Growing seedlings - factors for success and a good harvest

Growing seedlings is the key to a good harvest in the fall, so you need to carefully consider the preparation of good and healthy seedlings in the spring. Everything is like the famous saying about the sleigh. From this it follows that we need to grow good, tall seedlings, with large leaves, an overgrown root system. Therefore, we have prepared material for you that will help a novice summer resident, protect against gross mistakes.

It seems that growing good seedlings at home on the windowsill is simply not realistic. And there is little sun at the end of winter, and the humidity is not the same. And also, God forbid, a draft. Whether it's growing seedlings in a greenhouse or a greenhouse. But, the reality is that most of them grow seedlings in an apartment.

Undoubtedly, it is very difficult to achieve good growth of our young plants in an apartment, but there are certain tricks that will help grow seedlings in such conditions, and also help to avoid mistakes. For your attention, the features that should be observed so that the seedlings are in shape by the time they are planted in the ground.

Growing seedlings at home - preparation

Preparing the soil for seedlings

In order to grow strong seedlings, we need to take care of the right soil. To do this, use a mixture of turf, humus, peat, necessarily lowland, wood shavings, river sand. The ratio of the components depends on what kind of crop we are going to plant.

All elements of this mixture should be left on the balcony for a period of 50 days. The earth must go through two stages of freezing and two stages of defrosting.

If you are going to plant cabbage seeds, then, two weeks before planting, you need to place our potting soil in a dry and warm place. This is necessary in order for beneficial bacteria to resume their vital activity.

If you do not have the necessary components, in order to collect quality soil for seedlings, you can use the offer of gardening shops and buy ready-made soil.

How to choose the right container for planting

In order to select the optimal reservoir, it is worth remembering that good drainage is needed for seedlings. Therefore, holes in the bottom must be made in your boxes or containers. This will allow excess moisture to escape from the soil without harming the plant.

Sowing and growing conditions for seedlings

Comfortable temperature

The most comfortable soil temperature for seeds to start growing is + 25- + 30 degrees. But, even when the temperature of your room is above 20 degrees, there is no guarantee that the temperature in the ground is also high.

For example, for the normal growth of bell pepper seeds, the temperature in the soil should be around 25 degrees plus. But, if your seedlings are in a dark place, there is little sunlight and heat, the difference between the temperature in the room and the temperature in the soil

can be up to 10 degrees. At temperatures below +15 degrees, the seeds of plants that are thermophilic begin to grow poorly, or die altogether.

How to properly prepare seeds before sowing

Now in stores there is a large selection of seeds that are already prepared for planting in the ground, treated for diseases and pathogenic microbes. Growing seedlings from self-collected seeds involves their independent processing.

How to plant the seeds correctly?

You will find detailed instructions on the back of the seed bag. It should be observed for correct sowing. It is very important to plant the plant at the correct depth. After all, if you put the seed too deep in the soil, it will complicate the germination processes.

If you are sowing seeds very densely, be prepared that there will be no even seedlings. In this case, the stems of the plants become very thin and stretch in length. Such seedlings are difficult to move into the ground. Also, such plants often die from diseases, for example, from infection with root rot.

Watering when planting

If you've just sprinkled the seeds in the ground, you don't need to water the ground. This encourages the water to drive the seeds deeper into the soil. The most correct thing would be to pour water into the prepared wells, and when the sowing is done, simply moisten the topsoil through a spray bottle. Watering is carried out with water above room temperature, but not more than +30 degrees.

Optimal watering for seedling growth

Optimal watering for seedlings should be abundant. But, do not flood the plant. This leads to disruption of the root system, the development of diseases that are maintained in high humidity (for example, fungal diseases). But, if watering is poor, this can lead to the death of a young plant.

For watering young shoots, water at room temperature is used, which has settled for a day. The most suitable water is rain or snow melt. When watering with low temperature water, seedlings can slow down their growth.

Lighting

Seedlings are very fond of indirect sunlight, or good artificial lighting lasting 10-12 hours. If there is not enough light, our sprouts begin to reach for the light, are pulled out by a thread. If you have a southern room in your home, this would be a great seedling spot.

But, one such light is not enough. Good artificial light needs to be created. Fluorescent lamps are suitable for this. It is important that the backlight time should be at least 12 hours. If you have just planted seeds, then you need to shine them under the lamps, regardless of which side the windows face.

In order for the quality of lighting to be at its best, you need to make a reflector. A screen is suitable for this, which can be made of foil.

When can I dive?

As soon as the first 3 leaves appear on your young plant, you need to start diving. If the seedlings are transplanted late, the quality will deteriorate. The main thing, after transplanting, is to protect your plant from direct sun.

Hardening when growing seedlings

The main secret of good seedlings is training them. So that our seedlings are not afraid of planting in the ground. When the seedlings are still in the process of growing, they must be replanted 1-2 times.

Change of place of stay

In order for the plants to grow organically. You need to constantly relocate them. As soon as you see that the leaves of plants from neighboring pots begin to contact, you need to change the location. This will help small plants grow stronger, while larger plants will give more energy and growth.

Feeding rules

You need to feed seedlings constantly, once every two weeks. But don't be in a hurry. The beginning of feeding should be no earlier than the period of active growth of the plant. The main feeding options are organic, mineral fertilizers. Most often these are nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers.

How to avoid illness?

Regular watering with Rizoplan medicine will help with this.

Boarding time

It is important not to let the plants overripe on your windowsill. If the plant has grown up, it will be more difficult to survive the transplant.

How to harden correctly?

Before transplanting seedlings into the soil, it must be hardened. It is important to start this process 10 days before planting in the garden. Tempering is understood to mean the presence of seedlings in the open air. The main thing is to gradually increase the hardening time.

Do not moisturize the seedlings before transplanting.

If the plant is a little sluggish, it will be safer for the plant. The chance of breakage of seedlings during transportation will decrease. After the seedlings are transplanted, it must be watered abundantly with water, the water temperature should be around + 25- + 30 degrees.