In today's article we will talk about growing the "right" seedlings, namely strong and healthy, with a developed root system that can withstand unfavorable external factors and is ready for further development, that is, fruit bearing.

To obtain a good harvest in the northern and middle parts of Russia , weather surprises must be taken into account, so many crops should be grown better in seedlings. It is this approach that gives the chance for future vegetables to grow and get on our table.

Since many modern crops are from warm edges, they remain highly sensitive to frost, so any drop in temperature can kill them.

Seeds of thermophilic crops (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, etc.) need development with stable temperature marks - not lower than 20 degrees. We can not maintain this temperature in the open ground, as we live in the field of risky farming, so we are forced to create these conditions artificially - on our own window sill or in the greenhouse.

And immediately there are the following questions: to buy ready-made seedlings or to cultivate it yourself?

To grow seedlings on their own, it will be necessary to accurately calculate the time of sowing, to properly prepare the soil, the substrate for future plants, to choose suitable tanks for the sents, to carefully care for the shoots.

Buy ready-made seedlings is much easier, but here there are questions: what should be the quality seedlings, is there any risk of bringing with it to your dacha site any diseases, how not to be mistaken with the varieties that you decided to grow? Sooner or later all gardeners face these problems. Let's try to consider these issues in more detail.

Growing seedlings

Many gardeners prefer to grow seedlings on their own. And this is quite commendable. Its seedlings get better, unlike the purchased ones, it has more yield, and you do not risk putting any disease with your home seedlings in the garden.

In addition, from the financial point of view, it is profitable to grow seedlings by own hands, because the seeds are cheap, and the soil can be prepared completely free of charge, in advance, since autumn, taking the necessary amount of land in your dacha section.

Getting ready-made seedlings from your hands, you can not determine which sort of 100% you are offered. And you yourself can grow any varieties that you like, fortunately, now in the stores for this an impressive choice is provided.

In addition, the independent cultivation of seedlings - an interesting matter, and sometimes even venturesome, despite all the trouble. Agree, you always want to get the harvest "better than the neighbors".

How to buy good seedlings?

If you still, for some reason, decided to abandon the cultivation of seedlings, then you just need to know how not to be mistaken with its choice when buying.

First of all, pay attention to what the root system of the seedlings looks like - its appearance should not cause you any suspicion.

The slightest allusions to rot, keel or presence of insect pest larvae, any external defects should deter you from purchasing such seedlings. Examine the leaves carefully, the fact is that on the underside of the leaves can hide eggs of aphids, spider mite or other pests.

If the leaves look deformed or wrinkled, they are most likely infected with viruses.

Check for the presence of the leaves on the leaves - the future growth point. If the leaves are unusually bright and at the same time tend to spin down, it is possible that the seedlings were grown with high doses of fertilizers and abundant watering, which affected its attractive appearance, but subsequently adversely affected yields.

In containers with seedlings, there should be no damage or cracks, otherwise the root system of the seedlings will be seriously damaged during transplantation.

Independent growing of seedlings

How to grow seedlings with your own hands - we'll talk about this later. First, we need a good nutrient substrate or soil, - it depends on what our shoots will be and what yield they will bring later.

You can buy soil in the store, but for many gardeners it is expensive, and not always reliable. It is better to stock up the soil in advance by preparing it in your dacha section, and then keeping it on the balcony until the most landings. So, the soil for growing seedlings needs a loose, porous, with a minimum acidity.

If you have a well-groomed plot, you regularly apply fertilizers and loosening materials (sand, mulch, siderates) to the soil, then this is the soil on your beds.

As for feeding, it is undesirable to get involved in fertilizers. If you overdo it with mineral substances, seedlings will develop more slowly and can catch infections. It is better to feed seedlings as they grow, using fertilizers that are soluble in water.

Before sowing seeds, the soil must be decontaminated, regardless of whether it is purchased or prepared independently. For decontamination, you can use the solution of potassium permanganate (per 3g water bucket), it is possible to treat the soil with an antifungal agent, or at least to properly soil the soil, which will help to rid it of the overwhelming number of pests and pathogens.

Planting seedlings

So, the ground has been prepared. Now we need to select containers for future seedlings.

In the store you can buy special peat pots and tablets, micro-pots, plastic boxes. In purchasing containers growing seedlings will look very aesthetically.

But if for you this extra expense, then you can always pick up suitable containers at home. Plastic cups, lids from cakes and even plastic bags - everything will go into business. Now you are ready to grow seedlings on your own.

Pleasant troubles and a successful harvest!