar top dressing(spraying on the leaves) in many cases more effective than root ones, they act faster.

I use a folk remedy for spraying. A week or two after picking seedlings of petunias (and other flowers), peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, I spray with a solution of iodine and milk: for 10 liters of water, 9-10 drops of iodine and a glass of milk. Such a “treatment” is good not only for the prevention of viral and bacterial diseases, but for some reason it also helps in some incomprehensible (for me) cases when seedlings without visible reasons fades, lowers "ears", signs of oppression appear.

Before planting seedlings in the ground, I spend at least two more preventive sprayings:

• Boric acid (solution 5-10 grams per bucket of water). Boron is needed not only for the correct and active development of plants, but also flower crops- for lush long flowering, and fruit species- to increase productivity;
• Bordeaux liquid or light blue solution of copper sulfate I work both the leaves and the soil. Such treatment is the prevention of the development of fungal and bacterial diseases. There is little description of this method of feeding seedlings. But in my own practice, I was convinced that it works perfectly. Copper sulphate does a great job with the black leg. Due to copper, tomatoes get resistance to late blight (there is another way: the lower part of the stem of a tomato, when planted on a ridge, is pierced with copper wire, a loop is made of it and left like that). It works against fungi and bacteria in seedlings in the same way as in adult plants. I can still do without boric acid, but definitely not without blue vitriol! Bordeaux mixture is prepared according to the instructions (200-gram pack per bucket). If simple vitriol - by eye. I feed the seedlings, I even process the tomato 2 times: before or after picking (when it takes root), and then, when it grows up.

I once read on one of the Internet forums that seedlings of petunias "loves" sour - the usual culinary citric acid . I followed the advice, once a week I water the petunias with a weak solution. I pour a little “lemon” water under the root of the seedlings, using a small syringe for this (without a needle). Indeed, petunias after that look more fun.

Other problems and how to solve them ...

As, probably, with every gardener, atypical "complications" sometimes occur.

For example, in a bowl with pre-treated soil, the plants suddenly began to fall one after another. Under a magnifying glass, I found an even cut of a painfully flattened stalk. I treated the soil with Aktara (0.2 mg per 10 l). Looks like insects attacked.

Other pests periodically infect the green parts of the seedlings. For example, spider mite. The result of his "activity" - a thin mesh on the leaves that turned yellow at once - is not immediately visible. Bathing plants (whole) in a saturated soapy solution helps. Normal will do. laundry soap. It is good if the soapy moisture and the soil will saturate.

There are also funny things. Here, very small seedlings began to fall out. I remember the background: I previously shed the soil with Fitosporin and potassium permanganate, after sowing I did not abuse it with watering, I sprayed it a week before the incident blue vitriol, and in 2-3 days - milk and iodine.

Watering with something else is dangerous, the humidity is already increased. Reminds me of something I read somewhere folk remedy: diluted 25 grams in a bucket of water medical alcohol(I think a simple one will do), just in case, I added thicker Fitosporin and risked watering ... I don’t know what it was, and what remedy worked, but the seedlings stopped falling out!

Svetlana Shcherbak, Krasnoyarsk Territory

SEEDLINGS OF TOMATOES DO NOT GROW, WHAT TO DO Even experienced gardeners very often face such a problem that tomato seedlings abruptly stop growing. If this happens, then there is no need to panic. It is necessary to find out as soon as possible what is the reason for such a sudden stop in growth, and there may be several of them: 1. Inadequate nutrition If the plant does not grow and develop well, most likely it does not have enough nutrition. Symptoms of a deficiency of one or another element may be as follows: - With a lack of nitrogen, plants look stunted with a thin stem, small pale leaves. The appearance of a red-violet hue on the underside of the leaves indicates a deficiency of phosphorus. lower leaves turned yellow at the edges and curled up, which means that there is not enough potassium. The absence of such an element as magnesium is manifested by marbling of the leaves. In these cases, the treatment of seedlings is to carry out the necessary top dressing. - With a lack of iron, tomato seedlings do not grow, because it develops chlorosis. Leaves of plants become discolored and turn yellow. In the presence of such symptoms, immediately stop highlighting the seedlings. In advanced cases, feed and spray with iron-containing preparations. 2. Incorrect picking Another of the most common reasons why seedlings stop growing is incorrect picking, namely: - The roots are bent. - The roots are too severely torn off or damaged. - When planting, the roots are poorly compressed with soil, which created air cavities next to them. 3. Poor care - Drenched seedlings suffocated from lack of oxygen. - The soil is not suitable. In the first case, you need to clean drainage hole, and in its absence, transplant the remaining plants. In the second - as soon as possible to change the soil. 4. Diseases. The most common diseases that inhibit its growth are: - Root and root rot, which leads to overflow of seedlings at low air or soil temperatures. Urgently save the remaining seedlings by transplanting into fresh soil. Pre-wash the roots in a solution of phytosporin or magnesium. - Black leg - common infection, which is rapidly developing adverse conditions. Symptoms: darkening of the root collar, its softening and death of the plant. Control measures: the affected seedlings are watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then it is spudded and placed more rarely. The room must be systematically ventilated. However, plants can be saved only at the very first stage of the disease, so inspect the seedlings every day. - Pests The most common pests are spider mites, earwigs or wood lice. Treat the seedlings with fitoverm. Having figured out why tomato seedlings do not grow, you can begin to eliminate the causes.

