How to plant and grow tomatoes in peat tablets

Planting tomatoes in peat tablets is a great way to grow seedlings without picking them up. Sprouts transplanted without damaging the root system begin to bear fruit 1-2 weeks earlier than usual.

Peat washers are a ready-made soil substrate with a balanced content of nutrients. They appeared in our country relatively recently, but have already gained considerable popularity among gardeners and summer residents due to their convenience and ease of use. In addition, with this method of cultivation, high plant survival.

Benefits of peat tablets

The peat tablet is a gray-black disc of pressed peat of various sizes: from 2 to 7 cm in diameter and 1-1.5 cm in height.

In addition to peat, it can contain additional nutrients necessary for seed germination and active growth of shoots in the first weeks of growing, as well as fungicides and antibacterial drugs. For planting tomatoes, peppers or eggplant tablets, you can choose the appropriate size and filling.

Peat is used either horse peat or composition peat. Peat discs are packed in a protective net or foil that can decompose in the soil. Protection is necessary in order to maintain their shape when soaked. Therefore, after contact with water, pelleted peat increases in height, but in width remains unchanged.

Growing tomato seedlings in peat tablets saves gardeners and gardeners from unnecessary trouble. The method allows you to save space in a greenhouse, greenhouse or on a windowsill. In addition, this method of germinating seedlings has other advantages:

1. Due to the friability of peat, it is gentle on delicate roots.
2. The high percentage of germination and survival of plants allows you to get seedlings from expensive or rare seed material without loss.
3. Tableted soil absorbs a limited amount of moisture, so in such a substrate you just need to maintain optimal moisture content.
4. Peat itself is an organic fertilizer, so there is no need for additional feeding at the initial stage of germination.
5. The porosity of the substrate ensures good aeration of the plant root system and protects it from decay.
6. The sprouts are transplanted into open ground together with the tablet, which facilitates the process and allows you to preserve the roots of the shoots.
7. The use of a peat substrate protects the plant from damage by diseases such as black leg.
8. The use of a tablet form allows you to group seedlings depending on the stage of development.
9. A large selection of sizes allows you to choose the optimal one for each crop. So, for growing tomatoes, peppers and eggplant in tablets are suitable products 3.5-5 cm in diameter.
10. The tabletted substrate in dry form is stored without loss of quality for many years.

There are no restrictions on the use of this substrate. This method is especially good for thermophilic and poorly emerging varieties.

At the same time, the cultivation technology differs little from traditional methods. It is important not to allow peat to dry out. The main disadvantage of tablets is their cost. Growing large numbers of seedlings in this way may not be cost effective.

How to choose the right one?

Since tomatoes are large plants with a rather long growing season, they need tablets of a sufficiently large diameter (at least 3.5 cm). You can combine peat pots and tablets. In this case, you can use only half of the disc or, if the plant has grown quite large, place the tablet in a large pot.

When choosing pots and tablets from peat, it is important to pay attention to the structure of the peat mixture. It should be fairly loose, fine and soft. This contributes to better aeration of the root system and water absorption of the tablet itself.

An important factor is the acidity of the substrate. This indicator is often indicated on the packaging, since different crops require a different reaction of the environment. Since tomatoes prefer neutral soils, and grow poorly on acidic soils, the soil for them should have a pH of 6-6.5.

The optimal size of tablets for tomatoes is 3.6—4 cm. After swelling, their height will increase from 1.5 to 36 and 38 cm, respectively. The tabletted substrate should be large enough to last until the end of growing the seedlings.

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It is important that the discs have a protective cover. It can be mesh, film, or paper impregnated with fungicides or other substances. Although uncoated tablets are cheaper, they cannot be kept in shape and must be placed in a pot. Together, pots and pills are even more expensive.

There are different ways to grow seedlings. Based on this, you can choose tablets placed in miniature greenhouses with a different number of washers or without them, in packages.

You can buy peat washers in specialty stores, hypermarkets or on the Internet.

How to use?

Tomatoes in peat tablets are grown in different ways - in mini-greenhouses, pallets, cassettes.

Washers must be prepared before sowing seeds. First of all, they are saturated with water. To do this, the tablets are soaked in a container with warm water for 15-20 minutes. During this time, they will increase in height by 5-8 times, but the diameter will remain the same.

Several crystals of potassium permanganate can be added to the water for additional disinfection and enrichment with potassium substrate. Thereafter, the substrate is placed on a flat surface with the opening facing up.

To place the tablets in advance, you must prepare a mini-greenhouse or container with or without a transparent lid. The cover helps to preserve moisture and the required temperature in peat before emergence.

The tablets are stacked in such a way that there is no free space between them. This will ensure the sustainability of both themselves and future seedlings. You can place each washer in a separate container. In a separate cup, the seedlings are more mobile - they are easier to transport and move if necessary.

In addition, tall cups are used to grow seedlings of tall varieties of tomatoes. In this case, uncoated tablets can be used. A sponge-like material can be placed at the bottom of the pan to help control the moisture content of the substrate.

