How to properly feed tomato seedlings: when and how to fertilize tomatoes during the seedling period

Many novice gardeners, as a rule, are often overly puzzled by the question of fertilizing, especially their quantity, and, naturally, quality. Indeed, in order to get first-class seedlings, it must be provided with adequate nutrition at the initial stage of growth and development. However, to help rather than harm the plant, you need to balance. After all, it is one thing when a plant really asks, signaling a nutritional deficiency, it is completely different if the seedlings grow and develop well.

Next, you will find out when and how to feed tomato seedlings in order to grow strong plants that can quickly take root after planting in the ground and will be able to give a bountiful harvest.

When do tomato seedlings need feeding?

Let's look at a few situations right away:

• Let's say that you bought ready high-quality soil or independently prepared a nutritious soil mixture. In this case, most likely no feeding seedlings not required.
• Another thing is if it was originally used rather poor soil (garden soil and sand) or the acquired turned out to be very substandard.

However! It is believed that it is better to grow seedlings precisely in relatively poor soil, gradually giving it the necessary nutrients at each stage of development, in other words, it is necessary to feed it.

• Especially if the general condition of the seedlings (its appearance) clearly indicates that plants are lacking in nutrition (certain macro- or microelements). Under these circumstances, you will hardly be able to grow strong tomato seedlings without fertilizing.

Note! The necessary nutrients may be in the soil, but the seedlings may simply not receive them due to inadequate growing conditions... For example, if the temperature is too low, then tomatoes are unable to absorb many nutrients (the same phosphorus).

Thus, you must draw the following conclusion: if the tomato seedlings look good and you are confident in the fertility of your soil, then you do not need to feed them. On the contrary, if the appearance of the plants leaves much to be desired, the leaves change color, then the seedlings seem to signal that they lack nutrition, and additional feeding is required.

Important! Seedling quality largely depends on creating optimal growing conditions (sufficient daylight hours, suitable temperature conditions, correct watering), and only then from top dressing.

How to properly feed tomato seedlings with a deficiency of nutrients

Lack of nutrition, as a rule, immediately affects the appearance of plants, namely, the leaves of tomato seedlings. Here are the most typical manifestations of a lack of basic nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium):

• If lower (back) part of the leaves tomato turned purple, then, most likely, they need phosphorus... You should apply one of the phosphate fertilizers, eg, superphosphate extract or solution potassium monophosphate.

Advice! The site already has an article about what to do if the stems and leaves of tomato seedlings turn purple... The fact is that the reason does not always lie in the lack of phosphorus.

• If the leaves of tomato seedlings began to turn yellow (evenly), then, most likely, plants lack of nitrogen... If so, then the seedlings should be fed with any nitrogen-containing fertilizers, for example, mineral - urea or ammonium nitrate, organic - infusion of chicken manure, mullein.

Note! Yellowing of leaves does not always speak of a lack of nitrogen, chlorosis of leaves may indicate lack of the same iron... More information about why tomato seedlings turn yellow, read in this material.

• If the leaves of tomato seedlings turn yellow at the edges (get marginal burn), while the inner part of the sheet plate remains green, then this clearly speaks of potassium deficiency... It is necessary to fertilize with potassium fertilizer: for example, a solution potassium sulfate or wood ash.

And yet, for feeding tomato seedlings, it is best to use complex mineral fertilizers containing all the main macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). For example, fit nitroammophoska or azophoska (all 16%).

Or you can prepare such a universal solution from mineral fertilizers (for 10 liters of water):

• ammonium nitrate or urea - 5-10 grams;
• potassium sulfate (potassium sulfate) - 5-10 grams;
• superphosphate - 10-20 grams.

As organic compound fertilizer can be cooked chicken manure solution (or mullein), which, in addition to a relatively high nitrogen content, also contains potassium, phosphorus, and even some trace elements (the same calcium).

