What if the tomato seedlings are stretched out and outgrown?

Growing tomatoes is a painstaking process. The first important task is to choose seeds of a suitable variety. The next step is to guess when to plant them, so that the seedlings grow stronger by the date you need. This point is especially important: young plants should be ready for planting in the ground, but not grow into large bushes. On average, tomatoes should be kept at home for about 2 months. If you plan to plant them in a greenhouse, the length of stay at home can be reduced to one and a half months.

When transplanting plants into open ground, it is important that the soil is not too cold and that there is no risk of night frost at all. Tomato seedlings are afraid of low temperatures. Wanting to grow strong, ready-to-transplant tomatoes, many gardeners are waiting for the moment when the seedlings turn into full-fledged adult bushes. And some plants may even bloom. If you've delayed your transplant for a bit, all is not lost. There are ways to plant "overgrown" without the risk of ruining future crops.

Preparing for planting seedlings

It is important not only to observe the technology of growing tomatoes, but also to properly prepare for this process.

1. Choosing a variety of tomatoes. Some varieties are suitable exclusively for greenhouse planting. Some tomatoes are earlier, so they need to be planted earlier and, accordingly, transplanted into the ground earlier.
2. Preparation of inventory: purchase of the required number of pots or special cups, fertilized soil for active growth of seedlings.
3. Timing of planting seeds correctly. It depends on the date when it happens planting seedlings in open ground or a greenhouse.

When to sow tomato seeds?

The hardened seedlings are transplanted into the ground in late spring or early summer. It depends on the climatic conditions in your area, on the variety of tomatoes and the weather forecast for the spring-summer (summer season). The date of sowing depends on the date of planting in open ground or in a greenhouse. If you do this too early, by the time of planting, the plant will stretch, wither, and after transplanting it may disappear.

1. Tall varieties of tomatoes are sown in early March.
2. It is advisable to sow greenhouse tomato varieties in early February so that they can be planted in the greenhouse in April.
3. Early ripe tomato varieties are sown in mid-March (from 10 to 16).
4. The planting deadline is the first week of April. At this time, you need to plant cherry tomatoes.

If you choose the correct planting date, the seedlings will not be overgrown or immature at the time of planting in open ground or greenhouse.

If the plant height is up to 50 cm

The normal height of a plant ready for transplanting is 30-40 cm. Low-growing varieties of tomatoes can be planted when the seedlings have reached 25 cm in height. Slightly overgrown seedlings (40-50 cm) are planted in regular holes. Many gardeners dig deeper pits, believing that the tomato root system needs more room to develop. This will indeed provoke the growth of new roots, but will lead to shedding of foliage and ovaries. The depth of the hole is about 10 cm.

In each hole, you need to make an additional depression the size of a glass, in which tomatoes grow. If tomato seedlings are planted in special cups for planting, do not remove the plants from them. Roots are removed from ordinary plastic pots along with the soil. Fill the wells generously with water. Roots with soil must be planted in a separate recess at the bottom of the hole. It is very important not to bury the holes right away. You need to give the plant two weeks for it to take root. If you immediately cover the holes with earth, the tomato seedlings will disappear.After filling the holes, place sticks next to the bushes and tie up the tomato bushes.

Advice

Use only settled water.

If the growth of the plant is from 50 cm and above

If the bush has grown almost a meter, planting will be done in a slightly different way. Instead of deep holes, you need to dig furrows about 30 cm long. The depth of the furrows is 10 cm. Before planting, be sure to fill the furrows with settled water. Severely overgrown tomato bushes must be planted in a special way. This should be done in a "lying" way.

The root system of the tomatoes is removed from the pot together with the soil. The roots and part of the stem fit into a dug oblong hole. 30 cm of the green part of the plant should remain on the surface. The foliage on the rest of the bush must be torn off. The stem in the hole must be attached. This can be done with aluminum wire. The roots and the excess part of the stem of the tomatoes are covered with earth. The aerial part of the tomatoes must be lifted and attached to the installed support so that it stands upright.

Planting tomatoes this way is unusual. When watering, it is not enough to fill only the root zone; do not forget to water the soil along the entire furrow. Remember that the root system is shallow. Weeding can damage tomato roots. For better moisture retention and stable temperature, the earth must be mulched. Mulch can be made from sawdust or hay.

Pruning

Pruning is an experimental way to shorten an overgrown plant. Few gardeners decide on such a move. It is believed that before planting in the ground or in a greenhouse, the plant should not be pinched and pruned. However, some experts argue that pruning is a sure way not only to shorten the "giant" and win about two weeks of overexposure of seedlings, but also to increase the amount of future crops. If you decide to take such a step, it is important to carry out the procedure correctly.

Pruning is done if the bush has released inflorescences. For this, the stem is cut off almost at the base. You need to leave only 3 bottom sheets.

Plus the procedure: not one, but two new trunks will form in the place of the cut. This increases the yield.

Minus of the procedure: when greens grow, the plant will need a lot of nutrients. Getting them out of a small glass is problematic.

In order not to destroy the growing seedlings, there are three ways out of the situation.

1. You need to plant it in large cups with prepared fertilized soil.
2. It is necessary to introduce nutrients and minerals artificially. There are special seedling feed... Take a closer look at the plant. It indicates a shortage of certain substances. The shape or color of the leaves may change.
3. Attach a cardboard screen to the old glass and add new soil to the container.

Some gardeners use the pruning method, others believe that it is necessary to plant an untouched plant. You can try this method on parts of overgrown seedlings. All proposed options are suitable for planting in a greenhouse and open field. Do not worry if it seems that the seedlings are too elongated and managed to release inflorescences. The planted bushes can give a rich harvest.