Tomatoes are an excellent culture, small or large, elongated, round or oval in shape. They exist in a huge variety of shades and flavors. Gardeners can talk at length about their tomato crops, boasting about the beauty and taste of their own-grown fruit. Even experienced gardeners quite often they ask this question: why tomato seedlings do not grow well, and what caused this.

It happens that tomato seedlings suddenly abruptly stop in their growth. If this happens, then there is no need to panic. It is necessary to determine as soon as possible what is the reason for the sudden stop in the growth of seedlings or the reason why weak tomato seedlings have grown - what to do in each specific case, what measures to take. What actions to take when tomato seedlings do not grow well enough, even experienced gardeners do not always know.

The process of growing tomatoes may seem difficult for those who, in principle, have not encountered this, tried to do it without the necessary basic knowledge or previous attempts were not as successful. However, it happens that it does not grow, tomatoes planted in open ground suddenly slow down growth, shed their ovaries, it may be that, with a visually visible healthy appearance, they give a small crop. What's the matter here? Let's see where the root of the plant's weak growth or its sudden stop is hiding.

There may be several reasons for this: from a lack of nutrients and lighting to the spread of small pests and the manifestation various diseases. Often weakened seedlings can still be saved. We will try to reveal as accurately as possible the question of why tomato seedlings do not develop - what to do, how to prevent this. There are several reasons why tomatoes do not grow as they should, or grow to a small size and then stop growing.

The main reasons why tomato seedlings develop poorly include:

1. incorrect picking;
2. improper care;
3. plant diseases;
4. pests;
5. flaw nutrients.

Incorrect picking of tomato seedlings

One of the main culprits for stopping the growth of seedlings is improper picking (transplanting).

If tomato seedlings do not grow well after picking, then the basic reason was precisely the quality of the work done, namely: the roots can be badly damaged or torn off, or they are bent, when transplanting the roots of the seedlings could be poorly compressed, which led to the formation of air cavities next to them . To prevent the formation of air gaps, the ground around the plant is usually carefully tamped in layers.

The presence of a long root system of tomatoes also explains why tomato seedlings do not grow after picking, namely after a rough operation, as a result of which these very roots were badly damaged. Therefore, when picking, it is necessary to dig a hole deep enough so that the root elements of the tomato are freely located in it. Before transplanting, the soil must be thoroughly watered. When moisture is absorbed, with a small spatula or even a hand, each sprout is transferred to a new place along with an earthen clod, and this is mandatory. The roots with this method of picking are almost not damaged.

For healthy growth, tomato seedlings must be provided certain conditions. If, after transplanting, the tomato seedlings stopped growing - what to do after that. Need a specific temperature regime: The temperature during the day should be around 16-18°C, at night around 13-15°C. During this time, it is necessary to water three times, the last of which is one day before the pick. The water temperature must be 20°C.

Two weeks after the completion of the transplant, it is advisable to feed the plants with nitrophoska. During the entire time, the seedlings are moderately watered as the earth dries up. If, subject to all the conditions described, tomato seedlings still do not grow after picking, or it happens very slowly, you can use a growth stimulator, for example, sodium humate. The prepared solution for irrigation should resemble the color of weak tea or beer. You need to water a whole glass for each sprout.

Improper care of tomato seedlings

Errors in caring for seedlings can explain why tomato seedlings are pale and thin, how to fix this in order to stimulate further tomato growth. One of the sources of deterioration of the condition of the sprouts is the flooding of the seedlings, as a result of which the roots were blocked from oxygen and they suffocated. In such a situation, the drainage passages in containers with seedlings are urgently cleaned, the top layer of the earth must be carefully loosened if the seedlings are not too small or located very close to each other.

