When spring comes, many gardeners have a question: when to plant tomatoes for seedlings? Each summer resident has his own secrets and thoughts on this matter. All are united in one thing - it is necessary to choose the right period so that the harvest ripens on time, and not by autumn.
The first thing to do before deciding when to plant tomatoes for seedlings is to decide on a place: a greenhouse or open soil.
Greenhouse and outdoor time
If you are already a summer resident with experience, then you no longer have any questions about planting. It is more difficult for beginners in this regard, because they want to do everything right, but there is not enough knowledge. Are you wondering when to plant tomato seedlings in a greenhouse? Know: in the last days of February, you will need to prepare the seeds. If everything is done correctly, then you will have a big harvest! Is it possible to grow tomatoes outdoors? Oh sure. And when to plant seedlings of tomatoes in open ground? This will need to be done in mid-March.
Detailed pickup times
If you have already decided to start planting tomatoes, then you will need to immediatelydecide when to plant tomato seedlings. It is common for seed growers to write their instructions on the other side of the packet, however the information is usually general and often not locally specific. If you strictly follow all the recommendations written on the bag, then the result may be disappointing to say the least: the plants will be thin-stemmed, weak and completely unprepared to be planted in a greenhouse or open ground.
The first thing to do is to assess the climatic conditions of your place of residence, and only then choose in which month to plant tomatoes for seedlings. Do not forget that you will also have to tinker with seedlings during their growth, perform various operations and manipulations. It will take time to devote time to this issue, so that in the end you get strong and resistant plants that are not afraid of weather changes and can bring a big harvest. When to plant tomato seeds for seedlings? The best planting time is the end of January, so spring for a true summer resident begins very early. It is useful to pay attention to the lunar calendar before landing.
How are seedlings and the lunar calendar related?
Trying to figure out when to plant tomato seedlings? Then pay attention to one more detail - the lunar calendar. Some people do not believe that the phases of the earth's satellite affect the development and growth of plants. Since ancient times, when the life of ancestors depended only on what was grown, people paid attention to the lunar cycle and always considered it, they understood that it could be otherwise.crop failure.
Every year, a lunar calendar appears on sale, which contains detailed recommendations for sowing, and you can find out when to plant tomatoes for seedlings, taking into account the lunar cycle. If you do not have the opportunity to constantly check the calendar, then you can be guided by the following tips:
- several days before the new moon and after it, it is not recommended to plant any seeds;
- tomatoes for seedlings must be planted on the growing moon, in this phase the plants grow and bear fruit better.
What you need to know in advance about seedlings?
Are you wondering how to plant tomato seedlings? Then you will need to know a little more about the variety before that. The time when you need to plant seedlings directly depends on the varieties of tomato, so pay attention to especially strong and large varieties: Russian Giant, Pink Giant, Bull's Heart. By the way, the Bull's heart is a late-ripening plant, so it should be planted in the third decade of February.
Go to seed preparation
Wondering when to plant tomato seeds for seedlings? Then know that special attention will need to be paid to the process of planting tomatoes for seedlings. Seeds are the basis of everything! You are offered a proven by many agronomists option of preparing seeds for planting. Before planting a tomato for seedlings, soak the plant seeds in advance. Then wrap them in a bandage or a regular cloth and moisten with water, in this form the seeds should lie for a day.
Soil preparation
If you have already determined when to plant seedlings of tomatoes in a greenhouse, then you can proceed to the preparatory procedures: preparing the soil, containers for seedlings. Some people prepare the soil with several components and do everything with their own hands. Usually a mixture of peat and sand is taken.
While the seedlings will grow, it will be possible to slowly add various nutrient components for fertilizer and preferably of mineral and natural origin, so that the tomatoes are free of preservatives and nitrates. Yes, this is not easy to do, and you will need patience, some expenses for the purchase of ingredients and skill. Ready soil will need to be disinfected and its acidity indicators checked.
Many gardeners know when to plant tomato seedlings, but they never get involved with creating soil, but simply use the soil from their own plot. At first glance, this may seem wrong, but gardeners understand that this method will allow you to grow seedlings in the ground, into which they will subsequently be transplanted, and the plants will quickly and easily take root in a new place.
How to properly prepare the land from the site?
You know when to plant tomato seedlings in the ground, but what to do with the soil from the site? The land will need to be prepared in advance, preferably in the fall, and kept outside during the cold season. It can be an open balcony, a barn in a private house, and so on. Such manipulations will allow you to destroy pathogenic bacteria in the ground, simply by freezing them out. Extra even betterdisinfect the soil with a special concentrated solution of potassium permanganate, or, in other words, with ordinary purple potassium permanganate.
Can I buy soil mixes?
