With the advent of spring, many gardeners are interested in such a question as planting a tomato. The main thing here is to choose the right time. If you do everything using the recommendations of specialists, you can get a wonderful harvest. However, there are still a number of factors that should be taken into account, for example, the climatic characteristics of the region or the variety of tomatoes. It is also important to choose a place to land. It can be both a greenhouse and open ground. In this review, we will consider the main features of growing a tomato.
When to sow
This question is worth dwelling in more detail. Already in February-March, gardeners are gradually starting to begin preparing tomato seedlings. You can systematically harvest the soil, select seeds and purchase pots for seedlings. Sowing time for a tomato will depend on the variety you choose, as well as the climatic conditions of the region. Tomatoes of various varieties are characterized by their ripening dates.
To get a rich harvest, each gardener must study the features of growing the variety used. In this case, it is not necessary to follow the instructions indicated on the seed packaging. Often there are indicated sowing dates used in Central European countries with a warmer climate. For your region, this time may not be appropriate.
Different varieties of tomatoes are planted at a certain time. Sowing tall varieties begin in the period from February 20 to March 10. Early and mid-ripening varieties can be planted from 10 to 22 days of the first month of spring. Ultra early varieties of tomato and cherry have their own individual dates - from the beginning of April. Late-ripe species are recommended to be planted only in the third decade of the last month of winter.
You can well and independently determine the time of planting a tomato. To do this, it is enough to know the period required for the maturation of the culture. In hybrid and early varieties, the vegetative process lasts a hundred days. To this value it is necessary to add about 7 days spent on shoots. Add three more days. This time is required for the plants to take root. The resulting value will be the maturity of the culture. It is necessary to start planting seeds of the hybrid and early varieties on April 1-2, in the open ground seedlings can be transplanted already in early June. In early July, you can already get the first crop.
Sowing in the greenhouse and in the open field: what is the difference
The timing of planting tomatoes for seedlings largely depends on how you are going to grow them. If you want to get the crop in the greenhouse, then the best time for sowing will be the period from February 26 to March 2. Plants for film greenhouses are planted 10 days later. In open ground, seedlings can be transplanted when it turns 50-60 days. It should be added to this period a week for the appearance of the first shoots and seven days for acclimatization.
When is it best to plant a tomato? Time must be calculated based on the climatic conditions of the region. It is worth knowing when there may be the last frost. For example, in the south of the Urals this is the period from late May to early June. It is at this time that tomatoes can already be transplanted into the open ground. Thus, taking away 2.5 months, we get approximate dates for sowing tomatoes - March 14-15.
Moon calendar
Should I stick with it? Some summer residents are skeptical of the influence of the phases of the moon on the development of plants. Others try to use the lunar calendar for planting tomato seeds, while others plant seedlings when it is convenient. In their own way, all these points of view can be considered true. What to do, it's up to you. It is not necessary to follow the lunar calendar exactly. It is enough to know only one simple principle: vegetables whose fruits grow on the surface must be planted on the growing moon, and the rest on the waning one. In the full moon and the new moon it’s not worth planting anything at all. The best signs for picking and planting tomatoes are Capricorn, Libra and Taurus. Before sowing, seeds must be soaked for a day in water.
Auspicious days
If you use the lunar calendar to plant a tomato, then the most suitable days are:
- February 16, 18, 21, 22, 25, 26.
- March 1, 20-21, 24-26.
- April 17-18, April 21-22, April 27-28.
- May 18-19, May 24-26.
- June 14-15, June 21-22.
About a month and a half after the appearance of the first seedlings, tomatoes can be transplanted to a permanent place. For this period, the height of the seedlings should already reach 35 centimeters.
Landing dates in the Urals, in Siberia, in the suburbs
Let's take a closer look at these regions. In the Moscow Region, sowing pepper and tomato seedlings can begin in March. For the Urals and Siberia, these dates are slightly shifted to the end of March - April.
In order to accurately calculate the landing time, the following factors must be considered:
- Place of cultivation.
- Varieties of tomatoes.
- Possibilities of installing additional lighting during early landing.
- Planting will be done under a film or in a greenhouse.
- The expected weather conditions.
Sowing tomato seedlings in Belarus is carried out at about the same time as in central Russia, that is, in March.
Omens
Many experienced gardeners when planting vegetables for seedlings pay attention to certain signs. According to them, as soon as the first snowdrops bloom, you can plant tomatoes for seedlings. As soon as the lilac or mountain ash blossoms, the culture can already be moved to its permanent place.
Problems with overgrown seedlings
What to do in this situation? Often the seedlings are pulled up, it starts to hurt in a small cell where the seeds were planted due to lack of soil to its overgrown roots. If the sprouts are very elongated, the stems can turn out to be weak and thin. How to prevent overgrowing seedlings? The main thing is to plant the seeds on time. The best period for this is from late March to early April.
Among the possible causes of overgrowing seedlings can also be called:
- Not enough sunlight.
- High temperature indoors.
- Seasonal warming lag (cold spring).
If the seedlings have grown, before planting in a permanent place, it is recommended to make a small groove for it and lay a seedling horizontally there. Above the surface of the earth should remain only its top. If the gardener noticed that the seedlings had greatly stretched long before transplanting into the open ground, then the number of seedlings can be doubled. This will increase the yield. The crown is cut off from seedlings and placed in a container of water.