By improper watering of bushes already planted on the beds, one can justify why tomato seedlings grow slowly, perhaps this is an insufficient amount of moisture or its excess. Neither one nor the other is needed for growing tomatoes, as they are rather whimsical crops that need water, but not as much as for peppers or cucumbers. The largest volume of water is needed by the tomato during the formation of ovaries and further growth of the fruit. At this time, the earth constantly needs moisture.

The next circumstance that affects the fact that seedlings, growing to a certain size, stop further development, may be associated with the substrate. Proper watering, top dressing, a good place, and tomato seedlings are pale and thin - what to do, and where is the mistake. The sprouts, most likely, do not fit the soil. Under such circumstances, you will have to change the land. A consequence of why tomato and pepper seedlings grow poorly may be a lack of light. For verification, you can take out one seedling along with the ground and look at its roots: if they have become white color, the problem lies in the lighting.

Diseases of tomato seedlings

Consider the following circumstance, due to which tomatoes grow very poorly: seedling diseases and its treatment with proven methods. Often seedlings do not grow due to the manifestation of diseases. The most basic diseases of tomato crops are black leg and various rot. Rot attacks the plant in case of excessive watering at low ambient or ground temperatures.
The result can be very weak tomato seedlings - what to do, how to stop it. It is urgent to try to save the remaining seedlings by transplanting them into fresh soil, after washing the roots with a solution of potassium permanganate, phytosporin.

Black leg - another common cause the fact that tomatoes grow poorly and seedlings are frail - what to do here. This disease tends to rapid development in adverse conditions. Outwardly, it manifests itself in the darkening of the root base of the seedling, its further softening and the death of the culture. This is a fungal infection that is provoked by too dense planting, excessive watering, heat or insufficient light. Seedlings can be saved only if the infection is detected in a timely manner - loosening, pouring with a solution of potassium permanganate.

It is best to try to prevent tomato diseases in advance. To do this, gardeners with experience in growing tomatoes dry the seeds before planting, soak the seedling containers in a solution of potassium permanganate, and also treat the soil mixture with potassium permanganate before sowing. Seedlings are planted freely, watered rarely, but a lot, so that the substrate remains moist inside and the surface dries up. Sometimes sand is added to seedling boxes to prevent root rot.

Pests of tomato seedlings

Sometimes various insects or their larvae can seriously damage the quality cultivation of tomato varieties. A gardener cannot do without appropriate knowledge about tomato pests and how to get rid of them. All pests of tomato seedlings can be divided into two conditional groups:

Sometimes an unusual method is used: they are looking for ways to attract household plot biological individuals that destroy May beetles: frogs, birds. The fight against the main pests of the root system of tomatoes also involves the use chemical methods. If weak tomato seedlings have formed due to insects - what to do and what means are best used. Insecticides of a narrow and a wide range effects: Antikhrushch, Prestige, Rembek and Rembek Granule. To get rid of the larvae of the May beetle, the roots of the seedlings are soaked in a chemical solution of Aktar 25 before planting.

Aphids, caterpillars, whiteflies can be the reason why tomato seedlings are pale and grow poorly, despite quality care and good conditions for growth.

The fight against them involves the treatment of tomato seedlings with insecticides, such as: Akarin, Tomato Rescuer, Confidor maxi, Ratibor, Proteus. Processing chemical solution carried out only in dry warm weather and subject to all the rules in the instructions.

Insufficient nutrition of tomato seedlings

Another important component good growth and a rich harvest of tomatoes is nutrition. Tomatoes are almost one of the most capricious crops in nutrition, but being too zealous is also undesirable. So, for example, with an excess of nitrogen in the earth, you can get explosive growth vegetative mass, which is at the expense of the crop. If tomato seedlings do not develop - what to do, how to find out exactly what nutrients and elements the seedlings lack, and how to eliminate this without harming the plant?

Symptoms of a deficiency of one or another trace element may be as follows. It is easy to detect an excess of nitrogen matter in the ground; it is enough to closely examine the flowers of the plant. If the bright sepals are larger regular size, and their stamens are barely noticeable, then this is a sign of an excess of nitrogen in the soil. If you understand the reasons why the leaves of tomato seedlings are pale green, then nitrogen can also be the source of the problem. With insufficient nitrogen, the culture looks weak, has a thin stem, the leaves are small and turn pale.

