What is the right way to raise tomato seedlings and at what stage to transplant?
3 Answers
A healthy nursery is the foundation of a good tomato crop and the best place to prevent leaf curl virus and damping off. Raise seedlings on raised beds or in pro trays with sterile media, ideally under a 40 mesh insect proof net to keep out whiteflies that carry leaf curl. Treat seed with a fungicide like thiram, sow thinly, and avoid overwatering to prevent damping off. Harden seedlings before moving them out. Transplant healthy, stocky seedlings at about 25 to 30 days or 4 to 5 true leaves, in the evening, with proper spacing for airflow. Dip roots in a recommended fungicide or biocontrol solution at transplant. Starting clean and protected in the nursery greatly cuts disease and spray costs in the field.
Pro trays with sterile media gave me cleaner, more even seedlings than open beds, and far less damping off. The transplant shock was less too because the root ball comes out intact.
Transplant in the evening, not the hot afternoon. The seedlings I moved out in the morning sun wilted badly, while the evening batch settled in overnight and took off. Give a light watering right after.