However, the most optimal solution is the use of universal fertilizers, which include the whole complex of macro- and microelements for the most complete and comprehensive plant nutrition... For example, Fertika Lux.

It is even easier to use special ready-made fertilizers, for example, Agricola for tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.

It is very good to feed tomatoes with fertilizers with humates (humic acids). For example, fit Potassium humate or Humate +7 with trace elements.

However! Humates, as a rule, are used after planting seedlings in the ground to improve the structure of the soil, including so that various types of microorganisms can grow and develop in it.

Another thing is Humate +7, it is used with a lack of trace elements, including during the seedling period.

When and how to feed tomato seedlings: a detailed feeding scheme

Next, you will be presented with a classic scheme for feeding tomatoes during the seedling period, which will allow you to grow strong plants.

However, first let's talk about when and why plants need certain nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium), for which they are responsible.

• Obviously, at the initial stage, plants need a lot phosphorus, which is responsible for the development of the root system.

By the way! ABOUT signs of phosphorus deficiency in tomato seedlings you can read more in this material.

• Simultaneously with the growth of the underground part (roots) during the seedling period, tomatoes should also build up a sufficiently strong skeleton - the aboveground part (stems and leaves), for the growth and development of which is responsible nitrogen.
• Potassium promotes the formation of flower ovaries and increases the quality and quantity of tomato fruits, (in other words, it will be required during flowering and fruitingsince responsible for pouring the fruit).

Accordingly, during the seedling period, tomatoes need fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and nitrogen plus some potassium.

Before the pick

Important! Before picking tomato seedlings (and any other crops) no additional feeding is required: all the necessary nutrition for initial development is in the seeds themselves and in the soil, even if you initially plant in a poor nutrient mixture.

And even if you see that the seedlings are suffering, then it is best to just cut them as soon as possible into new soil and containers.

Immediately after the pick

As you know, the procedure for transplanting (picking) seedlings is enough severe stress for the plantespecially for its root system.

Accordingly, it is believed that after tomato picks seedlings should be fed phosphorus fertilizer to relieve stress from trauma to the root system and to resume its rapid growth and development. And after the plant forms good roots, give all the other fertilizers (nitrogen, potash).

However, it is after the pick, as a rule, that it is more convenient to use special preparations - root growth stimulants... Most Popular: Kornevin (and its full counterparts - Ukorenit, Root Super), Heteroauxinand also Kornerost.

By the way! Also, to relieve the "post-pick" stress of seedlings, you can use Epin, Zircon, Energen and succinic acid.

7-10 days after the pick - the main feeding

When the unpicked tomatoes completely take root in the new planting containers, which will be evidenced by the appearance of new real leaves (i.e. there will be 3-4 of them), it will be possible to perform the next, already full-fledged feeding of tomato seedlings.

Concerning approximate dates, then, as a rule, feeding is carried out through 7-10 days after picks (this is how much time on average it takes for the seedlings to take root and release a new real leaf).

At this stage, for a good start of growth and development, tomato seedlings need a lot phosphorus for active root growth. Accordingly, you can feed the seedlings superphosphate extract or solution potassium monophosphate (50% phosphorus and 33% potassium). Moreover, it is desirable to make several (a couple) of such phosphorus-potassium dressings with an interval of 7-10 days.

Top dressing of seedlings will benefit the root system yeast infusion (10 grams of dry yeast per 10 liters of water at room temperature, as well as 4-5 tablespoons of sugar; wait 4-5 hours for the fermentation process to begin).

However, some gardeners believe that seedlings during this period, on the contrary, require more nitrogen for the formation of leaf mass (aerial part of the plant)... This means that they are suitable for feeding urea and ammonium nitrate (both mineral) or green fertilizer (for example, infusion of nettle), as well as infusion of chicken manure and mullein. You can also feed tomato seedlings. ammonia (according to instructions only).

In any case, it is possible and necessary to feed the tomatoes with nitrogen fertilizer once.

