Watering tomatoes is an important part of their care and cultivation. Mistakes made during watering can easily lead to fungal diseases, root system failure, and underdeveloped fruits.
Read below to learn how to properly water tomato seedlings on a windowsill after picking and planting.
What should the water be like?
The water temperature should not fall below 20°C or exceed 28°C. It should feel room temperature to the touch. Watering seedlings with cool water will deprive the root system of some oxygen, which will negatively impact their development.
Ideally, use filtered or settled water for watering. Tomatoes prefer acidic soil, so adding a few drops of citric acid (from freshly squeezed lemon, not powdered) to the water is a good idea.
When should you water tomato seedlings for the first time?
Before the “green” seeds appear, you can only spray. Full watering will cause the seeds to come out of the holes, damaging them and reducing the yield.
The first watering of seedlings can be done 2-3 days after all shoots have emerged. However, pay attention to the top layers of soil: if they have dried out, you don't need to follow the above timeframes.
As soon as the first full-fledged leaves appear, water the nightshades as needed. Typically, the soil begins to dry out within 1-2 days. However, don't follow the timeline if you notice the soil has already dried out.
How to prepare seedlings for transplanting and how to water them afterwards?
Almost all varieties of nightshade require transplanting. To transplant the seedlings into separate pots, water the soil thoroughly a few days beforehand and allow it to dry. This will help make the soil more crumbly and make it easier to remove the seedlings from the pot.
After transplanting, it's best not to water the seedlings for about seven days. Seeking moisture, the tomato roots will begin to grow more vigorously and become more robust and resilient. After this time, water as the soil dries out or once or twice a week.
How to prepare seedlings for planting in the ground and how to water them afterwards?
Avoid watering the seedlings for a few days before planting. However, moisten the soil thoroughly a few hours before transplanting. This will help remove the tomato from the pot as smoothly as possible without damaging the root system. If you grew the seedlings in peat pots, you won't need to water them as much.
When planting, ensure the distance between the last leaf and the soil is no more than 1 cm. Then water thoroughly. After a while, loosen the soil. This should be done after each watering.
Next, you can follow these steps:
Stage #1
You can water for the first time only after 10 days.
Stage No. 2
After 15 days, water the soil once a week. Typically, up to 5 liters of water is needed per hole.
Don't forget to fertilize your plants. Nutrients can be added to the soil when you water. Simply add fertilizer (available at a gardening store or using traditional methods) to a bucket of water and mix thoroughly.
Remember to water strictly at the roots. Only a small amount of moisture may reach the leaves. Overwatering can lead to the development of late blight, gray mold, and other fungal diseases.
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Andrey from Podmoskovye
When transplanting seedlings into the ground, never water the pots beforehand. Wet soil will easily crumble when removed from the pot, exposing the roots and often even tearing them off. Only a seedling with a dry root ball will easily emerge from the pot, complete with roots; watering should be done while the seedling is still in the ground.
Olga
That's right, I've checked it myself more than once; it's better to replant unwatered plants!