Franenuss
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What's the right moisture for tomato seedling?

Hi to you all, I'm new in here.

So, I'm trying to grow cherry tomatoes from seeds. I already put them in a pot and they germinated a few days ago. But I've noticed that the moisture of the soil it's rather saggy, and the soil itself it's quite spongy. Is this right? How do I know I've got the right moisture in the soil? (I've seen that some vegetables, not sure if tomatoes, needs the soil to be constantly humid and that's what I'm trying to do).

Thank you! :)

(And excuse my english)

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applestar
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You don't want the soil to be too wet. Touching and pressing lightly with a dry finger, the soil should feel moist like wrung out sponge or laundry. Don't water again until the surface doesn't feel moist anymore but before it feels dried out.

Franenuss
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Thank you!


:D

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feldon30
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Franenuss wrote:Hi to you all, I'm new in here.

So, I'm trying to grow cherry tomatoes from seeds. I already put them in a pot and they germinated a few days ago. But I've noticed that the moisture of the soil it's rather saggy, and the soil itself it's quite spongy. Is this right? How do I know I've got the right moisture in the soil?
I water the soil, plant the seeds, and don't water again until the soil is starting to dry out. This can be 7 days or more. Also, are you using peat pots or plastic cells/cups? Peat pots hang onto moisture.

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gixxerific
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actually peat pots pull moisture away from the soil same thing happens with a clay pot.

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feldon30
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gixxerific wrote:actually peat pots pull moisture away from the soil same thing happens with a clay pot.
Yeah I try to discourage people from using peat pots. They compete with your seedlings for moisture.

Franenuss
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I'm using a plastic pot, and I recently noticed that there are no holes in the bottom of it, is this right for tomatoes?

And I'm keeping it moisturized, watering a little when I can see dry places in the pot, still it has an spongy sensation.

Thank you all!

:mrgreen:

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applestar
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Drainage holes are essential. Describe the container so we can determine how big and how many.

Franenuss
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It's a rectangular plastic pot, about 40cm(wide)x15cm(large)x40cm(deep). Made from plastic (the most common in garden containers). And I'm using half of the pot for the tomatoes and "saving" the other half for chili.

The tomato seeds recently sprouted, so the "plants" are no taller than 2-3 cm above the ground right now.

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feldon30
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Franenuss wrote:It's a rectangular plastic pot, about 40cm(wide)x15cm(large)x40cm(deep). Made from plastic (the most common in garden containers). And I'm using half of the pot for the tomatoes and "saving" the other half for chili.

The tomato seeds recently sprouted, so the "plants" are no taller than 2-3 cm above the ground right now.
You can plant seeds in just about anything and they'll grow. Personally, I usually start seeds in individual pots (5cm x 5cm) which sit in a rectangular tray. It looks like this:

Image

But I know people who start them in trays like you describe. You just need to poke a few holes so they drain water.



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