Top 5 Main Rules for Growing Strong Seedlings 0 10

Not Every Soil is Suitable

Not every soil is suitable for seedlings. You can prepare the soil yourself in the fall by mixing garden soil with compost. If buying, it’s better to purchase from trusted places.

Soil should be stored in a cold place, such as on a balcony, so that it freezes and kills off fungi and some pests.

However, the method of “baking” the soil before planting is not recommended by botanists — high temperatures kill beneficial microflora.

Should Seeds Be Soaked?

Before planting, the scientist recommends soaking seeds — water helps soften the shell and stimulates germination. You can use regular water, as well as aloe or kalanchoe juice. Various growth stimulators and even a manganese solution, which has a disinfecting effect, can also be used.

Soaking can also be used to check seed viability.

“Place the seeds on a damp paper towel on a plate and put all of this in a bag. Quality seeds will sprout within a few days. Then, they can be carefully placed in the soil using tweezers or a toothpick,” explains the professor.

You don’t need to plant too deeply — for large seeds, half a centimeter is enough, while small seeds can simply be laid on the surface and covered with soil. It’s better to water them initially with a spray bottle to avoid washing away the soil.

Light, Humidity, Heat

Seedlings need good light. However, sunlight is often insufficient, so the professor recommends using phytolamps. They can be sodium, induction, LED, or fluorescent — you can choose according to your preference.

Plants also love humidity. Residents of high-rise buildings are less fortunate than homeowners: the air in apartments is usually dry, which is bad for seedlings. But there is a solution — cover them with film.

“But it is essential to ventilate periodically to prevent mold from forming under the film. Mold can also appear from excessive watering, and this can lead to ‘damping off’ — a disease caused by fungi. It’s better to let the seedlings dry out than to overwater them.”

The botanist recommends letting the water for irrigation stand beforehand so that substances added to tap water for disinfection in spring settle.

Another important point is temperature. When the sprouts appear, you can move the seedlings to the windowsill, placing several layers of newspaper under the boxes for insulation. If you decide to ventilate the room, the seedlings should be removed from the windowsill or covered — the fact is that plants can also “catch a cold” and die.

Optimal conditions close to natural ones are necessary for the growth of seedlings.

Proper Transplanting

The end of March is the most suitable time for transplanting tomato and pepper seedlings. Transplanting is the process of moving plants from a common container into separate pots or spacious containers. This procedure stimulates the development of lateral roots, slows down growth, preventing the seedlings from stretching too early, and provides more nutrition and light. However, even experienced gardeners do not always perform this process correctly.

“To ensure that the transplanting is beneficial and the plants take root better, it’s good to use root formation stimulators — special preparations containing growth hormones that are used for dusting cuts or watering at the root,” advises the specialist. “In the case of seedlings, such preparations can be used as a solution for watering at the root. Generally, root formation stimulators are most often used for cuttings — in such cases, the cuttings are dipped in powder.”

Sometimes seedlings stretch too early, especially if they are in the shade. If it’s still too early to plant them, you can simply pinch off the grown tops, place them in water, and then plant them in the soil. This way, you can get two from one bush.