How to properly prepare the soil for seedlings. Simple and effective ways to self-prepare the soil for tomato seedlings

By choosing a place for planting tomatoes, properly preparing seedlings and organizing high-quality care for sprouts, you can get a healthy harvest that will bring the desired profit. Moreover, the farmer will be able not only to earn, but also to provide personal needs with products!

Tomato is one of the favorite vegetables, which is especially common in Russia. Tomatoes have received well-deserved recognition not only for their rich taste, but also for their ability to be useful in canned form. Tomato paste, salted and pickled tomatoes are a traditional dish on the table in any family. What is a feast without salted tomatoes?

Tomato traditionally participates in many dishes that are firmly rooted in our menu. One of the most important, namely Russian borsch, is not possible without tomato paste. To stew meat and vegetables without fresh tomatoes or pasta, many housewives do not even know how. Yes, and for many nations, tomatoes are the main dish, as raw, dried, stewed, pickled or salted. The field of application in cooking is huge: excellent juice is obtained from tomatoes, thick pastes are made, which are perfectly stored in canned form and are available. all year round, tomatoes canned whole or in the form of salads, they are frozen and dried. The only thing that cannot be done with tomatoes is to keep them fresh for a long time. Like any vegetable, a tomato is not suitable for long-term storage, only processing.

1. Determine the type of soil.

Tomatoes are extremely demanding on the soil. Sandy loams with abundant addition of organic fertilizers are perfect for growing. Heavy soils, as well as cold and wet ones, are categorically not suitable. Excessive acidity also harms this vegetable. One of the most important factors in which tomatoes will not grow is cold. Everything else can be corrected by new and classic agricultural technologies.

1. Properly prepare seedlings.

Tomatoes are planted in open ground in the form of seedlings. Seedlings are obtained from seeds. The seedling preparation process will be described below.

1. Proper care.

During growth and ripening, tomatoes require attention. To get large and juicy fruits, it is necessary to take care of the crop - weed, remove weeds, loosen the ground in the beds and water regularly.

The first thing a gardener needs to do in early spring is to plant seedlings. Of course, it can be purchased, but a true gardener will grow seedlings personally. He himself will select a variety or use seeds from a previous crop. How to prepare the soil for planting tomato seeds? First, land for seeds can be bought at a specialized store. Such soil will already be prepared - it will contain all the necessary substances. Then it will be enough just to divide the land into containers and plant seeds in them. They plant seeds for future seedlings at the very beginning of spring, choosing the brightest place in the house - window sills on the sunny side. Often they mount special lamps over seedlings, then the choice of a place is not fundamental, although there is still one thing - this place should not be cold and there should be no drafts. The ideal temperature for seedlings is 20-24 degrees.

Remember that the future harvest depends on the quality of seeds and, accordingly, seedlings!

Seed preparation for seedlings

Seeds are prepared several days before planting - they are immersed in water and everything that has surfaced is removed. A quality seed will remain at the bottom. The water is drained along with the garbage, and the remaining seeds must be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate:

• make a solution of potassium permanganate to get a thick purple hue.
• dip the seeds in the resulting solution for 25 minutes.
• after disinfection, the seeds are soaked in ordinary water until they swell, for about 10 hours.

When the planting material is ready, it is planted in the ground for two or three seeds. Planting containers can be bought, for example, small peat pots, which are then planted in open ground. You can use disposable cups or cut the bottoms plastic bottles. Here the fantasy of gardeners is not limited by anything.

It is necessary to plant to a depth of one centimeter, not deeper, otherwise the seed may not break through. During the growth of seedlings, it is necessary to ensure that the plant does not dry out, but is not flooded with water. It is ideal to water by spraying moisture to maintain uniformity.

As soon as the seeds rise to about a height of 5-7 centimeters, they need to be planted or simply thinned out. It is necessary to carefully consider the seedlings, remove unhealthy plants, and plant the necessary ones again one at a time. This process is called picking.