The container should be high enough (about 10 cm high) so that the swollen washers and sprout are held securely.You can put the tablets in special cassettes with individual cups of at least 0.5 ml. In such a container, the seedlings will be securely fixed.

Planting seeds in a tablet

There are a few simple rules on how to use and how to use peat seedlings.

The seeds must first be prepared. This can be done in different ways:

1. The seed is soaked for 1-2 days in a mixture of agave juice and water in a 1: 1 ratio. This will increase the resistance of seedlings to adverse environmental conditions and many diseases, and increase productivity.
2. The seed is soaked for 24 hours in a 0.5% baking soda solution. This promotes early fruiting.
3. The seeds are soaked for 2 hours in water with the addition of stimulants to accelerate germination.
4. Seed material can be placed in a low-borne potassium permanganate solution for 20 minutes. Seeds are pre-wrapped in gauze or bandage.

1-2 seeds are placed in each tablet and deepened with a toothpick by 1.5 cm. After placing in the substrate, the coated seeds are additionally moistened with a pipette, and the shell is smeared with a toothpick to facilitate germination.

Cover the top with a lid or foil. Tomatoes sown in this way quickly develop a root system that is strong and well-branched.

Optimal conditions for growing seedlings

Seeds sprout 5-10 days after they are sown, tomatoes need to be sown 55-65 days before planting in open ground. Depending on the region, this could be the end of February or the beginning of March. The container with tablets is placed in a bright, warm place. An east and west window will work well. The optimum temperature for seedlings is + 25 ... + 30 ºС.

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Caring for seedlings consists in regular watering, feeding, airing and lighting. It is necessary to regularly open the container for ventilation - at least once a day for 60 minutes.

A sign that the plants need ventilation is the appearance of condensation on the lid. After pecking the seedlings, the cover is removed altogether. If the window sill is cold, the greenhouse is placed on a thick foam layer and closed from drafts.

Seedling maintenance includes providing good lighting. If there is not enough natural light, phytolamps can be installed. The first 2-3 days after the appearance of the loops, the seedlings are illuminated around the clock, and then they switch to 16-hour daylight hours.

Top dressing is applied 2-3 weeks after the emergence of sprouts, dissolving the fertilizer in water for irrigation. Until then, the pill has enough of its own nutrients. And from this time on, fertilizers are applied every 10-14 days.

To do this, you can use a nitrophoska (1 tbsp. L. Per 10 liters of water), pouring 0.5 cups of solution under each plant. Mineral fertilizers alternate with organic ones. 10 days before planting in the ground, seedlings are watered with superphosphate.

With this method of growing, seedlings do not need a pick, but if necessary, each tablet can be placed in a separate container with a larger volume. In the case of germination of both seeds, one of the weaker sprouts is removed.

Watering rules for peat tablets

When growing tomatoes in peat tablets, constantly monitor the humidity. It is easier to do this before germination thanks to the lid. The features of growing seedlings in the future are constant moisture. Even short-term drying of the substrate leads to the death of crops.

The container with the tablets must have drainage holes. It is placed in a special tray. Planted tomatoes can be watered in 2 ways: through the pallet or by spraying. Before the emergence of shoots, it is better to moisten the substrate with an aerosol. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the small sprouts.

After germination, it is more convenient to water the seedlings through a tray, where water is poured.Loose peat, due to its capillary structure and high water permeability, absorbs as much moisture as needed. The excess water must be drained. Adult seedlings can be sprayed 1-2 times a day.

Growing seedlings in large quantities has its own characteristics. In this case, drip irrigation is practiced.

First achievements

After emergence, you need to monitor the roots. After the appearance of the root from the bottom of the tablet, it is pruned. The washer itself is notched in 2-4 places and placed in a larger container or seedlings are planted in open ground.

If the plants develop unevenly, the tableted substrate is changed places or transferred to a more suitable place. For example, ready-made plants are taken out into the open air for hardening.

Flower brushes appear in the sprouts 1.5 months after the emergence of shoots. 10 days after that, they are planted in open ground. The first flower brush can be removed by stitching off the transplant for a week.

Good quality seedlings should have thick stems, large leaves and a well-developed root system.

Secrets of experienced summer residents

A common mistake gardeners make is growing seedlings on an improperly composed substrate. The use of pelleted peat eliminates this problem. Washers are convenient to use when growing seedlings both for open ground and for greenhouses.

In order for the seedlings to develop before planting, they must be sown no later than March 25th. Before being immersed in the substrate, seeds are kept on wet gauze for 5 days to accelerate germination. Another secret - after the emergence of seedlings, you need to lower the temperature to +16 ºС for hardening.

Some gardeners remove the protective coating from the tablets. This is not necessary, since the planted tomatoes are capable of breaking through the roots through the shell.

Video: how to use peat tablets

On the Internet, you can find videos of master classes on growing seedlings of tomatoes and other vegetable crops using peat washers with all the secrets and features.