However! Nitrogen fertilizers should be handled as carefully as possible, in no case should you overdo it (1 feeding will be enough), otherwise you will overfeed the plants and they will begin to fatten (including the delay in fruiting and ripening of the future harvest).

If in doubt, then the most correct solution would be to regularly feed tomato seedlings. complex fertilizer, which includes all the necessary batteries at once.

Complex mineral fertilizers for seedlings:

• Nitroammofosk (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium - 16% each);
• Fertika Lux (nitrogen - 16%, phosphorus - 20.6%, potassium - 27.1%, as well as trace elements - iron, boron, copper, manganese, molybdenum, zinc);
• Agricola for tomatoes, peppers and eggplants (nitrogen - 13%, phosphorus - 20%, potassium - 20%, trace elements - boron, copper, manganese, zinc, magnesium);
• Granular chicken manure (nitrogen - 4%, phosphorus - 3%, potassium - 1-2%, as well as trace elements - magnesium, calcium, iron, etc.).

As a result, after a dive, you can 2-3 similar feedingfertilizing through every 7-10 days.

For example, 1 - nitrogen and necessarily 1-2 phosphorus-potassium or just 2-3 complex.

Before planting seedlings in the ground

The last feeding is carried out 5-7 days before planting tomato seedlings in open ground or greenhouse... It is best at this moment to feed the tomato seedlings with one of the complex fertilizers, which contains all the nutrients in approximately equal amounts, such as Nitroammofoska or Fertiki Lux (see the previous paragraph).

Rules and methods for feeding tomato seedlings

In fact, there are 2 ways to feed plants:

• root feeding (watering seedlings at the root);

Root feeding is the main feeding of seedlings with macroelements (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium).

• foliar dressing (spraying on the leaves).

For foliar dressing, as a rule, micronutrient fertilizers are used, as well as urea (nitrogen fertilizer).

A few rules and tips for competent feeding of tomato seedlings:

• Foliar dressing is carried out in the morning or evening, or in the afternoon in cloudy weather. During the day, in sunny weather, it is impossible to spray on the leaves, because the plant can get sunburn.
• Root dressing is performed after watering with plain water or together with watering.

Advice! Experienced gardeners are advised to carry out top dressing at each watering, but in a lower concentration (3-4 times).

• When root feeding, try not to get on the leaves of the plant, watering around the plant.

Important! If the concentrated solution does get on the leaf plates, then it is advisable to sprinkle the leaves from a spray bottle with clean water.

• Regarding which is better to apply - mineral or organic fertilizers, then every gardener must decide for himself.However, it should be noted that most organic manure-based fertilizers have a pungent and unpleasant odor (except wood ash).

How to feed tomato seedlings, if they stretch out or outgrow

If the daylight hours are still short (at the end of March) and you do not use additional lighting, and the room is also very hot, then the seedlings will inevitably stretch out.

Of course, optimal solution will be the creation optimal conditions for keeping seedlings, but you can try using special plant growth regulators (retardants).

For example, the most popular is “Athlete"(Active ingredient - Chlormequat chloride).

Their mechanism of action is as follows: the active substance of the drug slows down the growth of the aerial part of the plant, causes shortening and thickening of the stems, and increases the width of the leaves. In seedlings, nutrients are redistributed, most of which enter the roots, causing their increased growth. And the tool also accelerates the formation of the first inflorescences and the number of ovaries in them.

Thus, thanks to spraying (foliar feeding) with such a means, you can form a strong, but compact (not overgrown) tomato seedlings.

Note! The instructions say that the first spraying must be done in the phase of 3-4 leaves, i.e. after picks (after 7-10 days), when the seedlings take root and new leaves begin to grow.

Good growth and development of your tomato seedlings. Feed your tomatoes wisely!

Video: how to feed tomato seedlings

By the way! About, how and what to feed tomatoes in a greenhouse or open field during flowering and during fruiting read in this detailed material.