Preparing the soil for planting seedlings

The process of preparing soil for planting tomato seeds is different from the process of preparing open ground. In the first case, it is enough to buy a few kilograms of finished land in the store. But the plot itself for growing must be prepared carefully and in two stages:

• prepare the soil in autumn.
• prepare the soil in spring.

In autumn, after harvesting, the land is carefully removed from the remains of plants and debris. Then it is dug up by a deep method, to a depth of 20-25 centimeters with the layer being thrown over. If the soil is noticeably heavy, then it is necessary to add sand at this time - 1 bucket per bucket. square meter. You should get a fairly light and fertile soil.

Increased acidity is "treated" with lime in the amount of half a kilogram per square meter. Soil liming is done at the time of digging.

In autumn, organic fertilizers are also laid - manure, compost or humus. The cultivated soil is left in this form for the winter - frosts will have to destroy all pathogenic bacteria from the surface of the earth, and fertilizers will be able to soak evenly into the soil during the melting of snow and spring rains.

In spring, the soil is also cultivated before planting. Mineral fertilizers are applied during spring loosening or digging of the earth. Mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil to a depth of 15-20 centimeters per square meter:

• 20 grams of saltpeter
• 50 grams of superphosphates
• 20 grams of potassium chloride.

Good digging and loosening is extremely important because tomatoes have a weak root system and need to take all the substances from the soil from a limited space. Uniformity and good saturation of the soil with oxygen is important. In this case, the plant will develop well and give a good harvest.

Soil preparation in the greenhouse for planting tomatoes

Seedlings can be planted both in open ground, when it finally gets warmer (the very beginning of summer), or in greenhouses. In any case, whether it is an open area or a greenhouse, beds are made on the ground, with a distance of at least 50 centimeters. Depending on the variety, the tomatoes can be tall or low, but the bushes will definitely be "spreading". They need a place.

Between plants, the distance should also be at least 30 centimeters.

For greenhouses, as well as for an open surface, there is a rule - add fertilizer in the form of chicken manure or urea to each prepared well. This will help the plant to adapt to a new place and take root faster.

The greenhouse is used when you want to get the first fruits as soon as possible, because on the open ground the harvest will come until August. In this case, the soil should be prepared in exactly the same way, having previously fertilized well and dried the ground before planting.

No matter how you grow tomatoes on your site, it is very important to rid the beds of weeds in the future, to loosen the ground under the plants in time and not let it dry out.

We hope that these simple tips will help you grow a wonderful crop of tomatoes on your household plots and enjoy the results of your work all year round!

When it comes time to prepare for seed germination, summer residents are looking for the best options to ensure the rapid growth of young plants. Soil plays a major role in this. For seedlings, it is recommended to use a nutrient mixture prepared by oneself.

Some experts argue that in the pursuit of commercial gain and in the face of constant market struggle for the consumer, many manufacturers allow the production of low-quality soil for seedlings, or the wrong combination of useful substances in it. Beginning summer residents who are just learning the basics of gardening may not notice the difference when buying packages with a ready-made fertile mixture. As a result, they get diseased or sluggish plants that are unsuitable for growing. further development and growth.

Soil preparation for seedlings must be carried out in compliance with all rules and regulations, this will provide the plant with the most important push in the entire life cycle. How to properly prepare the soil for seedlings?

There are some General requirements to ground:

