Tomato seedlings stretched out - what should I do?

At times, the hostesses who planted tomato seedlings face the problem of stretching their seedlings. What to do, in cases where tomato seedlings have stretched and what ways can it be prevented-we will tell in detail.

Why are tomato seedlings pulled out?

If the tomato seedlings are stretched, then there is no need to blame the variety and search for justifying explanations, the reason is trivial - the hostess overlooked (or looked over). Many will be surprised: "What could the mistress do?" It turns out - the most important thing. Here are two basic rules for seeding tomatoes not to stretch.

  1. Shine. Nature has thought through all its mechanisms to the smallest nuances. The natural behavior of plants: not enough light - reach for it. Therefore, planting tomatoes in boxes, do not be greedy. Do not try to shove as much as possible into one drawer. Let it be better you will have fewer bush, but they will be healthy and strong. Such seedlings will give much more fruit than sickly stunted sprouts, grown up in cramped conditions. Yes, and agree, it is better to look after 20 bushes that are well-fruitful than 50, giving the same amount of harvest.
  2. Extra care. This can also hurt your seedlings well. After all, if you over-water and fertilize young tomatoes, they will grow up too quickly and start to drag upwards. As a result, there will be a problem with stretching. Remember the main thing: seedlings of tomatoes should be watered only when you see that the earth is dry.

Correcting the situation

How to prevent stretching, you now know. It remains to tell what to do if it did happen.

1 way. When planting seedlings in the ground, it is necessary to cut off the stems. But this does not mean that you need to dig deep holes (the ground below can be still cold and not warmed after winter), it's enough just to learn how to plant "in a slope". First, form grooves depth of 8-10 cm, pour water and wait until it is completely absorbed. After the plants are spread along the furrow in such a way that the top of one bush was not closer to the other tip than at a distance of 50 cm. A little trick: lay the roots to the south, so the plant will straighten, straightening toward the sun.

2 way. The overgrown tomato seedlings can be divided into two parts. To do this, all that is above 5-6 leaves must be cut and put in a jar of water. Approximately a week later on the cut off tops will appear roots. When they reach 1-1.5 cm, you can transplant the resulting seedlings into boxes or pots. This method will allow you to get additional seedlings, the new half of which will be formed into a single stem.

Now let's talk about what to do with the bottom part, from which the pruning was done. Soon, on the circumcised bushes, there will be stepchildren. We give them to grow 5 cm and, leaving only the top two, all the lower cut. Take into account the main thing. Pruning stepsons should be done no earlier and no later than 20-25 days before disembarkation seedlings in the open ground.

3 way. Here we consider the situation when seedlings not only stretched, but also changed their healthy green color to pale green. Both of these signs indicate that your seedlings do not have enough nitrogen. Naturally, it is necessary to feed it. To do this properly, you need to dissolve 1 large spoonful of urea for 10 liters of water and get a good watering sprout with the resulting liquid. Then for a few days, remove the containers with tomatoes in a cool room (8-10 degrees C). As a result of such actions, the seedlings will begin to acquire a good green color and even slightly stall in growth.