If you don't want to work with your soil or just don't want to do everything yourself, then store-bought soil mixtures that are sold for any plants will come to your aid. You should purchase soil for seedlings labeled "Universal soil" or "For garden crops." Also, if you wish, you can purchase specialized soil for seedlings, where the label says: “For tomatoes”. It should be noted right away that this soil contains all the components necessary for the development of seedlings in the required ratio, therefore, as a result, you will get strong and he althy seedlings.
What about the seedling container?
You already know how to properly plant tomato seedlings, but nothing is known about containers yet. Ultimately, tomatoes can be planted in any container convenient for you. This can be a pallet, from which, after growing, the seedlings are transplanted into a pot or box. You can immediately plant the seeds in a box and periodically thin them out, removing excess sprouts or simply transplanting them to another box. Another great way to deal with seeds is to transplant them into special pots, from which they will then be transplanted into the ground.
Many experts recommend planting seeds in a tray first, and transplanting seedlings as they grow. This is done after they reach one centimeter. Seedlings can be planted later separately in potsone, and after that they can be planted in the ground. This is a great way to allow the plant to take root without any problems after planting.
Some tricks
You already know the approximate time when to plant seedlings of tomatoes in February, but you have not yet learned anything about some gardening tricks. If you have planted different varieties of tomatoes, it is best to sign them all. This is done so that during the autumn harvest you can draw conclusions about each type of tomato and understand whether you need to continue growing it or find something else.
Water the land for tomatoes with a spray gun so that a strong jet does not wash the seeds out of the soil. You can cover the box with film or glass, then put it in a warm place until the first shoots appear, but do not forget to monitor the soil moisture.
After the first sprouts sprout, the box will need to be placed in a lighted place, and it is also worth highlighting the seedlings in the winter.
Picking is an important step
Before you think about when to plant seedlings of tomatoes in a greenhouse, you will need to perform another pick. What it is? Now let's deal with this concept. Picking is carried out at the moment when a pair of true leaves appear on the seedlings. Everything is done with a spatula or a special fork, but be careful not to break the delicate stem of the plant. Take the seedling out of the soil, pinch off a third of the root, and place the seedlings in a separate tall-mouthed glass so you can add earth later. After picking seedlingsit will be necessary to water and remove without fail, away from sunlight, so that the plants get a little stronger.
Seedling hardening
You know how to properly plant tomato seeds for seedlings, but what to do next? Let it grow and all? No, seedlings need care. Therefore, it will be necessary to harden the plants, and the temperature should be ten degrees Celsius. You can harden on a balcony, loggia or veranda, but you will need to cover the leaves of the plant in the first days from the sun, as it can burn them. Seedlings will need to be stabbed a couple of weeks before planting in the ground. Why is this being done? You know when to plant tomatoes for seedlings, but here's how to properly plant the seedlings themselves in the ground if they are not accustomed to it? That is why hardening is carried out, seedlings are accustomed to fresh air and low temperatures. If you wish, you can simply open a window, a window or put plants on a balcony or even on the street for twenty minutes at the beginning, and then gradually increase the time daily.
Many experts say that this hardening is much better than hardening seeds heated in warm water.
What feed do you need?
Do you want your seedlings to be he althy and strong? Would you like to know how to properly plant tomato seedlings in a greenhouse? Then you will also need to feed the plants before planting. This will need to be done throughout the growth period, and you can use the following solution: 40 grams of superphosphate, 5 grams of ammonium nitrate, 12 grams of potassium chloride, all thisdiluted in water. You will need to water the seedlings with this mixture once a week, but each time the dose will need to be doubled. Feeding will need to be interrupted if the plants begin to stretch too quickly.
What should be done before seedlings of tomatoes?
Phytophthora will need to be well processed a couple of days before planting in a greenhouse or open ground. To do this, do the following: dissolve copper sulfate and boric acid in three liters of hot liquid. Take one and the other powder literally at the tip of a knife, then spray the plants with a cooled solution before planting. Do it in the morning or in the evening.
When to plant tomatoes in open ground?
Now it's worth talking in more detail about when to plant tomatoes for seedlings in open ground. The first thing you should know is the geographic location and plant variety. By the time of disembarkation, the average daily temperature on the street should already be at the level of twelve degrees Celsius and not lower. Tomato seedlings will be ready for planting when they reach 20-25 centimeters in height and have seven to nine well-developed leaves. All this is about unstretched seedlings, if your seedlings have already outgrown these indicators at the time of planting, then you should not hesitate.
Now consider the timing of planting seedlings for the central and southern regions of Russia:
- Early varieties of tomatoes. If you live in the south of Russia and grow early varieties of tomatoes, then plant them in open ground from April 15 to May 1. In the central regionsRussian seedlings should be planted from the first to the fifteenth of May.