The formation of a purple-scarlet hue on the undersides of seedling foliage may indicate a deficiency of the element phosphorus. When the leaves at the very bottom begin to turn yellow at the edges and twist, this means a lack of potassium. An insufficient amount of magnesium is visually manifested in the marbling of the foliage of the seedling. In all situations, the treatment of tomato seedlings is based on the addition of the necessary dressings.

With a lack of iron, tomato seedlings do not grow, because they develop chlorosis. The bush turns yellow and loses color, pale tomato seedlings form - what to do if there is such a thing. In the case of the above symptoms, you should immediately stop lighting the seedlings and urgently remove the tomatoes from the light source. In too severe cases, it is worth feeding and spraying the plant with an iron-containing composition, fertilizing with appropriate preparations.

Generalized conclusions about the poor development of seedlings

After the tomatoes are picked, vegetable growers are often surprised that the plants do not develop well, and the harvest is not as much as we would like. The reason is simple: the picking process is the most milestone life of tomatoes. The number of tomatoes harvested this season depends on how timely and correctly the operation was performed. Tomato picking is the correct shortening of the main, so-called tap root of a young plant to the fruiting stage.

When to perform the operation?

The most common picking method is simultaneous transshipment, that is, transplanting a young plant into a separate pot from a common bowl in which the seeds were sown. Some advise to follow lunar calendar and start the operation at the moment when the tomato seedlings are subject to the influence of the waning moon. This has not been scientifically proven, which means that it can only be used as advisory measures at the request of the gardener. The rest of the gardeners are guided by the following rule: the tip of the root is pinched off from seedlings about a week after germination. In the event that the seedlings grow poorly, the procedure is postponed until the tenth day from the moment the seedlings hatch.

What mistakes can a grower make?

The main picking errors are as follows:

• too early procedure;
• shortening was made too late;
• poorly executed operation: the removed part of the root remains partially on the plant;
• too much removed;
• performance without disinfection of hands or instruments;
• inaccurate subsequent transshipment into a separate pot;
• breakage of the stem or tear of the leaves;
• plants received poor-quality care after transplantation.

Pinching the tap root too early will take a lot of strength from the plant. Shortening after seedlings develop into young plant with several pairs of real leaves - a waste of time and effort, which will not help tomatoes in any way. If the transplant after the operation was performed carelessly, and during the process, half-removed pieces of the root remained on the plant, fungal and bacterial diseases in tomatoes can be expected. The same can be said about picking with unwashed hands that have not been rinsed with at least a solution of potassium permanganate. Damage to foliage and stems at this stage of seedling growth threatens the loss of individual plants and future infection of weakened tomatoes with diseases.

A small amount of potassium permanganate diluted in warm water, will help to avoid infection of seedlings with spores of harmful fungi and prevent the death of the crop, which is why it is worth taking care of disinfection. Some gardeners recommend dipping a young tomato immediately after removing a part of the root by about 1-2 mm in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

How to correct the mistakes made?

Not all actions can be qualified as errors. There are minor errors that do not guarantee the death of tomatoes, but only lead to the fact that the culture grows poorly and slowly. Why this happens, only experienced gardeners can tell. Firstly, if the plant is not watered before picking, it can get more serious damage. And even if they then transplanted into too large a container or accidentally damaged the entire root system, shaking off too much earth before transshipment - this is also one of the answers to the question why the tomato does not grow like other seedlings. However, in most cases, the consequences of an illiterate pick can be corrected or at least minimized the harm caused to the plant.

If there are suspicions that the process was of poor quality or untimely, and the seedlings are growing much more slowly or unevenly, you can try to fix everything. You can try to cover small wilted seedlings with clear glass glasses or put transparent bags on the pots, pulling them together with an elastic band at the base of the pot. Why is it important not to do this procedure immediately after watering? Excess moisture air can promote decay and the development of fungal diseases. However, this can save some of the weakened seedlings.

In addition, it is worth leaving young plants in the place where they were before picking, without changing anything in the watering and daylight hours.

The smallest tomatoes can be put forward so that they receive more sunlight.

Those tomatoes that have received too much damage should be disposed of immediately. If, after transplanting, it turned out that two or even three plants grow in one of the pots, it is better not to disturb them with re-transshipment.

Conclusion

Picking is a simple and at the same time a crucial stage in the life of a young seedling, the health of seedlings depends on it, its ability to adapt to new conditions. open ground and even as a whole the amount of harvest received for the season. Despite the fact that for the implementation of this operation you will need only a certain number of pots, earth and fingers, you must take it with all responsibility.

Compliance with the timing of picking, cleanliness of the procedure and careful attitude to seedlings will allow you to get healthy plants suitable for planting on suburban area.