• Porosity, friability, lightness. Necessary for good air circulation. The access of oxygen to the root system of the future plant is one of the critical factors growth. Why loosen the soil for growing seedlings? This measure is necessary to circulate oxygen and ensure improved metabolism between the soil and the root system.
• Balance. The content of micro- and macroelements in the soil should be in a form accessible to the plant and in the right amount.
• pH level. This indicator regulates the acidity of the soil for seedlings. It is measured using a special device or litmus sticks. Also used folk methods using 9% vinegar or beets (if beets are planted on the site, its tops, at normal pH, are green with red veins). The neutral indicator should be 6.5-7.0 pH. Soil, the pH of which is below 6 units, should be deoxidized using one of the components - dolomite flour, slaked lime or wood ash.
• Humidity. The soil must not only absorb moisture, but also have the ability to retain it.
• Microflora. The soil (soil) for seedlings must be alive, maintaining a balance of all components. It should not contain clay, as it prevents proper metabolism, air, fertilizer and moisture. Also, when preparing a fertile base, it is not necessary to use humus in the active phase of decomposition (only rotted, well-aged manure). As a rule, this process is accompanied by the release of heat, while the amount of nitrogen is lost, which is highly undesirable for seedlings. Without soil saturated with the necessary amount of nutrients, the future plant will simply lag behind in growth and will not bring the desired result.

Preparing the soil for planting seedlings of each group of vegetables has some features. How to properly prepare the soil at home for the main garden crops?

It should be noted that in gardening stores there are two main groups of mixtures: soil (crushed bark, peat, black soil) and substrate (small sawdust, sand, perlite, mineral wool).

Secrets of soil preparation for seedlings of cucumbers

Cucumbers are a favorite vegetable of many. They are very healthy and are used both fresh and salted, as well as in various canned assorted salads. As practice shows, it is best to germinate the seeds of cucumbers beforehand. There are special rules for preparing soil for seedlings for this crop. How to make the soil for seedlings correctly?

Many summer residents do not advise using a soil substrate for cucumbers, since it contains artificial processed peat, which turns the earth into a dense lump if the plant is not watered in time. In this case, with further saturation with moisture, it will simply go by. The plant will not receive it in the right amount, which means that the process of its death will begin.

You can independently prepare the soil for seedlings of cucumbers in the following ways:

1. Chernozem, humus, sawdust (it is best to use hardwoods). The proportions are 2:2:1.
2. Soddy, leafy soil and rotted compost. The best option for young cucumber seedlings is equal proportions of these three components.

Common to both options will be the introduction of 1 tbsp. complex fertilizer (). You should also add approximately 3 tbsp. wood ash.

The soil should be cultivated before planting seedlings of cucumbers from spores of various fungi and mold. To do this, pour it with boiling water. Other methods are also used:

• The soil is heated in the oven for 1-2 hours at temperatures up to 200 degrees Celsius.
• Water bath. In this case, the soil mixture is treated with steam, the procedure lasts about an hour.

It should be noted that soil disinfection for seedlings will ensure the excellent development of plants and prevent from possible problems with potential illness.

Soil preparation for seedlings of pepper and tomatoes

Reviews of many gardeners say that preparing the soil for seedlings of tomatoes and peppers has some differences from the general methods of creating fertile soil at home. What are they? How to prepare the soil for tomato seedlings and correctly? A combination of rotted humus, washed river sand, pure black soil in equal proportions - the best option. It is also recommended to add wood ash (about 25% of the total mass of the soil mixture). It is necessary to prepare such a composition in the fall. The soil for seedlings of tomatoes and peppers must go through a period of a kind of infusion. During this time, all negative compounds in it are neutralized, and the necessary microflora is created. You can prepare a nutrient mixture immediately before planting seeds in it. In this case, the operation to create a solution from ash is added to the main stages:

• 0.1 kg. wood ash is poured into a 10-liter container with water.
• Mix thoroughly and infuse in a warm room.
• After about 48 hours, the solution is ready for use. They fertilize the soil for seedlings of tomatoes and peppers.

It should be noted that a very important stage of preparation fertile soil for these crops, is to sieve each of the three components through a medium sieve.

Decontamination is also recommended. When preparing the soil for and pepper, it is best to use the principle of a steam bath. This is done for two full hours. After this procedure, the nutrient mixture is placed in a container so that it cools down properly.

Experts also recommend saturating the soil for seedlings of tomatoes and peppers. At home, this can be done with crushed eggshells and wood ash. For 10 liters of soil, a composition of mixed ash and shells is added in a ratio of 2: 1 (200 grams of ash and 100 grams of shells).

