Why tomato seedlings stretch out, become thin and long, what to do
There are several main reasons why tomato seedlings are thin and long. With this you need to start fighting as early as possible. Elongated seedlings become weak and disease resistance decreases. When the time comes to transplant to a permanent place, it will be difficult to do this, since the tall stem can break and the plant will die.
Problem arising
Healthy seedlings have a strong stem of small stature, dark green saturated color of leaves and a large number of ovaries. If the tomato seedlings are stretched out, then the harvest may not wait or the number of fruits will be significantly reduced.
If the distance between the leaves on the trunk lengthens, then this is a sign of accelerated growth. Why tomato seedlings are pulled out are influenced by the following unfavorable factors:
- excessive moistening of the soil leads to a halt in the development of the root system, and the ground part of the seedling begins to stretch upward strongly;
- insufficient supply of light to the seedlings (the stem becomes high, becomes thinner, and the leaves turn pale);
- very thin seedlings can form if the air is too dry and hot;
- early dates for planting seeds (the optimal dates for planting seeds are considered the 20th of March, when daylight hours are already increasing and daylight is abundantly supplied to the seedlings);
- thin seedlings emerge if the fertilization scheme is not followed, an overabundance of some elements (an excess of fertilizer will lead to the plant not getting stronger, and the leaves will be lethargic and weak);
- sowing seeds at a short distance leads to the fact that the sprouts shade each other, and the roots intertwine (you need to plant seeds at a distance of 5 cm);
- tomato seedlings are pulled out due to a lack of trace elements (the problem can be recognized by the pale green color of the leaves and the sluggish state of the plant).
Another reason that the tomato seedlings are strongly elongated immediately after germination is the incorrect preparatory stage associated with the seeds.
It is necessary to fight so that the tomato seedlings do not stretch. Otherwise, there will be problems with further cultivation. Elongated seedlings begin to form fruits much later than the indicated dates, they do not take root well to new conditions in the open ground or in a greenhouse, and the risk of plant diseases increases.
Additional symptom
If the tomato seedlings are pale and thin, you need to identify the cause and begin action to eliminate it as soon as possible.
In most cases, seedlings can stretch and fade due to a lack of nutrients. Top dressing is applied no more than once every 10 days. You can use organic or mineral fertilizers. A solution based on them can be poured at the very root or sprayed on the leaves.
Fertilizer will make up for the lack of nutritional properties of the soil, strengthen the root system, normalize growth and increase disease resistance. Manure and poultry manure are very popular organic components. Mineral fertilizers include urea, ammonium nitrate, wood ash. You can buy ready-made formulations.
How to feed the seedlings so that they grow healthy? Experienced gardeners recommend applying the first top dressing 10 days after germination: “Water the seedlings with nitrophoska solution. Even better, if you add a composition of mullein, bird droppings with the addition of superphosphate to the soil. "
The second feeding is carried out another 12 days after the previous feeding. An ideal solution would be a solution of wood ash and ammonium nitrate. The last time they are fed 1.5 weeks before transplanting into open ground. You can supplement the seedlings with superphosphate.
If the tomato seedlings are stretching strongly up, you can sprinkle another layer of soil and pinch a couple of the first lower leaves.
Often leaves become pale due to over-watering. At the same time, tomato seedlings are stretched, and the stem becomes thinner.
Correct fit
The sprouts are pulled out due to poor quality seeds or improper processing before planting. You need to buy seeds for seedlings in special stores. Before planting, large and dense seeds are selected. Then the selected planting material is disinfected. This will get rid of any fungi and bacteria that may be on the seed coat.
Many gardeners germinate seeds before planting. For this, the seeds are placed between two layers of a wet towel. You can saturate matter with nutrients. As a result, the seeds germinate faster.
It is necessary to plant seedlings in a permanent place no earlier than 40 days from the moment of sowing the seeds. By this time, the seedlings should be about 25 cm high, the stem should accommodate at least 10 leaves and the presence of inflorescences is mandatory.
All these actions will allow you to grow strong tomato seedlings. It rises amicably, and the stem and roots grow and develop evenly.
What to do when tomato seedlings are thin and long? It is very important to choose the right soil for planting your seeds. There must be a sufficient content of phosphorus and potassium. These elements are responsible for the uniform development of the root system and the ground part of the plant. You can mix the earth with dry chicken droppings. The nitrogen content in the soil should be kept to a minimum.
How to fix the situation if tomato seedlings are stretched out, but it is impossible to change the composition of the soil? You can use ready-made preparations. For example, the drug Athlete or Stop Growth acts as a stimulant and replenishes the deficiency of nutrients in the soil. After adding the drug, the growth of the upper part of the plant stops, the stem thickens and shortens, and the root system gains strength.
Since the duration of the drug is only 7 days, it will be necessary to re-process the seedlings, but no more than three times during the entire period of growing seedlings. Sprout leaves can also be sprayed with a liquid solution.
