▷ How to pique smarter: from now on I save time and nerves

I have prepared for you 12 tricks on how to pickle sprouts. See if you have ever thought that these tricks can be used when growing tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables. They will save time and help avoid failures.

You definitely grow – in distance learning courses “Modern vegetable garden“. In these training courses we focus on growing crops naturally and also teach you how to set up your first garden, vegetable patch and greenhouse in a smart and thoughtful way.

Use pots of the right size

Harvesting means dividing the small plants and transplanting them one by one into a pot.

The first step is to choose the vases. You don’t really need to buy anything special, just use what you have at home, just consider the shape and height.

Trick 1: A tall, narrow vase is better than a wide, low one. A wide pot will take up a lot of space on the windowsill, so do not overdo it: it is optimal to carry out the first transplant in a pot with a diameter of 10 cm (or in another corresponding container).

Makeup 2: if you have many to choose from, it is very convenient that the pots are square, because you can place them more effectively on the windowsill (usually there are just not many clear windowsills, so we save space). I sometimes use 2 liter plastic milk bags with the top cut off for pickling – it’s good for the plants and the plastic is reused.

Makeup 3: Whatever container you use, be sure to drill holes in the bottom to let excess water drain out.

How to collect sprouts and not spread everything

If the holes in the bottom of the pot are very large, when planting seedlings, the soil will fall out of the bottom – this is neither clean nor convenient to work with. I have a trick for you to avoid it.

Trick 4: Place a paper towel at the bottom of the container so that the soil does not fall out when transplanting the sprouts. Toilet paper or newspaper works too, if you have it.

Line the bottom of the pot with a paper towel - it will let water through and the soil will no longer crumble. photo Lina Lubertaitė

Invest in a high-quality substrate

I always underline not to make drama where it is not necessary, the container in which you put the sprouts does not make much difference: the important thing is that the size is sufficient and that the excess water runs away. Hit at least in a crystal fruit vase.

But what is important is the soil where the seedling will grow. It’s not enough to plant a seedling in any soil, water it and hope it grows well, it won’t. A good substrate will cost a little more, but it’s worth it.

Trick 5: plant in any container, but instead use the high-quality Terraerden tomato substrate (advertisement). He has it right now promotion in “Moki veži” stores.and you can also buy it “Online shop “Terraerden”..

This tomato substrate is universal, suitable for cucumbers, peppers, eggplants and other vegetables. Contains the nutrients your seedlings need to grow stronger and continue growing well – scientifically proven.

Next, tricks for marinating sprouts vary by vegetable group.

How to pickle cucumbers and peppers without moving the roots

Peppers, eggplants and all vegetables of the cucumber family (cucumbers, courgettes and pumpkins) do not tolerate root movement. If you accidentally damage the roots while harvesting these seedlings, it becomes difficult for them to recover, the vegetation stops for a while and may not recover at all. But there are tricks to teasing without disturbing the roots.

Trick 6: Grow the seedlings in two identical pots. Cut the inside part at the sides as in the photo, and place it in another pot. When harvesting, take out the cut internal container and you can remove the seedling very easily without disturbing the roots.

Trick 7: insert a polyethylene bag into the vase (don’t forget to make holes in the bottom to drain excess water). When it comes time to transplant the seedlings, you can simply lift the bag of seedlings and transplant them without disturbing the roots. You can see it visually in the video report above.

How to harvest tomatoes so they put out more roots

And tomato seedlings are not afraid of transplanting, but with these works we can save time.

Makeup 8: When digging, plant the seedling deeper. You will see many fine hairs on the stem of the seedling: after being buried, they will turn into additional roots and become better anchored in the soil. So whenever you transplant tomatoes, plant them a little deeper than they grew before.

Makeup 9: a question that often arises is what to do if you have sown in a peat or coconut bar. Some people leave the pill shell when collecting, others remove it. My advice is to remove it so that there is as little physical barrier as possible for the seedling’s root development. You can do it simply with scissors.

Exception: if you have sown vegetables in the tablet that do not like to move the roots (peppers, cucumbers) and if the roots have already penetrated the shell, then it is better to plant with the whole shell to avoid damage to the roots.

Polyethylene bags for seedlings

Some prefer pots, while others prefer polythene bags, which perform the same function as a pot. They are much cheaper and makeup can be applied.

Trick 10: after planting the tomato seedlings, roll up the edges of the bags so that the seedlings hold lightly and do not stretch. And when the seedlings grow, loosen the edges of the bags a little and add that good substrate. The taio seedlings will be deepened and send out more roots – avoiding the work of repotting.

Trick 11: instead of purchased ones, you can use plastic milk bags and make holes in the bottom yourself. In fact, milk bags are well proportioned: you will get the right width and height.

Keep the shoots higher

Baked sprouts and placed on the windowsill right next to the wide window frame? Not the best solution: it is in this place that a frost bridge forms, so the tops will be warmed by the sun, and the roots of the seedlings will be cool.