Such simple steps preparation of fertile soil for your favorite vegetable crops can be done even by a novice summer resident. You just have to follow all the recommendations.

How to prepare the soil for seedlings of cabbage?

Fans of this vegetable probably want to know how to properly grow cabbage seedlings and what is needed to prepare a fertile mixture. There is nothing difficult in this. The main components are lowland peat and humus. By mixing them in equal proportions, we get a base suitable for growing.

Potassium sulphate and superphosphate are added to the composition of the soil for seedlings. These components are mixed 1:3 and placed in a container with a volume of 10 liters.

It should be noted that if it is not possible to purchase this fertilizer, summer residents are advised to add about 300 g of wood ash instead of potassium sulfate and superphosphate.

To achieve a balance of soil acidity, add about one glass of slaked lime to the same volume.

In order for the soil for cabbage seedlings to acquire immunity from fungal and viral diseases, it should be steamed in a steam bath. This is one of the most gentle ways. It has been used by experienced summer residents in personal plots for a very long time. How to disinfect the soil for cabbage seedlings with this method?

It is necessary to pour water into a metal or ceramic container, up to about half. Then wrap the soil mixture in gauze or dense weave and place it over the container. The water is brought to a boil and 35 minutes are recorded from the boiling point. This time is quite enough to complete the cultivation of the soil for seedlings of cabbage. After cooling, young plants can be planted in it.

As can be seen from this whole process, the most scrupulous is the disinfection stage. Everything else can be done without any difficulty.

Proper soil preparation for flower seedlings

Many lovers of dacha farming want to decorate their yard with flower beds. continuous flowering. Hanging pots are also used. To create a unique beauty, you need to grow good planting material. A very important and one of the main conditions for achieving this goal is high-quality soil. For seedlings of flowers, it is recommended to create a nutrient mixture at home with your own hands.

It should be noted that the soil that has already been used previously for growing horticultural crops is detrimental to flowers. Even if you add a specially prepared mixture to it, the quality is still planting material may be significantly affected.

How to prepare the soil for flower seedlings at home? The classic, generally accepted version, which is used by many summer residents and gardeners, has the following composition:

• Sand. Performs a drainage function. It makes up about 20% of the entire mixture, it is poured into the bottom of the container.
• Chernozem or sod land (20%). It is mixed with peat and poured into a container on the sand.
• Peat. They add it the most - about 60%.

Preparing the soil for flower seedlings also provides for disinfection in one of the ways (steam bath, boiling water).

After all the activities to prepare a high-quality basis for future flowers, mineral fertilizers are applied. For each type and variety of flowers, the proportions and types vary.

How to prepare the land for seedlings at home? This question is asked by many gardeners when it is time to plant seeds and grow vegetable seedlings for their country garden.

After all, 50% of success depends on the quality characteristics of the soil in which the seeds will grow and young plants will develop. Therefore, an earthen mixture for home seedlings of tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant and pepper should be prepared in accordance with the parameters specific to each crop.

The composition of the soil for different vegetables may vary slightly from each other. But, as a rule, all the basic requirements for soil mixtures remain the same regardless of the crops that are planned for planting.

1. Fertility. The composition of the earth mixture should include all the minerals and nutrients that are important for the development and growth of seedlings. This is usually achieved by introducing a certain amount of humus into the soil, as the main supplier of nutrition to young plants.
2. Balance. The content of all soil components in the soil mixture prepared for planting seeds should be as balanced as possible. The earth mixture is prepared in strict accordance with the proportions characteristic of each vegetable crop.
3. Structured. The soil for seeds and seedlings should have breathability and a pronounced structure. The delicate roots of plants want not only to eat right, but also to breathe freely. In order for the earth mixture to meet these requirements, any available baking powder (vermiculite, perlite, coarse river sand) that improve the structure of the earth mixture must be added to the composition.
4. Moisture capacity. Even the slightest drying of the soil can destroy the tender roots of young seedlings. Therefore, the soil for plants is diluted with moisture-intensive components such as ordinary or coco peat, which can perfectly absorb and retain moisture in the soil.
5. Acidity. The correct pH level of the finished earth mixture should be neutral and not exceed the range of 6.0-7.0. In acidified soil, plants will not develop well until they stop growing completely; in saline soil, they will not be able to absorb most nutrients and trace elements.
6. Cleanliness and health. Ideally, the soil mixture for seeds and seedlings should be free of pathogens, insect pest larvae, viruses, harmful bacteria and microorganisms. Also, the content of excess salts, particles of heavy metals, hazardous acids, etc. in the soil is undesirable. In an environmentally friendly and healthy soil mixture, only microflora that is useful for the life of plants is present.