Action tactics
What should be done if the tomato seedlings are strongly stretched out is an important question. And if it is not solved in time, you can lose your harvest in the future.
The first thing to do is to provide the seedlings with an adequate supply of light, especially on rainy, rainy days. The duration of daylight hours at the end of March already reaches 12 hours, but if the container with seedlings is on the north side, then the light will not be enough. Then you need to use a lamp for additional lighting. It is turned on at a distance of about 45 cm from the seedlings during the day and in the evening.
Sometimes, you may notice that the tomato seedlings are stretched out due to the constant presence of the box on the windowsill in one position. In this case, the sprouts will be inclined to one side.The container with seedlings must be turned daily in different directions to the sunlight.
Watering should be done as the soil dries up, often the need for it arises 1-2 times a week. As soon as the top layer is dry, you can pour the settled water under the root without strong pressure. Do not allow water to enter the leaves.
What should be done so that the sprouted seedlings develop evenly, and there are no problems? It is recommended to monitor the air temperature. Young sprouts feel best at a temperature of 14-16 degrees. At temperatures above this norm, thin tomato seedlings grow upward. You should not keep the seedlings near heating devices, you can take them out to the glazed balcony, provided that it is not cold there.
Immediately after the sprouts sprout and get stronger, the air temperature can be gradually increased to 25 degrees.
Some experienced vegetable growers know what to do if tomato seedlings have extended stems. At the very first stage of the problem, elongated seedlings dive. Pinching the root system stops the growth of the plant for a while, while the stem will thicken.
To prevent the tomatoes from stretching, some gardeners regularly prune the leaves. The plant then needs some time to recover and then it stops growing. However, if the variety is undersized, then pinching is not desirable.
What to do when the stems of tomato seedlings are stretched out, this method is also used. The tip of the long sprout is cut off and placed in a glass of water until the roots appear. As soon as the first roots appear, the sprout is separately planted in the ground.
What should be done if the tomatoes are tonic and long? If there are still many days before planting the plant, many vegetable growers correct the situation by adding new soil. Before the procedure, the soil is not watered for several days. If there is a lot of space in the box, then the tomato stems are wrapped in a spiral, and each curl is sprinkled with soil. The last layer is compacted and poured over with water.
If there is not enough space, then a pick is carried out into more free containers. The stem of the elongated seedlings is not twisted, but simply sprinkled with fresh earth. Each layer of soil must be watered abundantly with plain water.
The sprinkling method will help stop growth, and the deepened part of the stem will soon act as a root.
Preventive actions
Here are some tips on how to prevent pulling tomato seedlings:
- so that the seedlings do not stretch out, it is necessary to provide sufficient lighting on the windowsill, and the light must come from above and from the side;
- after planting the seeds, the container is moved to a place where the air temperature is not less than 25 degrees;
- as soon as most of the shoots appear, the container with the shoots must be moved to a room where the temperature regime is 17 degrees;
- so that the seedlings do not stretch out, water the soil as it dries;
- you need to be careful with dressings, especially nitrogenous ones (the upper leaves twisted inward say about an excess of nitrogen);
- it is better to plant seeds in a box at a distance of 10 cm from each other (dense planting leads to a weak, long, thin stem).
The first 14 days after germination of seedlings, they need a lot of light, do not forget to monitor the humidity and air temperature. In such conditions, the stem will be able to gain strength, become strong, the leaves will be dark green.
After two weeks, to resume growth, the container must be placed in a room where the temperature will be raised to 23 degrees. In such conditions, you need to wait until the plant reaches 25 cm.If the frosts have already receded, and the ground has warmed up, the seedlings are ready for transplanting.
How to water tomato seedlings to prevent rapid growth? To prevent tomato seedlings from stretching, you can use a urea-based solution.Urea is poured with water and the resulting solution is poured over the plants. After that, the box is moved to a cool place where the air temperature is about 11 degrees. As a result, growth will stop, and the leaves will be a rich green hue.
Transplant tricks
If the tomato seedlings are thin and elongated and it was not possible to cope with this until the moment of transplanting into open ground, other measures need to be taken.
Planting of seedlings should be carried out with a deepening of the elongated stems. Use the slope planting method. The hole depth should be normal. If you make it too deep, the roots can freeze.
In the area where tomatoes are supposed to be grown, grooves are made 9 cm deep. The depressions are well watered and wait until the moisture is completely absorbed. The distance between the seedlings should be about 50 cm.
When the seedlings are planted with a slope, it is desirable that the root tip is turned to the south. In this case, the plant adapts faster, straightens up, and gains strength.
If the tomato seedlings are stretched out strongly, then each sprout is divided in half. Three pairs of leaves are counted from the base, and the rest is cut off. The cut off top is placed in a glass of water. Within a week, roots should appear and the plant can be planted in separate pots.
