How many days do tomato seeds germinate?

Sowing seeds seems at first glance to be a simple process. However, in fact, summer residents know that it is fraught with a large number of nuances. Each type of plant, including tomatoes, has its own preferences for soil, temperature, humidity and other factors. Today there are many ways for the first sprouts to appear as quickly as possible, and not have to languish in anticipation.

To understand how quickly tomatoes will sprout, a large number of factors must be evaluated. It is worth noting that most of them can be controlled directly by humans. Of course, it is very important to monitor the quality of the soil and the tomato grains themselves. Otherwise, all efforts will be useless.

After sowing, tomatoes usually germinate within a week. This period may be less or more depending on the following factors:

• seed treatment before planting seedlings;
• tomato varieties (early, medium or late);
• temperature regime;
• light mode;
• humidity;
• seed quality.

Self-harvested tomato grains, or any seed purchased at a low price, is unlikely to sprout earlier than 10-14 days. This is due to the fact that the seeds are covered with an outer shell, which is characterized by high density and rigidity. For sprouts to appear, it is necessary that such a coating be pierced. It is also worth considering that the composition of tomato grains contains essential oils that inhibit the appearance of sprouts. This containment mechanism is provided by nature itself.

Without any treatment, the seeds can germinate earlier, but this is luck. To ensure early germination, it is worth treating the seeds. It can be of several types.

• The preparation of the grains is carried out directly by the manufacturer himself. This processing is called factory processing.
• Seed processing is carried out directly by the summer resident and is called home. Most often these are soaked grains in a special substance.

It is worth emphasizing that the material that has been processed at the factory does not need to be soaked at home.... If the seeds have been properly prepared, the first shoots will begin to appear on the 5th day after sowing. Moreover, the strongest grains can germinate even earlier.

Before processing, you should pay attention to the "freshness" of the seeds. Indeed, even with the same quality, the material that has lain less can show earlier shoots even without treatment. And you should also remember that it is necessary to process the grains right before planting. After soaking, the seeds should be planted dry, for this they must be held for 30 minutes on a cloth. It is advisable to plan everything in advance so that the process from processing to disembarkation is continuous, without unnecessary downtime of the material.

Everyone knows that plants like warmth, and tomatoes are no exception. The first shoots appear at fairly high temperatures. The lower the thermometer reading, the more slowly the seeds will germinate. And also the grains do not like temperature fluctuations, which is evident from how slowly the seedlings appear. It is very difficult to regulate the optimum temperature in ordinary apartments with central heating.Therefore, it is advisable to keep crops under the battery.

The ideal temperature for sowing tomatoes is +25 degrees. With her, the grains germinate very quickly. Moreover, the best result can be observed if the greenhouse effect is created. To do this, it is enough to cover the container with the planted seeds with a plastic bag or cling film.

Tomatoes are usually classified as plants that sprout in the dark. It is believed that light does not affect seed germination, and it is even recommended to place containers of sown seeds in dark places. However, practice shows that the seeds still like light more than shading. This can be used if you want to get seedlings as early as possible.

The most decisive factor for the speed of germination of seeds is their quality. Tomato grains, which are initially of poor quality or expired, cannot be forced to rise quickly. Research shows that healthy and genetically strong seeds do well, even when conditions are unfavorable.

Of course, when using purchased seeds, it is difficult to guarantee their quality. There is always the possibility of purchasing a dummy or so-called dormant grains. However, there are some rules under which the chance of buying quality seeds increases.

• It is worth purchasing seeds from reliable producers who monitor the quality of their products.
• You can not store the seed in the refrigerator, as it only hibernates from this.
• Do not take seeds that have expired. Typically, tomato grains are stored for 5 years. Of course, there are some varieties that can retain their properties for up to 15 years or more. This information is usually indicated on the packaging. If there are no notes on a pack of seeds, then this implies a standard shelf life.
• No need to buy material in reserve. It is best to purchase as many packs of seeds as will be planted immediately. The germination capacity of stored seeds deteriorates annually.
• It is better to buy every year, since new varieties of tomatoes are constantly being released, and hybrids with good characteristics also appear.

If you want to get tomato seedlings early, you should also consider their variety. All tomatoes are divided into the following groups:

• early, which ripen quickly, before harvesting, on average, only 100 days pass from sowing the seeds;
• medium, in which the time from sowing to ripening is approximately 120 days;
• late tomatoes give the first fruits from the moment of planting only after 140 days.