What are the components of the ground mixture for seedlings?

Despite the fact that the industry has long been offering us ready-made soils marked “universal”, it is still preferable to independently prepare the soil for home seedlings of vegetables. Moreover, this is not at all difficult to do if you know exactly which components should be included in the soil mixture for vegetables.

Let's take a look at what each component is:

Manure (compost)

Humus is one of the varieties fertile soil, consisting of plant residues completely rotted along with manure, annual flowers, fallen leaves, green manure plants, etc.

Possessing a high content of nutrients, humus (compost) is essentially used as an excellent organic fertilizer that has a beneficial effect on plant life.

Peat (coconut fiber)

Peat forms the basis of most soil mixtures used for vegetable seedlings. It significantly improves the composition and structure of the soil, has high moisture capacity and air permeability. Depending on the composition of peat-forming plants and places of formation, peat differs in upland and lowland peat.

High-moor peat is light brown in color and is formed by the remains of coniferous vegetation and mosses (sphagnum moss and cuckoo flax). Such peat has a rather acidic reaction, high bactericidal characteristics and a low degree of decomposition.

Lowland peat is dark brown in color and is formed by the remains of such plants as willow, alder, sedge, reed, hypnum mosses. This peat is less acidic and enriched with macro- and microelements.

Coconut fiber is increasingly being used as an excellent substitute for regular peat.

Coconut fiber is light brown in color, formed during the industrial processing of coconut shells, has a natural plant origin, neutral reaction (normalizes soil pH), high performance moisture capacity and breathability, enriched with macro- and microelements.

baking powder

Agroperlite

Baking powders are used to increase the moisture capacity and breathability of the earth mixture. Most often, when preparing an earthen mixture for seedlings, baking powders such as agroperlite, vermiculite and coarse river sand are used.

Agroperlite is expanded volcanic glass of fine fraction. Externally, agroperlite is porous, very light and brittle balls. white color 2-5 mm in diameter. It has high hydrophilicity (the ability to absorb moisture and give it to plants), thermal insulation properties, chemical inertness, biological stability and neutral reaction.

Vermiculite is a specially processed mica (a sheet mineral). Externally, vermiculite is uneven pieces of layered material from light golden to dark brown in color, 3-7 mm in diameter. It has hydrophilicity and the ability to exchange reactions, due to which microelements such as sodium, potassium, iron, magnesium, lithium, and aluminum enter the soil.

Coarse river sand is a rock formed as a result of the natural breakdown of solid minerals. Outwardly, it is a rounded and smoothed sand grains. different colors 2-3 mm in diameter. Possesses chemical inertness, high flowability, biological stability and neutral reaction.

leaf ground

It is not recommended to include leaf soil from under oak, poplar, willow, walnut as a component of the soil mixture, since the leaf litter of these trees contains a high content of tannins and resinous substances.

What can not be included in the soil mixture?

We have already considered the basic requirements for the characteristics of the earth mixture and components.

Firstly, clay (loam) should never be included in the earthen mixture for vegetable seedlings. With clay, the earth mixture will become extremely dense and heavy, it will stop letting air through to the roots, which will greatly slow down and even stop the growth and development of young plants.

