Time to sow tomatoes and grow seedlings: what to choose and what to know about hybrid varieties | Life

We talked about the subtleties of growing tomatoes with Odeta Rimkevičiene, The founder of Sprout World, who says now is a good time to plant tomatoes and grow sprouts.

– Now it is possible to buy a wide variety of tomato varieties. Tell us, what is the difference between hybrid and breeder tomatoes? Why some growers don’t like hybrid tomatoes?

– Hybrid tomatoes are those in which several varieties are crossed. In such cases, the plant inherits traits from both varieties. Often people like to collect seeds from cultivated tomatoes and sow them next year. I would not recommend doing this with hybrid tomatoes, because it is like a lottery, it is not clear what properties the plant will inherit.

It is a mistake to remove the seeds from store-bought tomatoes, because in this case there is even less information: we do not know anything about the variety, such as tall or dwarf, and the harvest can be poor, the cultivated tomatoes can be tasteless, juicy , hard and so on.

When it comes to growing tomatoes, the latter tend to outperform hybrids because they taste better. True, hybrids grow to the same size, and here the varieties can be very different, weighing 100 and 250 g. I would add that hybrids are more fertile, more resistant to various diseases, pests, temperature fluctuations, the fruit is of good quality.

Sometimes people make the big mistake of using tomato seedlings to land from their compost or just from the field.

For starters, I would recommend starting with hybrid tomatoes because they are easier to grow. However, you will never make a mistake when growing hybrid and breeder tomatoes, so you can choose the ones you like best in the future.

– And where to start growing? Better to sow or buy seedlings?

– It is a personal decision of one person – some do not want to bother with the seeds, for others it is a real pleasure to germinate tomatoes. If you want to germinate, you need to choose the desired variety and sow. Based on our experience, we found that people like tall and dwarf tomatoes, but the latter are a bit easier to care for, for example, they don’t need to be peeled as much as tall ones, so dwarfs may be more suitable for beginners. .

When sowing tomatoes, choose the right soil for them. Sometimes people make the big mistake of using tomato seedlings to land from their compost or just from the field. Care should be taken, because there may be various diseases, pests, because of which the seedling can suffer, get sick.

It is better to sow tomatoes in the nursery in fine fraction peat, later, when transplanting into larger containers, it is already possible to use larger fraction peat. By transplanting in this way, we will help the seedling to form a stronger root, so it is better not to rush to sow into large containers immediately; in this way, the tomato seedlings can be stretched further.

– How to properly water tomato seedlings?

– The most important thing is not to over water, because the tomato seedlings do not yet have a strong root, so the soil can remain wet and the seedling itself will start to rot, especially if it is sown early, there is not much light solar and still hot. Before watering, check the soil in the seedling pot and do not overdo it.

– Should the seedlings be fertilized?

– After sowing in the nursery, do not rush to fertilize, later, when transplanting to a larger container, you can fertilize with complex organic fertilizers, but, as I said, the seedling must have already grown enough.

– When can the seedlings be transplanted to the field or the greenhouse?

– There is no exact date: every year we take into account the weather, frost, temperature and then decide when to move the tomatoes to a greenhouse or open field. This time is usually in the middle of May and the end of May.

The advice is simple: do not rush, it is better to wait for the right time when you can plant the seedlings and keep them in moderation, both when fertilizing and when watering. These simple rules are very useful for those who want to get solid shoots.