These varieties also differ in how quickly the main biological processes occur inside plants.... For example, late tomatoes show slower development. This also affects the rate of emergence of the first shoots. Of course, full seed preparation before sowing can speed up the germination of later varieties somewhat. However, even if the same conditions are created for different varieties, the early ones will sprout several days earlier. For this reason, it is recommended to sow different groups of tomatoes in separate containers. This will ensure the simultaneous emergence of seedlings, and will make it possible to carry out the necessary procedures with all plants at once. Thus, the process of caring for seedlings is simplified.

To obtain healthy seedlings and a bountiful harvest, it is necessary to select the right varieties, taking into account the peculiarities of the climate. For example, in areas where it is unstable, it is better to give preference to cold-resistant tomatoes, which are unpretentious in terms of care, although they sprout for a long time.Before sowing, if the tomatoes are purchased from a store, you should read the instructions on the package. Usually it indicates the variety, sowing dates, planting seedlings in open ground and ripening of tomatoes.

Despite the characteristics of the varieties and various external factors, summer residents manage to influence how quickly tomato seeds will sprout. There are many procedures that have an effect on this, affecting the grains through special preparations or a physical process.

• Calibration is the immersion of seeds in a salt solution. For preparation, one teaspoon of salt is taken in a glass of water. After that, the tomato grains are immersed in this liquid for 10-12 minutes. In the process, small and empty seeds float to the surface. They should be removed. The remaining good ones are washed with plain water and then dried.
• To accelerate the emergence of the first shoots, the material can be warmed up... This is especially true if the seeds were stored in cool rooms. A month or a month and a half before the intended sowing, the grains are poured into cloth bags and hung next to the heating devices.
• Oddly enough, disinfection of seeds also promotes rapid germination. This process removes infections and fungi from the surface of the grains. For this, the material is folded into a cloth bag and immersed in a solution of potassium permanganate (one percent). The seeds should be in it for 20 minutes. Then they should be rinsed with clean water and dried.
• In addition to potassium permanganate, various preparations can also be used for disinfection, for example, "Fitosporin".
• Soaking is the most commonly used method to accelerate germination. For this, tomato seeds are immersed in warm water or a growth-stimulating drug ("Zircon", "Epin" and others) for 5 hours. After this method, you should not rinse the grains, but only dry them.
• Germination allows to significantly reduce the period of emergence of the first shoots. This process consists in laying the material out on a damp cloth and then placing it in a warm place. In this case, when drying, add water. On the second or third day, pecking of the grains is observed, after which they can be sown into the ground.
• The hardening procedure has a positive effect on both seed germination and the tolerance of temperature changes after planting in open ground. To do this, enough grains that have hatched are placed in the refrigerator for one night. In this case, the temperature should be from 0 to +2 degrees. During the day, the seed should be kept in a room where the temperature varies from +15 to +20 degrees. To achieve a good result, the procedure should be repeated 2-3 times.
• For bubbling, you need a compressor used in aquariums... With its help, tomato grains are treated with oxygen. This is done in a jar of warm water, on the bottom of which the material is poured, and then the hose tip from the compressor is placed there. Processing will take 12 hours, after which the seeds will require drying.
• Coating is also used to speed up germination. This process involves coating the seeds with a special nutrient composition that disinfects and stimulates plant growth. Most often, such a mixture is prepared from peat, mineral components, humus, fungicides and adhesive. It is the latter that allows the bulk to be attached to the grain. Finished pelleted seeds can be purchased in stores.
• Planting shallowly into the ground will allow you to get the first shoots of tomatoes a little faster... It is enough to put the seeds to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. If the grains are very small, then it is necessary to sprinkle them a little with a mixture of earth and sifted sand.

If tomato seeds did not germinate on time, there may be a number of reasons for this. Quite often this is due to poor quality seed, as well as improper storage. For the latter, it is important that the temperature is not too low or too high. And also you need to pay attention to the soil, as it may be too heavy for small grains. Germination is also strongly influenced by the lack of material preparation before sowing, low temperatures and insufficient moisture.

In case of poor germination, the first thing to do is to check the temperature at which the seeds are contained, as well as the moisture content of the soil.a. If everything is in order, then it is worth waiting a couple more days. Maybe the seeds have not yet managed to break through the thick layer of soil.