Secondly, actively decomposing components should never be added to the earthen mixture for vegetable seedlings. This is fresh manure, not rotted leaf litter, dormant tea leaves and similar components.

Decaying in an earthen mixture, fresh manure and other plant organics will release a huge amount of heat, which can burn the tender roots of young plants.

Seedlings planted in a soil mixture with clay and not rotted organic matter will get sick, stop development, and eventually die anyway.

Why is it necessary to disinfect the soil mixture?

When preparing the soil for seedlings, regardless of whether you bought a bag of soil in a store or prepared a mixture with your own hands, it is necessary to disinfect all soil components.

It is not at all necessary to carry out the disinfection of each component separately, you can prepare the soil mixture and process it as a whole.

Why is such processing necessary? It is carried out in order to destroy pathogenic microorganisms, pathogens, fungal spores, eggs and larvae of insect pests that are in the soil and can infect / destroy future seedlings of vegetables.

Soil mixture disinfection methods:

Soil freezing at low temperatures

Freezing is carried out in several stages on outdoors during the period winter frosts or in the freezer of a conventional refrigerator. The finished soil mixture should be taken out to frost at a temperature of -10C ... -15C for several days, and then brought into a warm room for thawing.

This is done in order to make all harmful organisms in the soil “wake up”. After complete defrosting, the soil mixture is again placed in conditions negative temperatures. Then the procedure is repeated 2-3 more times.

Spilling the soil with a disinfectant solution

The finished soil mixture is shed with a solution of potassium permanganate, prepared in a proportion of 3 grams per 10 liters of water. After that, an antifungal treatment is additionally carried out with any fungicidal preparation.

Incomplete soil sterilization

Incomplete sterilization of soil mixture can be carried out in three ways:

1. Calcination in an oven. The prepared and moistened earthen mixture is poured onto a baking sheet with a layer of about 5 cm and placed in an oven preheated to + 90C for 30 minutes.
2. Heat treatment in microwave oven. A small volume of the prepared earth mixture is placed in a microwave container, moistened a little, covered with a lid-cap and processed at medium power for 10 minutes.
3. Steaming over boiling water. The finished earth mixture is poured into a linen bag, the bag is placed in a large metal sieve, and the sieve is placed on a vat of boiling water. Steam treatment in a water bath is carried out for 1 hour.

Complete soil sterilization

Complete sterilization of soil mixture can only be carried out using an autoclave, where processing is carried out at a temperature of about + 120C and under high pressure. Such treatment in just 2 hours can completely destroy all pathogens - eggs of nematodes and insect pests, fungal spores, pathogenic viruses and bacteria.

It should be noted that freezing, spillage of soil and incomplete sterilization of the soil mixture do not always give a positive result. These methods of disinfection affect only the active forms of microorganisms, but do not destroy pathogens that are in a state of suspended animation.

Complete soil sterilization in an autoclave cleans the earth mixture from all possible pathogens. But at the same time, all the beneficial microflora in the soil also dies.

To populate the sterilized earthen mixture with new beneficial bacteria and microorganisms, it is necessary to shed it with Fitosporin-M solution and add a little dry rotted manure.

How to prepare soil mixture for seedlings?

The soil for vegetable seedlings should include components of organic and inorganic origin, mixed in certain proportions.

Mixing components

The preparation of the soil mixture begins with the process of mixing all the components. To do this, you will need a large enough container for mixing. various parts soil, a small garden shovel, gloves to protect your hands.

All components should be mixed according to the needs of each crop, finally adding some mineral / organic fertilizers to the mixture.

Universal potting mix

To facilitate the process of preparing for planting seeds, you can make a universal soil mixture suitable for many vegetable crops. The universal soil mixture consists of soddy soil, humus, peat and coarse river sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1.

Before planting seeds, the amount of fertilizer required for each vegetable crop is added to the universal soil mixture.

