How to choose the right amount of seeds
• Water : There should be enough water around the seed to soften the seed and help it breathe. As soon as the seed begins to breathe, seed germination begins.
• Air : Seeds need oxygen and a certain amount of carbon dioxide to germinate. Sufficient oxygen and carbon dioxide for germinating seeds can be ensured by planting the seeds in loose soil and keeping the soil moist. However, you should be careful not to overwater so as not to clog the pores of the soil.
• Temperature : Cool-season crops such as lettuce and broccoli grow best in cooler temperatures (10˚ to 24˚C). On the other hand, warm season crops such as peppers, tomatoes and eggplants grow best in very warm temperatures (24˚ to 32˚C). If it is difficult to regulate the temperature throughout the greenhouse, you can place a heat mat under the selected plants to create ideal conditions for seed germination.
• Light : Depending on the species, light can stimulate or inhibit seed germination. Most vegetables need the same amount of light as others. However, it is important to check the seed packet to see if there are specific light requirements for the plant.
• Soil conditions : The soil for the germination of most types of seeds should have good water retention and good water release to the plants. The soil should also be free of pests, diseases and weeds. Such soil can be prepared by mixing various materials and soils, or pre-mixed and ready-to-use soil can be purchased.
How many seeds to sow to get the appropriate yield?
First of all, you should decide the desired amount of harvest for each vegetable - for example, 45 kg. tomatoes. Then you can calculate the number of seeds you need to get the yield you want. Thus, it is necessary to determine the expected yield from one plant. This can be expressed as yield per plant, yield per meter furrow or bed and in some cases yield per square meter or acre. Estimated yields can be found in some seed catalogs, depending on the type of plant, or in some cases it is indicated on the seed packet. This information can also be obtained from the previous year's harvest results. You only need to record the yield per plant. So keeping a harvest journal is always useful.
Tomatoes have already sprouted.
Desired yield and plant yield data can be used to calculate the number of plants required. After dividing the desired yield (kg) by the yield brought by one plant, you will get the amount of plants needed to obtain such a yield. In the above example, you will need at least 20 tomato plants to get 45kg. tomato harvest. However, there may be discrepancies between the calculations and the actual yield due to external factors such as weather, humidity, etc., so the yield may be lower than expected. To reduce this risk, it is recommended to plant about 10-15% more plants than intended.
The next step is to figure out how many seeds should be germinated. It is recommended to sow more seeds than necessary to compensate for germination losses. 20% should be added to the estimated total number of plants. Any excess plants can be sold or given to relatives.
In total, you would need to plant thirty seeds to get 56 kg. tomato harvest. With this information, you now know how many seeds will be needed to produce the desired yield. In addition, it is also possible to calculate the required area in the greenhouse knowing the exact amount of plants.