Every vegetable grower wants to get rich crops of tomatoes on his plot. The key to a good result is strong healthy seedlings. The Chinese method of growing tomato seedlings is aimed at obtaining viable, disease-resistant planting material. In China, the method has been used for many years, but in Russia it appeared quite recently and immediately won the love of summer residents.
Benefits of the Chinese Method of Growing Tomato Seedlings
The technology of cultivating tomato seedlings by the Chinese method differs from the generally accepted standards for growing tomatoes. The philosophy of this direction is aimed at obtaining the most healthy, strong seedlings that give large yields. The method has a number of advantages:
- planting material manages to develop a thick powerful stem by the time of disembarkation;
- the period of planting seedlings in a permanent place is reduced by one and a half months;
- almost all young plants take root well;
- the height of an adult tomato bush decreases, which gives it the opportunity to give all its strength to the formation of fruits, and not to build up green biomass;
- bushes get sick much less, and late blight practically disappears;
- give early harvests;
- the lower fruit clusters are formed at a height of 20-25 cm from the ground, which makes it possible to increase the yield (sometimes by 1,5 times), since the number of ovaries on the plant increases.
The method is designed for growing tall tomatoes. On low-growing varieties, the benefits are not so obvious.
Preparing the soil for sowing seeds
For planting seeds, you can buy soil enriched with peat with a neutral reaction in the store. If this is not possible, they take fertile garden land. The soil must be disinfected to prevent infection of seedlings with diseases.
The substrate can be shed with a hot solution of potassium permanganate of a rich pink, but not very dark color. If this is not possible, bake in the oven or oven. The use of soil with humus or manure is excluded, they may contain putrefactive bacteria that contribute to the spread of diseases.
Features of preparing seeds for sowing
Large thick seeds are selected for sowing. They look so that they do not have mold, black dots, defects. Seeds are wrapped in cloth or gauze and soaked in the following solutions:
- First, they are placed for 3-5 hours in a solution of wood ash. Method of preparation: fine ash (1 tablespoons) is diluted in 2 liter of boiled water and infused for 2 days.
- Disinfected in 1% potassium permanganate solution for 20 minutes.
- Placed for a day in Gumat, Zircon or other biostimulant to enhance immunity.
The next step is stratification. Seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in the refrigerator for a day to harden and accelerate germination.
Seed sowing
At the bottom of the box for planting seeds, medium-sized stones or expanded clay are poured with a layer of 2-3 cm as drainage. The rest is covered with nutrient soil.
Sowing is carried out according to the lunar calendar on the waning moon in the zodiac sign Scorpio. The Chinese believe that planting at this time helps the bushes to form strong roots in the future, making them strong and strong.
Grooves are made in the soil 4 cm apart. Seeds are sown at a distance of 2 cm and sprinkled on top with a thin layer of soil. The soil is moistened with water from a sprayer. The box is covered on top with transparent glass or film.
Before the appearance of sprouts, crops are placed in a warm place near a heater or battery. With the advent of the first shoots, the glass or film is removed and the sprouts are transferred to a well-lit place. The length of daylight hours should be at least 12-13 hours so that the tomatoes do not stretch.
As soon as the seeds have sprouted, the plants begin to harden off, taking them out at night to a cool place.
The technology of picking seedlings by the Chinese method
A young tomato forms new roots very easily. There are small tubercles on the stem, from which, upon contact with the nutrient medium, they appear. The Chinese took this feature of tomatoes as a basis for picking seedlings.
Transplantation of seedlings is carried out a month after sowing the seeds with the appearance of 4 true leaves at the sprouts. The procedure is again carried out when the Moon is in Scorpio. The sprout is cut off at the base with scissors.
This is done so that particles of soil do not remain on the stem and pathogens do not get into the new container with them. Tomatoes are rooted in one of two ways.
- The cut sprout is dived into seedling cups filled with soil with a neutral reaction.
Tomatoes are deepened to cotyledon leaves. After watering the seedlings, they are covered with transparent polyethylene and placed for 3-5 days in a cool dark room. Then remove the film and put in a bright place.
- Put in a container with ordinary water for 5-7 days in a cool shaded place and wait until the roots appear.
Then they are planted in cups with earth, watered, and put in the shade for 2-3 days so that the roots get stronger. Then put in a bright place and watered at the rate of 100 ml of soil 1 tbsp. l. water.
Transplanting tomato seedlings to a permanent place
The time of transplanting seedlings to a permanent place depends on climatic conditions and weather. The Chinese method is used to grow seedlings for planting in open ground, in greenhouses and on a balcony (suitable for varieties with a compact root system).
In a temperate climate, seedlings are planted in a heated greenhouse as early as March, in an unheated greenhouse and on glazed balconies from about the end of April to mid-May. Outdoors as soon as danger of frost has passed. At the time of planting, tomatoes differ from bushes grown in the traditional way, with a strong appearance and lower height.
The planting method is the same as for conventional seedling cultivation. Plant care includes the following activities.
- Top dressing. The first top dressing is done 1,5-2 weeks after landing in a permanent place, the next – when 2-3 flower brushes are formed.
- Water the tomatoes with plenty of water at the rate of 15 liters per 1 m2 about once every 5 days on sunny days and once a week when overcast. Make sure that the earth does not dry out. If there is enough moisture in the soil, watering is not done.
- After watering, the topsoil is loosened so that a crust does not form, and the roots can breathe.
- Seedlings growing on a balcony or in a greenhouse must be ventilated during the flowering period. Wind and insects will help better pollination of flowers.
The first top dressing is done 1,5-2 weeks after landing in a permanent place, the next – when 2-3 flower brushes are formed.
Bushes need to loosen, water, stepchild and properly form plants in time.
In the video, the author shows how tomato seedlings planted according to the Chinese method grow, gives some recommendations.
Chinese method of forming tomato bushes
When growing tomatoes according to Chinese technology, the formation of a bush is carried out as follows.
- seedlings of indeterminate varieties are formed into 2 stems;
- during the formation of the bushes, the lower fruit brushes are left, the extra side stems are removed in the upper part of the plant;
- no more than 6 brushes are left on the bush to avoid depletion of the tomato.
Tips for Growing Tomatoes the Chinese Way
The Chinese method of growing tomato seedlings has its own subtleties. In order for seedlings to grow strong, unpretentious and set a lot of fruits, you should adhere to the following tips:
- Seeds are sown in the ground as soon as they are taken out of the refrigerator, preventing them from heating up.
- Holes should be made in the bottom of the seedling cups to ensure good drainage and outflow of excess water.
- It is possible to increase the length of daylight hours for seedlings, including phytolamps.
- When forming a bush, stepchildren are not cut off, but broken off to the side. This helps to avoid contracting viral infections. The procedure is carried out carefully, so that the juice does not get on the fingers, and then on neighboring plants.
- Stepchildren are not broken out under the main trunk, but leaving a “column” of 2-3 cm.
- Sometimes flowers begin to crumble on the culture. This is due to low temperatures or due to insufficient watering. To stop shedding, tomatoes are sprayed with a solution of boron based on 10 liters of water 1 tsp. Liquid consumption 1 liter per 1 sq. m.
The Chinese method of growing tomato seedlings at the initial stage requires a little more labor than the usual method of growing. However, the effort spent is justified.
In greenhouses, the first fruits can be obtained a month earlier than with the traditional method. Tomato bushes grown according to Chinese technology are strong, hardy, almost do not get sick and give stable high yields.