Preparation of earth mixture for different crops of vegetables

1. Cabbage. Ingredients: humus, leaf earth and coarse river sand in a ratio of 1:2:1, charcoal / ash (3 tbsp per bucket of mixture).
2. Eggplant. Ingredients: humus, soddy soil and peat / coconut in a ratio of 1: 1: 1, charcoal / ash (1 tbsp per bucket of the mixture), superphosphate (20 g per bucket of the mixture).
3. Cucumber. Ingredients: leafy earth (1 bucket), humus (1 bucket), charcoal / ash (1 tbsp), potassium sulfate (10 g), superphosphate (20 g).
4. Pepper. Ingredients: humus, soddy soil and coarse river sand in a ratio of 1:1:1, charcoal / ash (1 tbsp per bucket of the mixture), superphosphate (3 tbsp).
5. Tomato. Ingredients: humus, soddy soil, peat / coconut, rotted sawdust in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 1, charcoal / ash (1.5 st per bucket of mixture), superphosphate (3 tbsp), urea (1 tsp) , potassium sulfate (1 tablespoon).

When preparing the soil, one should not get too carried away with fertilizing, especially if there is a nutrient component in the base of the soil. It is better to apply fertilizers a little later, when the seeds germinate, and the young seedlings will need additional nutrition for subsequent growth and development.

How to improve store soil?

Unfortunately, not always and not everyone has the opportunity to independently prepare an earthen mixture for vegetable seedlings at home. But there is a way out!

You just need to improve the store soil to a condition acceptable for sowing seeds and growing seedlings.

This will require:

1. Read the composition of the store primer on the package. As a rule, almost all industrial soils are made on the basis of peat with various amounts of additives. Even if the ideal composition of the soil is written on the package, it will still have to be modified for a specific vegetable crop.
2. Find the acidity of the soil on the packaging. If the acidity of the soil is shifted upwards from neutral, then it is necessary to slightly lower its acidity. To do this, add 1-2 tbsp to 1 bucket of soil. spoons of dolomite flour or chalk.
3. Carefully inspect and rub the shop soil in the palms of your hands, then slightly moisten a handful of soil with water and squeeze it in your fist. If the soil is not sufficiently loose and permeable, it must be diluted with other components - perlite (vermiculite, coarse river sand), coconut fiber, hydrogel balls.

As the final step in adapting the store soil to the required parameters, you can add a little fine charcoal, ground eggshell, ready-made biohumus or dry fertilizer for indoor flowers to the soil composition.

As you can see, if you wish, you can not only prepare the soil mixture yourself, but also adapt the store soil for vegetable seedlings. Now you are completely ready to plant seeds for growing seedlings!

One of the most important stages in the annual work of a gardener is soil preparation for planting seedlings. How to properly prepare the soil, what components and in what proportions to mix - about this in our today's article on the website for.

To get strong and healthy seedling Properly prepared soil is required. What does it mean? The substrate should be light, homogeneous, air and moisture permeable, nutritious and non-acidic. Many gardeners have learned how to create the right soil. Today we will share a few proven recipes with you.

Preparing the soil for seedlings - farming methods

1. Direct food. Growing plants on mineral fertilizers gives a quick result, but the taste of such vegetables and usefulness become lower. Mineral ions are instantly absorbed by root threads, but do not protect plants from diseases. In the future, it is necessary to repeatedly apply pesticides.
2. Mediation food. Through bacteria and fungi, which process elements into suitable for absorption by plants. This natural farming does without pesticides. Plants do not get sick, as fungi and bacteria secrete substances that prevent diseases.
3. Complementary food. Both elements of direct nutrition (mineral fertilizers) and intermediary nutrition (through living organisms) are used.

Mineral fertilizers do not protect seedlings from diseases

Soil preparation for seedlings - method 1

If you want to get a truly healthy and tasty crop of vegetables, use this recipe for preparing soil for growing seedlings. It is created on the principle of natural farming, without the use of fast-digesting nutritional supplements.

