How and with what to feed tomato seedlings, then to reap a good harvest

When to Feed Tomato Seedlings

Do not apply fertilizer immediately after planting and germination. Usually at this stage in the soil there is enough of all the substances that plants need. It is better to start top dressing after picking, which is usually carried out after the appearance of at least two or three true leaves. An exception is if you are not sure about the nutritional value of the soil and you are concerned about the appearance of the shoots.

For the entire period of growing seedlings, three or four complex dressings are usually enough. If problems are visible due to the lack of certain substances, it is worth focusing on them.

When seedlings need special nutrition

Important substances for the development of all plants are nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. You can understand that they are not enough by the appearance of tomato seedlings.

It is worth adding fertilizer if the plants look weak and stunted, lag behind in growth after picking. If young tomatoes are strong, with plump stems and healthy green leaves, they already have enough.

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With a lack of nitrogen, the leaves, especially the lower ones, begin to turn yellow evenly. The growth of seedlings is inhibited or completely stopped. If the veins remain green, and the leaves turn yellow starting from the top, the problem may be a lack of iron.

If tomato seedlings suffer from a lack of potassium, a yellow border appears on the leaves, which dries out over time, and the center remains green.

A clear sign of a lack of phosphorus is that the leaves, especially the "old ones", turn purple on the underside, and the stems do not change color.

When you dive seedlings

As we have already said, it is worth diving plants when 2-3 true leaves appear. Do not rush to feed immediately after the procedure. More relevant at this point will be biostimulants that will help tomato seedlings take root better and reduce stress. They can be used before or after picking.

12-14 days after picking, you can proceed to the main top dressing. During this time, the seedlings are already adapting to a new place, and the combination of potassium and phosphorus will benefit her. For example, you can take monopotassium phosphate.

The following top dressings with potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus can be done at an interval of about two weeks.

Before landing in the ground

7-10 days before planting on the beds, in the greenhouse or balcony container, the plants should be fed again. At this stage, universal fertilizers that contain all the useful substances will come in handy. And immediately after disembarkation, biostimulants are needed.

How to feed tomato seedlings

For top dressing, you can use different fertilizers that are applied to the soil. Biostimulants will also come in handy. They will help with stress after picking, contribute to the absorption of nutrients from the soil and increase endurance. Such means can be watered and sprayed.

Complex mineral fertilizers

These fertilizers are industrially created and are complex, because their components do not just mix, but react with each other. They are double, that is, they contain nitrogen and potassium (potassium nitrate), nitrogen and phosphorus (nitroammophosphate, diammonium phosphate, nitrogen phosphate, ammophosphate, ammophos, nitroammophos) or phosphorus and potassium (monopotassium phosphate), as well as triple, in which there are all three substances (ammophoska, diammofoska, nitroammofoska, nitrophoska). In addition to the main components, other useful substances are usually present in complex fertilizers.

The exact composition and proportions of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) are usually listed on the fertilizer packaging.

organic fertilizers

Mullein, bird droppings, biohumus are natural top dressings from natural components, with which seedlings will receive nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, manganese and other elements. Moreover, the ratio of nutrients can vary.

Before use, organic matter must be infused, and then diluted to the desired concentration. This is not always convenient. Especially when you consider the specific smell of mullein and bird droppings. There is no such problem with biohumus.

Mullein and bird droppings are suitable for the second and subsequent dressings, and biohumus is often used for the first.

Fertilizers to fill the deficiency of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus

With a shortage of each of the substances, certain industrial means will help:

• Nitrogen fertilizers for feeding tomato seedlings - ammonia water, ammonium nitrate, carbamide (urea), ammonium sulfate, ammonium sulfate.
• Potassium fertilizers for feeding tomato seedlings - potassium nitrate, potassium magnesia, potassium monophosphate, potassium sulfate, potassium sulfate.
• Phosphate fertilizers for feeding tomato seedlings - ammophos, double superphosphate, diammophos, bone meal, potassium metaphosphate, simple superphosphate, phosphate rock.

Biostimulants

They help plants adapt to stress, grow roots and aerial parts. But by themselves, these funds do not contain useful elements, but only contribute to their absorption and activate the defenses of plants.

Succinic acid, Kornevin, Epin and other agents can be used as biostimulants. In a diluted form, they can be applied to the ground and used for spraying.

How to properly feed tomato seedlings

Choose the right time: it is better to fertilize seedlings in the morning. Water the tomatoes one or two hours before feeding.

Dilute the product strictly according to the instructions and be sure to use gloves. If the dosage on the package is indicated only for adult plants, just halve it.

When applying top dressing to the soil, pour fertilizer under the root. Try not to get on the leaves and stems. If you still get on the above-ground part, carefully spray it with a spray bottle.

When spraying, try to evenly moisten the entire plant.

2-3 hours after top dressing, gently loosen the top layer of soil. With foliar top dressing, this is not necessary, but loosening will only benefit the plants.