When sowing tomatoes in containers, the standards of seedling care must be observed. In particular, care must be taken to ensure that developing plants do not exceed certain sizes. The optimum height is about 30 or 40 cm. Seedlings that are overly stretched before transplanting into a greenhouse or soil are distinguished by thin stems from which you can not wait for fruits.

Tomato seedlings have outgrown: what to do

First of all, you need to choose the right place for placing the seedlings, it must be sufficiently lit, without drafts. Thus, a north-facing window may provide less natural light than is required. If you do not provide lighting with a lamp, the bush will outgrow.

Sowing preparation

You need to start preparing by choosing a variety, starting from the growing conditions: greenhouse or soil, northern or southern region. Next, you need to calculate the sowing date. The average period during which tomatoes are at home on the windowsill is two months. The transfer rate to the garden bed is by the end of spring or early summer. Such a calculation of the moment of sowing will help to achieve the required strength of plants for the period when the tomato can be planted in the ground. Moreover, it should not outgrow. The properties of varieties are taken into account:

- tall varieties are sown in early March;
- sowing of greenhouse varieties is carried out in early February, in April the sprouts are transferred to the greenhouse;
-in the middle of March, early maturing (such as cherry) begin their growth.

Seedling

Attention! If you sow tomatoes early, the seedlings can turn out elongated, as well as wither. It is not surprising if such a tomato disappears after transplantation.

Reasons for outgrowing

What to do if the seedlings are overgrown

There are several reasons why tomato bushes can grow very tall as a seedling develops.
- Early sowing.
- Insufficient lighting. For example, cloudy weather or a north window.
- Excessive temperature (above + 25 ° C), hot room.
- Frequent watering, large portions of water.
- Not enough humid air.
- Late transplant. For example, if the night frosts drag on.

If the seedlings have outgrown by the time of planting in the garden, this must be taken into account when planting.

Planting methods for long seedlings in the ground

When deciding how to plant overgrown tomatoes in the ground, you should choose one of the following methods.

Seedling

Tilted landing (almost horizontal)

Tomato seedlings grow poorly what to do

- Dig grooves 10 cm deep.
- Add fertilizers, humus, mixed with soil.
- Fill the furrows with water, wait until it is absorbed.
- Tear off the lower leaves on the bushes, put the tomatoes in the grooves almost horizontally, digging in and leaving the top up to 30 cm. The distance between the tomatoes is maintained at 20 cm. The above-ground part should be strengthened vertically, tied to stakes.
- Sprinkle additionally, mulch with sawdust, hay.

The underground part of such plants, which will lie on the ground, will develop powerful roots, which will make the bush strong and productive.

Attention! The seedlings are watered along the entire length of the groove. But roots close to the surface of the soil can be damaged when loosening, so it is not produced.

Such bushes can be watered less frequently than ordinary ones. Plants planted to a depth of no more than 15 cm can come into contact with microorganisms involved in root nutrition. Below such microflora is absent.Left without water, the plants will try to extract moisture from the soil and grow roots intensively. Tomatoes gain endurance and strength, subsequently producing significant yields even on poor soils.

Cutting off the top of a bush of overgrown seedlings

The method is suitable if 20 days or more are left before transfer to the ground. The upper half is placed in the water until the roots grow back, after which it is transplanted into the garden or greenhouse. The lower part develops lateral ramifications.

Seedling

Deepening

With a slight excess in growth (bush height up to 60 cm), it is buried as follows:

- Dig holes according to the volume of the container in which the seedlings grew before planting.
- Fertilizers and humus are placed at the bottom.
- Pour 5 liters of water.
- Take the bush out of the container, remove the lower leaves. Install the stem in a hole filled with water, leaving a part up to 30 cm above the ground.
- Fill the pit with earth.
- The tomato is tied to a peg.

Overgrown bushes with this method will grow roots in the upper part of the soil. The method is called vertical fit. Tomatoes will soon get stronger, as a result, you can expect a good harvest.

Seedling

How to prevent overgrowth

Seedlings need additional lighting, up to 16 hours daily. It is required to maintain the temperature at a level not higher than 18 ° C, but also not lower than 16 ° C in the room where the seedlings are located. Watering should be moderate, only when necessary. In greenhouse conditions, this is only 1 time per week.

What to do if tomato seedlings are still outgrown? Measures must be taken to slow growth. Reduce watering in volume and frequency, transfer the seedlings to the cool, to the balcony.

Attention! With a pale green color of leaves, plants have a lack of nitrogen. In this case, it is necessary to apply it as part of fertilizers.

Moderate soil moisture, maximum illumination, and a decrease in temperature will help prevent over-stretching of seedlings. Controlling these factors together will help keep the height at the normal level, within 50-60 cm. The plant needs nutrients, for example, urea, special complexes. Monitoring the state of the green part and its changes will help to identify this need, lack of minerals, trace elements and take action.

There is a lot of time before landing on the garden, what should I do?

If there is a lot of time left before planting on the garden bed - more than 2 decades - the bush can be cut in two by placing the top in a container with water to grow roots. After their formation, the tomato is planted in the ground. The lower part, which had to be cut off, will develop a lateral stepson and will also turn into a full-fledged bush. When growing two trunks, the yield will even increase. As a result, additional units of culture will also be obtained.

Tomatoes

Someone eats up tomato seedlings - what to do

This experimental method of shortening is also used when the tomato has produced inflorescences. The cut is made almost at the base, leaving three sheets.

Important! This is not the most favorable way, it can lead to a slowdown in growth and a delay in fruit ripening for 2 weeks compared to non-overgrown specimens. Some also believe that the tops of the heads should not be pinched off before transplanting into the ground.

What to do if the tomato seedlings have outgrown, are there any other ways to correct violations? A simple method is to add soil to the seedling container. It is undertaken if the bushes have grown above the norm before picking (planting in separate containers). This is an effective measure that does not require large costs and labor. You need to carefully take a spoonful of fertile soil and add it to the sprout.

Important! Cotyledon leaves should remain 2 or 3 cm above the ground. The rest is hidden by the ground.

To implement the method of adding soil, containers that are elongated vertically can be used. During and during the picking (planting in separate containers), the overgrown seedling is placed in a plastic bottle with an appropriate diameter with a cut off neck and drainage (holes) in the bottom. Tall plastic glasses are also fine.You can also increase the height of the container by wrapping it in non-toxic material.

There are many simple ways to take action to combat this developmental disability.

Planting tomatoes in a ring

There is another landing option - a ring. Or they make a spiral from a plant, this is a similar method.
- You need to dig a round hole up to 25 cm deep and with the same diameter.
- Place the root ball in the middle.
- The stem is carefully, gradually rounded in the hole.
- Pressing it against the walls, it is brought upward, ensuring the vertical position of the crown above the pit.
- The deepening is covered with earth, the center is compacted, watering is carried out.
- Half an hour after the soil has settled, add more soil flush with the bed.
- Add drugs protecting against diseases, mulch with a layer of up to 5 cm from drying out and overheating.

It is recommended to plant tomatoes in the evening, on cloudy days for better adaptation, turgor (tone of leaves and stems). The landing sites are covered with a net or white material, which can be opened only in the absence of the hot sun. Fertilizers and watering should not be carried away, as this can damage the suction roots that feed the tomato, which will deprive a large part of the early harvest.

It should now be clear how to grow strong and healthy tomato seedlings when the standard height of 50 cm is exceeded. Even if the bushes are elongated, which can deprive them of energy, it is not so difficult to remedy the situation.