Take fine-grained soil from the garden, which has in its composition fungi and bacteria necessary for the processing of nutrients. Preparation for sowing seeds involves sifting it.

garden soil contains beneficial bacteria and fungi

To increase the proportion of nutrients, add a fifth of biohumus to the soil. These are the waste products of worms, valuable for their composition. In the process of passing through the digestive tract of the worm, the soil is treated with bacteria, which subsequently protect the plants from diseases.

Add ash from hardwoods or herbs to the composition. You can burn old hay or cut grass. On a bucket of soil - half a glass of ash. It contains all the nutrients that were in the plants. Especially a large variety of valuable substances in forbs.

For growing seedlings when preparing the soil, it is useful to add ash

Soil preparation for seedlings - method 2

The second recipe proposed by gardeners is based on the principle of mixed farming. In other words, it combines direct food and intermediary food. In this case, many components are involved in creating the soil for seedlings. For all cultures, you can prepare the same mixture.

High-quality nutrition for young plants will provide:

Sopravell - 0.5 l;
biohumus - 0.5 l;
bioneks - a handful;
farmed chicken manure- a handful of;
fermented bran - a handful;
liquid bio-cocktail of mineral fertilizers ("Ecoperin", "NV", "Vostok", etc.).

The soil for seedlings should be loose and nutritious.

First of all, we mix all the dry ingredients, thoroughly rubbing the soil in our hands. Next, we produce moistening while maintaining a lumpy structure. To do this, do not pour, but spray the composition on the soil, mixing in your hands. To prepare the solution, you can not use chlorinated water - it is better to take rain, melted water or settled water.

The ideal moisture, which must be achieved when preparing the soil for planting seedlings, is determined as follows: when compressed, a lump should form, which easily disintegrates when moving.

Moistened nutrient soil mixture should be placed in a dark bag and tightly tied. A minimum of 2 weeks should be expected for soil preparation, a maximum of 2-3 months.

It takes at least 2 weeks to prepare the soil for planting seedlings.

Soil preparation for seedlings - method 3

Consider another recipe for preparing soil for seedlings from experienced gardeners. In this case, take peat or old humus (at least 2 years old), dried soddy soil in a state of small lumps and coconut flakes. All in the same amount.

To disinfect the earth, you can use the method of pickling in the oven or watering with a solution of potassium permanganate. But in this case, the result will be dead earth. It is better to use biological products: "Fitosporin", "Baikal", "Azofit".

Coconut shavings - an affordable soil baking powder for seedlings

As baking powder, vermiculite or perlite is suitable. A simpler and more affordable option is coconut flakes. A bucket should take 7-8 liters. It turns out a loose mass. In a month, microorganisms will do their job, there will be no pathogens in the soil, it will become like fluff. When preparing, ash should also be added to the soil - 1 cup per bucket - and 1 tsp. AVA fertilizers.

Preparing the soil for growing seedlings - method 4

The last method that we will consider does not involve the use of mineral supplements. As a basis, you can take the cheapest soil available for sale. It consists of peat of different layers: high-moor (not completely decomposed) and lowland (completely decomposed). It should not contain any other additives.

To improve the composition, we add sand to the soil for seedlings (in a volume identical to the volume of peat or slightly less). It is air and water permeable, makes the soil less dense, crumbly. The sand heats up quickly, which is good for seedling roots. In addition, it is heavy and serves as a counterweight for tall seedlings, preventing the pot from falling. Almost all seedlings love sandy soil.

When preparing the soil, it is worth adding sand

Sand can be taken at a construction site, it must be gray or white. Best of all - river. The main thing is not to take red sand, which contains iron oxide. It shouldn't be too small.

Peat soil is usually deoxidized at the production stage, but this is often not enough. Therefore, gardeners are advised to produce additional deoxidation - 1 tsp. chalk per liter of soil. For the nutritional value of the soil, biohumus is added - 1 liter per 10 liters. Good biohumus is dried, sifted, without large fractions. It is necessary to mix the composition very well, kneading with your hands. After two weeks, you can start growing seedlings.