When it takes root, the seedling can be immediately planted in the ground. The disadvantage of this method is the late ripening period. You will get tomatoes a couple of weeks later. When planting, you must definitely water and fertilize the soil. Moisture will be an excellent growth stimulator for the root system of seedlings. It is not necessary to specifically allow overgrowing of seedlings. So you risk losing most of the crop. In addition, sprouts that are too tall will be difficult to transport to a new place. It can break down along the way.
Preparing planting material
How to do it right? The first step is to prepare tomato seeds for sowing. For this process, it is necessary to use dry or soaked planting material. Before placing the seeds in the soil, they should be further processed. For disinfection, seeds can be soaked in saline. It should be borne in mind that in such an environment, planting material must be kept for no longer than 10 minutes. After this, the seeds should be thoroughly rinsed. Then they should be transferred to clean water and wait until they swell.
Preparing a tomato for sowing is not particularly difficult. Seeds must be placed in a moist cloth in a shallow container, such as a plate. After that, they are covered with a film or a lid and aged for a day. After doing this, you can proceed with the landing.
How to choose the right soil
Tomato seedlings will be good in soil with a high content of humus and turf. The earth should be sufficiently loose and well ventilated. You can add a little sawdust, peat, vermiculite and perlite to it. Prepared soil must be decontaminated. This procedure will remove pests and infections from the soil. There are several ways to disinfect. You can choose one of them or combine several at once.
Here are the main ones:
- For disinfection, the soil can be calcined in an oven for 10-15 minutes at a temperature of 180 to 200 degrees.
- The earth can be heated in the microwave for a couple of minutes at a power of 850 watts.
- Soil can be poured with boiling water, placing it in advance in a special container with drainage.
- For processing, a strong solution of potassium permanganate is sometimes used.
After disinfection, the soil needs to be moistened a little and kept in a warm room for 10-12 days. So microorganisms useful for plants multiply in it.
Experienced gardeners recommend using coconut substrate for growing tomatoes. Seedlings grown in such soil form a strong root system, will be healthy and strong.
For planting tomatoes, gardeners recommend the use of peat tablets. This method is convenient in that it does not require a dive. To obtain seedlings by growing in a peat tablet for one thing, 2-3 seeds are used. If they all sprout, you will need to leave only the strongest sprout. The rest will have to be deleted. In the future, the process of care is carried out in the same way as when sowing in the soil.
When planting seeds in the ground, it is necessary to use pots or boxes with a depth of at least 10 cm. Spread the planting material should not be deeply buried in the ground (about 1 cm). After disembarkation, the containers are covered with glass or film. You can also use a transparent cover for this purpose.
Germination periods are influenced by factors such as seed quality and air temperature. Subject to the required thermal conditions and the use of high-quality seeds, seedlings will appear within a week after planting. After this, the sprouts are recommended to provide additional artificial lighting. The backlight should be carried out from the calculation. that the seedlings need 15-16 hours of light.
After the appearance of the first shoots, you must always adhere to the following rules:
- Transfer boxes and pots with seedlings to a cool and well-lit place.
- The temperature when growing tomatoes should be approximately 16 degrees.
- In a week, when the sprouts get stronger, it will be possible to increase the temperature to 20 heat. At night, a couple of degrees reduction is acceptable.
- It is necessary in advance to ensure that there is no drafts where seedlings are growing.
- Seedlings require moderate watering. Water should have room temperature.
- Waterlogging of the soil can not be allowed. This can cause root decay and destroy young shoots.
- As soon as the first true leaflets appear on the stems, the amount of watering can be reduced to 1 time per week.
- When five true leaves grow, the number of irrigations is increased to once every four days.
When seedlings can be moved to a permanent place
This issue should be taken seriously. Many gardeners who plant tomato in March are interested in when ready seedlings can be planted in a permanent place. The main condition is the absence of frost. As a rule, seedlings begin to be planted already in late May - early June. It should also be borne in mind that the landing time depends on weather conditions and climatic characteristics of the region. To provide the culture with protection from wind and other negative environmental influences, it must be covered with a film or other material.
Preparing a tomato for sowing involves such an important step as hardening. If you have the opportunity, then immediately after the appearance of the first shoots, boxes with seedlings must be taken out to fresh air or a balcony. Young tomatoes have a natural UV protection. Therefore, you can not be afraid of burns. Accustom tomatoes to walks gradually. It is better to start with 15 minutes and increase the duration of the plants in the sun. A week later, the containers can already be left in the fresh air all day. The hardening procedure helps to obtain strong and healthy seedlings that will successfully transfer the transplant to the open ground.
As for fertilizers, you can add fertilizer for seedlings already 2-3 weeks after the appearance of the first sprouts. Organic fertilizers are best suited for this purpose. You can also water the seedlings once a week with liquid complex mineral compounds. Experienced gardeners recommend using only half of the dose indicated in the instructions.
Finally
Now you know how to properly plant tomato seeds in March or another month suitable for your region. At the first stage, it is necessary to prepare planting material, prepare the soil and select containers for planting. For growing seedlings, pots, special cassettes and large containers are suitable. If you want to do without picking, it is best to use peat tablets. When grown in pots, the root system develops better, and the fruits can be obtained much earlier. When picking, seeds are planted quite tightly. Subsequently, they will need to be transplanted into separate cups. It is important to provide seedlings with quality care. Be sure to observe the temperature regime and irrigation scheme. Young plants need to be hardened. Then they will better transfer the transplant procedure to the open ground. Tomatoes also require fertilizers. You can feed seedlings after 14 days after the emergence of seedlings.
If you adhere to all the recommendations presented in the article, you can get a rich harvest.