You can often hear the question: "What does diving seedlings mean?". This is a transplant of seedlings from small containers to larger ones, for better development and growth of the root system, and also so that the seedlings do not stretch up. Even when picking, weak and sick seedlings are rejected. Diving is also called the removal of the final part of the main root. This is done to stimulate the growth of branches of the root system.
What is the dive of tomato seedlings?
A picking of tomato seedlings consists in trimming the root root by one third of its length. After pruning, seedlings must be transplanted into new containers. In the soil, which is in the new pot, a depression is made, phosphoric fertilizer and wood ash are added. Then the seedlings are transplanted into prepared containers, carefully distributing the roots and sprinkling them with soil.
When diving seedlings, it is recommended to sprinkle calcined sand around the base of the stem, having previously cooled it, this will help to avoid thinning of the stem and prevent it from breaking and falling.
When to dive tomato seedlings?
Tall tomato varieties need to be dived twice, low and medium-sized varieties - only once. The first time the procedure needs to be done after 12 days from the day of planting, when the first real leaves appear. The delay in this case is “death like”, since even a slight delay will lead to weakening of the plant and subsequently affect the quality of the crop.
When diving seedlings, it must be dug out together with an earthen lump one or two centimeters in size. In this case, the pick will pass without much harm to the plant. To do this, each seedling is carefully dug up, and then carefully separated from the general soil coma.
Keep in mind that when diving, touch the green part of the future tomato as little as possible. It is necessary to carefully cut off one third of the main root and transplant the seedlings into a pre-prepared one-liter pot, which has drainage holes to remove excess moisture.
The second pick of tomatoes
The second picking of tomato seedlings is made three weeks after the first. One to two days before the start of the second picking, the seedlings must be watered so that the soil is not dry and the transplantation can be carried out without difficulty. For this, a two-liter pot is prepared with fertilized soil in it. Seedlings are transplanted into it, sprinkled with earth and watered.
It is necessary to observe the agrotechnics of picking, otherwise you may encounter a stunt in tomato growth. Agronomists have proved that timely picking, carried out according to all the rules, has a positive effect on the development of seedlings and the root system. All this directly affects the quantity and quality of the tomato crop, as well as their taste characteristics.
Pepper pick
Diving pepper seedlings at home is a time-consuming process, but requires accuracy, since pepper has a very delicate root system. You need to monitor the root system of the pepper in the initial stages of its growth and treat it as carefully as possible.
The optimal time for diving pepper is considered to be the time when two or three real leaves appeared near the seedlings, about two to three weeks after the first shoots germinate. However, there is a dive technique at an earlier date, in the cotyledon stage, or vice versa - later, with the appearance of five or six true leaves, but both are considered controversial.
Most agronomists and amateur gardeners agree that it is the early picking of seedlings that is most effective, allowing it to better take root in new soil.
Features of pepper picking
It is necessary to prepare for picking peppers in advance, first of all, you need to prepare a soil mixture into which seedlings will be transplanted. A mixture consisting of humus or peat, with field or turf soil, with the addition of river sand, is recommended. In this case, the organic matter in the soil should be somewhere around 30-45% of the weight of the whole mixture.
It is advisable to add mineral fertilizers to the mixture based on humus from the following calculation:
- superphosphate - 1-1.5 kg;
- ammonium nitrate - 0.5-1 kg;
- potassium chloride - 1 kg per 1 m 3 .
In a peat-based mixture add:
- superphosphate - 4-7 kg;
- ammonium nitrate - 0.5-1 kg;
- potassium chloride - 1 kg per 1 m 3 .
After preparation of the mixture, containers from 200 to 300 ml with drainage holes are taken and filled with soil. Immediately two to three hours before diving pepper seedlings, the soil should be watered, but it is believed that watering should be carried out a day or two before the procedure.
Picking process
When diving pepper, the most important thing is to carefully remove the seedlings from the containers in order to avoid damage to the fragile root system.
Soil in containers must be compacted. Using a garden tool, make a hole and water the transplant site. Then, from the pots in which the seedlings are located, the seedling is carefully removed and placed in the prepared hole. The root system of seedlings must be positioned so that it is evenly and freely in the soil.
The depth of planting seedlings should remain at the same level as in the old container, since peppers do not form additional roots and, if you change the depth, they can rot. After the soil around the seedlings is compacted, and then watered around the root with a small volume of water. The correct picking of pepper will allow your plants to develop well and to get a rich, tasty and healthy crop in the future.
Petunia dive
Diving petunia seedlings at home is quite simple and does not require specific skills, but there are some nuances. The petunia root system is very branched, it grows well over a vast area, completely covering the entire soil. Because of this feature, before planting this plant in open ground, it will need to be transplanted several times.
The first pick of a petunia must be carried out during the occurrence of the first 3 to 4 of these leaves. This is done so that the seedlings located nearby do not interfere with each other to develop the root system. A pick is made two weeks after the appearance of the first ovary.
Preparation
In order for petunia seedlings to tolerate a pick well, it is necessary to prepare for this process in advance. It is necessary to take into account how many real leaves seedlings have, if there are less than three, then picking should not be done yet. Too early transplantation can adversely affect the development of petunias.
An hour before the picking, the soil in which the seedlings are located must be moistened so as not to damage the root system during transplantation. Use a tool for diving seedlings, so that it is convenient to carry out a transplant, these can be forks, blades and cones.
After removing the seedlings from the old container, it is recommended to place its root system in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) at the rate of 1 mg per 1 liter of water. This procedure is necessary so that microorganisms and pathogenic bacteria do not harm the root system of the seedling.
Transplanting petunia seedlings
A previously prepared soil mixture for transplanting petunias is poured into a new container. In the center of the tank in the ground with a tool, a depression is made from two to three centimeters. A little water is added to the hole to moisten the soil. Seedlings with a lump of soil on the root system are carefully removed from the old pot and placed in a hole in a new container. Then, a substrate is added over the entire area of the container and compacted.
After the dive, the seedling should be moderately poured with water at room temperature. It should be borne in mind that after diving petunias, you do not need to immediately add organic and mineral fertilizers. It is necessary to withstand a certain time in order to enable the root system to let in new roots and allow them to adapt to the new soil. The first top dressing is usually applied after one and a half to two weeks.
It is important to know that absolutely all voids in the container must be filled, otherwise water may stagnate in them. Stagnation of moisture can lead to decay of the root system and the development of fungal diseases.
When diving seedlings, strict observance of all requirements and recommendations is necessary, since they directly affect both the crop itself and its quality. Following the rules of agricultural technology when diving pepper or tomatoes, as well as during their further cultivation, you will get a rich and tasty crop.