Contents
Many gardeners are familiar with different ways of growing seedlings, including very economical and unusual ones. But you always want to experiment and try something new. Today we will talk about growing tomato seedlings in toilet paper, and neither land nor a special substrate is needed.
What is the essence of the method
This technology appeared relatively recently, but has already gained considerable popularity among summer residents. The main secret of the method’s success is its low cost. So, you will need for landing.
- A large glass of plastic (as an option – a cropped plastic bottle);
- Several plastic bags (they can be replaced with scraps of old polyethylene);
- Toilet paper (1 roll).
At the first stage of growing tomato seedlings, soil is not needed. The need for land will appear when picking (with the development of cotyledon leaves).
How it is done
We begin to get used to a new method of germinating seeds for seedlings. The algorithm of actions is as follows.
- Cut the film into strips 100 mm wide. You need enough strips so that all the seeds can be placed in 1 row.
- Lay out the resulting polyethylene strips, lay a paper layer on each of them. If the thickness of the paper is thin, it is better to place it in two layers. Wet it with water.
- Place the seeds on the toilet paper, starting from a point 10 mm from the edge. Lay out the seeds so that the interval between them is 20-30 mm.
- Cover the seeds with a strip of toilet paper, sprinkle it with water. Above – again a polyethylene strip. Now it only remains to roll the resulting tape into a roll.
- Fix the roll with a rubber band, place it in a cup so that the seeds are at the top. Fill the glass with water so that it does not reach the grains. Now our future seedlings are in almost ideal conditions. She will receive oxygen from the air, and toilet paper will absorb water and deliver it to them.
- Place the prepared seeds in a well-lit area. The first shoots can be expected in about 7 days.
Features of care
Care for seeds prepared without soil with this original method of planting is minimal. Fertilizer will be needed when the seedlings hatch. For this reason, soil mixture is not needed. A weak solution of humic acid is suitable as top dressing. The next top dressing will be needed with the advent of the first true leaf. With the formation of two or three true leaves, you can make a pick.
Careful not to damage the roots, unroll the roll and remove the plastic wrap. Plant young seedlings in pots, carefully separating them from the paper and pre-selecting weak plants. Seedlings are clean, not soiled in the ground, so transplanting it is not at all difficult. Further cultivation of tomato seedlings is the same as with all other methods.
Practice shows that the percentage of weak shoots is much smaller than with other methods. Sprouts are less injured and quickly take root. The peculiarity of seedlings grown in this way is that it has short internodes, which favorably affects the yield of tomatoes. For picking, a universal soil mixture is suitable, which is sold in specialized stores.
This method can also be used when growing other crops: pepper, eggplant, cabbage. It is especially preferred for large-seeded vegetables, with a sufficient supply of nutrients.
Longitudinal cultivation
For the method of growing seedlings in a bottle, you will need the same devices as for the “roll”. Just do not cut the plastic bottle horizontally, but cut it lengthwise. Line the bottom of the resulting halves with toilet paper, moisten it with water, put the grains on a paper “mattress”. Cover the seeds with plastic wrap and place the plastic “boats” in a well-lit area. It remains only to wait for the emergence of shoots.
What are the advantages of the method
As already mentioned, seedlings grown on toilet paper take root well, are resistant to diseases (in particular, black leg). It is possible to use the method for seedlings of hybrid tomatoes, the cost of which is far from low. Almost all sprouts survive at the same time by the time of picking. Here are some more benefits.
- Possibility of growing seedlings from expired seeds.
- Easy care, fast growth.
- Minimum space occupied by seedlings. No need for huge boxes on the windowsill.
Disadvantages
- If the plant is too light and heat-loving, it may grow somewhat slowly.
- Stretching stems with insufficient growth of rhizomes.
Of course, there are drawbacks, but all the advantages of the method are appreciated even by novice gardeners who are interested in how to grow seedlings with minimal losses. Seedlings are healthy, with good survival. Subsequently, they tolerate landing in the ground well.
