We grow a tomato in a shell

In winter or early spring, tomato seedlings are planted at home on window sills. The area is not large, you have to use every centimeter of space. Growing tomato seedlings in "snails" saves space, no need for containers, plants easy to care for.

The “shell” method allows you to grow tomato seedlings in winter or early spring, even in a small apartment. The technique is planted at home on window sills. The area does not require special skills and efforts. You will not need any devices and numerous pots. It takes 20-30 minutes to prepare the work and plant the seeds. It remains only to water the seedlings and monitor the lighting.

Advantages of the method

A snail is a twisted, dense material that gradually fills with soil. It is twisted like a roll and tied with a rope or elastic band.

The advantage of planting in a shell:

• takes up little space;
• good germination of seeds;
• it takes a little time to land;
• not need a lot of soil;
• roots develop better;
• watered less often, since moisture evaporates for a long time;
• do not need containers to buy;
• seedlings are not very elongated;
• picking is simpler without damaging the seedlings.

Seedlings should not be extended, it is necessary that all forces go to the formation of the root system. The future crop depends on it.

Preparatory work

An oilcloth is placed on the table so as not to contaminate the surface with earth. And then they start preparing for work. First you need to process the seeds and choose the material for the manufacture of shells.

Material for snail

It is necessary to use a dense film, such of which greenhouses make. Such material will not fall apart, but will keep its shape well. Many used to use a substrate for a laminate - the material is comfortable, lightweight, retains heat and moisture, it is waterproof. Cut the film and the substrate with scissors or a wallpaper knife.

Material for the manufacture of shells and planting seeds:

• transparent plastic box for shells;
• tape from the substrate for the laminate 1.5 m long and 10 cm wide;
• plastic bag;
• soil mixture;
• sunflower seeds; 2 gum;
• tweezers;
• scapula;
• spray gun.

If the seedlings will dive, then the strip width is 10 cm. If the seedlings remain in the shell before planting on the beds, then the substrate width is cut out 15 cm. The length of the strip for sowing 30 seeds with picking is 150-160 cm, the length of the strip for planting 30 seeds without picks - 300 cm.

Seed preparation

First, they calibrate - only healthy and large seeds of the last year are selected. Harvest ripe, fused, small, dark seeds.

Preparation process:

• empty seeds are revealed: they are immersed for 6 hours in salted water, unsuitable specimens will float to the surface;
• dipped for 20 minutes in a manganese solution for disinfection;
• spread the seed on wet gauze, leave to germinate for a day, add aloe juice as a growth stimulant.

The soil

Tomatoes love light, alkaline soil pH 6-7, consisting of chernozem, peat and sand 1: 0.5: 1. The soil mixture is treated against fungi and bacteria. The soil is frozen for 4 hours in a freezer on a dry substrate. Layer thickness 2 cm.If the street is cold, then you can take the earth to the balcony for 5-6 hours.

The second method of disinfection is steaming. Place tissue in a colander, spread a handful of earth and hold it over steam (over a pot of boiling water) for half an hour. They warm the soil in parts until the whole mass is steamed. The soil should not get wet.

Snail making

When the preparatory process is completed, proceed to the manufacture of the snail. The material is cut into several tapes, it all depends on the amount of planting material. If there are few seeds, then the strip is not long. The longer the length, the greater the volume of the shell. The ribbon is laid out on a table, one end is placed on a tray.

Sequencing:

• The soil is laid on part of the strip 15 cm, the soil layer is 1-1.5 cm. So that the earth does not crumble, it is slightly moistened with a spray bottle.
• At a distance of 2 cm from each other, seeds are laid out, it is better to take them with tweezers.
• Deepen by pressing seeds into the soil with a finger.
• 2 cm recede from the edge of the strip. Carefully fold the material into a roll so that the soil does not crumble to the place where the layer of earth ends.
• The folded structure is held with one hand, and with the other imposed a new layer of soil, placing seeds on it alternately.
• The procedure is continued until the entire tape is filled with earth and seeds are planted.

The whole structure looks like a snail or roll. It is fixed with 2 elastic bands - above and below. Place the shell (seeds up) in plastic containers and transfer to a warm place for the appearance of sprouts. Sawdust is placed on the bottom of the drawers, which absorb excess moisture. When the snail is collected, it is watered, a sachet is put on top to create a greenhouse effect. The package is fixed with an elastic band. After the first shoots, the film is removed.

Snail seedling care

If a lot of soil has crumbled, you need to make up for its deficiency and pour it into the substrate of the earth. After the emergence of sprouts, the snail is placed in a lit place. The length of daylight is 10-12 hours, lamps are additionally used. You can’t fill the shells, but you need to moisten the tomatoes regularly. The earth must always be wet. It is better to spray water with a spray gun. If weeds have grown in addition to seedlings, they must be removed.

Growing tomato seedlings in shells

You can plant seeds for seedlings in snails of different varieties. It all depends on the desire of the gardener, on the region of growth, on the timing of vegetation and the purpose of tomatoes. Recommended grades:

• Popular tomato varieties: Bull Heart, Big Mom, De Barao, Pink Honey, Black Truffle, Gaspacho, Koenigsberg, Ildi.
• Tomatoes agricultural company "Gavrish": Giant lemon, Grandma's gift, Akulina, Raspberry elephant, Rosemary.
• Marble beauties: Amur tiger, Blue cluster, Siberian malachite, Emerald apple, Sherkhan.
• Varieties of unusual shape: Kiwi, White Sugar, Pink Accordion.
• Dwarf hybrids, in the "snails" saves space that do not require pinching: Eugene, Snowdrop, Rouge Gosha, Sanka, Altayechka, Ryabchik, Affectionate Misha.
• Tomatoes, time-tested: White filling, Betta, Peremoga, Verlioka, Moskvich, Siberian precocious, Soil Gribovsky, Blagovest.

Mistakes when growing seedlings in a snail

If the package was removed late, then the seedlings begin to grow rapidly. Seedlings are drawn, this negatively affects the development of plants. After a dive, seedlings often stop growing. Therefore, one should not rush to transplant into individual containers, and the glasses will take up a lot of space on the windowsill.

If the soil is not cultivated before sowing, then fungal infections, for example, a black leg or gray rot, may appear. A terrible disease will destroy the young. Processing is performed with Trichodermin, strictly according to the instructions.

Shell out

Even with the same timing of sowing seed material, seedlings appear at different times and grow different lengths. To separate large seedlings, the snail is deployed. In it remain small seedlings that need to grow. For picking, lay a roll of earth on the table and carefully unwind it. Strong sprouts get out, the root system of plants in snails is not interwoven. After removing the seedlings, the substrate is twisted carefully again, put in a container for further growth.

The effectiveness of the method in snails can be estimated by planting part of the seeds in a shell, and part in containers. After 2-3 weeks, the growth and number of seedlings can be compared. Write what methods of planting tomatoes at home do you use? And which of these methods really brings good results?