Step-by-step process of hardening Tomato Seedlings. Enjoy large juicy Tomatoes this year

I always grow tomato seedlings myself. It's a troublesome occupation, but I prefer not to risk it by purchasing incomprehensible seedlings in the market or in the garden center. Growing my own, native tomatoes, I strictly follow agricultural technology and carry out all the necessary measures.

The hardening of seedlings is especially important in our middle zone. Tomatoes are a thermophilic culture, and our summer is unpredictable. Therefore, preparation for planting in the ground begins at the seed stage.

So, everything is in order. Stable, healthy seedlings from weak seeds will not grow, therefore, for a start, I harden the seed.

To do this, I carry out the following manipulations:

1. I take a piece of clean cloth, put it on the bottom of the container and moisten it with water.

2. I distribute the seeds in one layer over the fabric.

3. I cover the seeds with a layer of fabric.

4. I put the container on the windowsill and leave it for 24 hours.

5. Then the seeds are sent to the refrigerator, on the door, too, for 24 hours.

6. The cycle is repeated three times.

I usually begin to harden the seedlings themselves 2.5-3 weeks before disembarkation, when the daytime temperature is +15 and above.

Before starting manipulations, I draw attention to the state of the seedlings, she should have:

· Well-developed root system;

· Strong straight stem;

· Leaves of a rich color, without spots and bloom.

Over the years, the following steps have been developed:

1. I stop watering for 6-7 days. If the turgor of the leaves has dropped significantly, they wilted, then I resume watering earlier, but in small portions.

2. I take out containers with seedlings in the open air. I have a terrace. And I leave it for three hours. The air temperature on the first day of hardening should be at least +150 C.

3. I gradually increase the time the tomatoes are in the fresh air.

4. By the end of the second week, my tomatoes are "free" all day. In addition to temperature, they adapt to sunlight, but still you must protect them from the scorching rays of the midday sun!

5. For the third week, my seedlings are already in the greenhouse. If the nights are warm, then I leave the windows and doors open around the clock.

During hardening, many plants lose some of the leaves, but this does not affect the yield, the foliage recovers very quickly.

It so happens that some bushes "fall out", their percentage is not great, this is how natural selection works. Weak specimens die, which in a greenhouse or in the open field would not give a large harvest.