- Mid-ripening varieties of tomatoes. In the southern zone of Russia, this type of plant should be planted in the ground from the first to the fifteenth of May. If you live in the central part of the Russian Federation, then plant seedlings from June 1 to 10. Plants planted in April-May should still be covered with foil, because the weather is completely unstable in spring and a sharp cold snap can occur. You will be able to shoot the film in June, when the bad weather will finally recede.
Choose a site for landing
Know, tomatoes are light-loving plants, so for their cultivation you will need to choose a sunny place, preferably on the south side, and it would be nice to protect the place from cold winds. Plants do not tolerate high humidity, therefore it is forbidden to plant them in damp areas where groundwater flows nearby.
For high yields, light soil with a neutral or slightly acidic environment is suitable. The optimal soil pH for growing tomatoes is 6-6.7. The best option is loamy soil, where mineral and organic fertilizers are added regularly.
It is also worth paying attention to what crops grew in this area before. It is best if the predecessors were root crops, legumes or green crops. Do not choose a site where potatoes, peppers, eggplants and physalis grew before, because there is a high probability that tomato seedlings can pick up late blight.
Preparing the garden for planting
Do not rush to make beds, because you will first need to preparevegetable garden, if you want the plants to give the maximum yield. The soil will need to be treated with a solution of copper sulfate or copper chloride. It is necessary to prepare the mixture as follows: a tablespoon of the drug for ten liters of water. Water the garden like this: about 1-1.5 liters of solution should go per square meter of soil. After that, you need to fertilize the soil. For every square meter, add organic and mineral fertilizers. Organic fertilizer is prepared as follows: take a bucket of manure humus, add a bucket of peat, and also add a bucket of sawdust. Mineral fertilizer is prepared as follows: add a couple of tablespoons of superphosphate to a tablespoon of potassium sulfate or take a couple of glasses of wood ash. After fertilizing the soil, it will still need to be dug up, and then poured with a hot solution of potassium permanganate at the rate of 3-4 liters per square meter. The soil must be prepared five to six days before planting seedlings.
Direct planting of tomatoes
Seedlings are best planted on a cloudy day. If the weather is sunny at home, then wait for the evening so that the seedlings get a little stronger overnight in a new place and begin to tolerate the sun normally.
The planting pattern depends on the variety of tomatoes, their growth and irrigation system. It is necessary to plant plants so that they do not interfere with each other's development. Each tomato should have enough air and sunlight. Medium-sized tomatoes are planted at a distance of half a meter from each other, and the row spacing is approximately sixty centimeters andmore.
If you have undersized varieties of tomatoes, then plant them at a distance of forty centimeters from each other, and leave about fifty centimeters between rows.
Seedling planting process:
- Seedlings should be well watered before planting in the soil to greatly facilitate the process of extracting the plant from boxes or pots. This will reduce the chance of root damage during transplantation.
- Holes for tomatoes must be made as deep as a shovel bayonet. Before planting, the holes must be filled with water and wait until it is all absorbed.
- When the holes are ready, carefully remove the seedlings and vertically deepen them into the ground.
- Sprinkle the root a little with earth, and around the stem it is still worth scattering compost or manure that has already rotted. Sprinkle the hole with soil, tamp it down and water it. Approximately each plant will need to spend a liter or two liters of water.
- Near each plant you need to immediately install garter pegs. Low-growing varieties fit pegs fifty centimeters high, and medium-sized tomatoes - pegs eighty centimeters. It should be said right away that it is best to tie tomatoes not to pegs, but to arcs or a specially stretched wire. It is better to use synthetic twine for a garter.
- After planting the seedlings, it is better to cover the tomatoes with a transparent film. As soon as the seedlings take root and it is warm outside, the film can be removed.
- Until the seedlings take root, they do not need to be watered. Tomatoes usually take eight to ten days to adapt. Afterthis period, the first irrigation can be carried out, and two weeks after planting, the tomatoes can be spudded.
Helpful tips from experienced gardeners
Do you want your seedlings to take root in a new place, not get sick, grow well and bear fruit? Then slaughtering seedlings is a must! Do this from the beginning of March, you can simply take the seedlings to the balcony, especially if there is still snow on the street and the temperature is low. So the tomatoes will get used to the bad weather and they will not be afraid of heavy rain or sudden changes in temperature.
If you're new to gardening but want to know what's what, don't rush. Chat with familiar summer residents, ask them everything in detail about the garden business, so that your first pancake is not lumpy.
The most important thing to never forget: love plants, take care of them and always monitor their condition, be careful. All living things feel the attitude towards themselves, and in return for your love and care, you will have a bountiful harvest of tomatoes.
Follow all the above recommendations and instructions, then you can grow delicious tomatoes that can not be compared with store-bought. You will be able to please your family and friends with fresh vegetables straight from the garden, in which there are no preservatives and any additives - everything is natural, environmentally friendly and safe.
Enjoy juicy and ripe tomatoes that you grow yourself all summer, and then you can make a good preservation for the winter.
