When to plant tomatoes for seedlings and in the ground

Terms of sowing

Tomatoes grown in mid-February, by the time of planting, have time to stretch out and get sick. Vegetables that have risen by mid-March will be stronger. Each gardener must correctly determine the date when it is necessary to plant tomato seedlings, and before that, the time of sowing.

It must be understood: when we plant plants in a permanent place, they must be provided with the most comfortable conditions. The slightest frost can destroy tomatoes and all work. If the air temperature for several days is below +5 degrees, the nightshade will stop growing and will continue to get sick.

When determining the timing of planting seedlings in a permanent place, it is necessary to take into account the region where your garden is located, the equipment of the greenhouse and permanent residence in the country. For example, in Siberia and the Leningrad region, this time will be different. In the latter region, in order to plant tomatoes in unheated greenhouses, it is better to sow after March 15th.

If you set a date for planting tomatoes, count from it 55-65 days ago. When you grow seedlings by picking, then subtract another seven days. The resulting number is the date when you need to sow tomatoes. For example, if the date of planting at a fixed place is June 1st, then you need to plant in the last days of March.

Gardeners often rely on the lunar calendar to determine the time when tomato seedlings can be planted. The phases of the moon affect every area of ​​our lives. In such a calendar, everything is scheduled for gardeners. The lunar phases recommend making the first crops on February 20-22. It is better to choose varieties for taste and for preservation: Persimmon, De Barao, Yellow Giant, Zlatozar hybrid.

All chemical and biological processes in them are inhibited. The task of the vegetable grower is to awaken and give impetus to a long chain of natural transformations.

The secrets of proper sowing

But before this can be done, the embryos must be decontaminated. To do this, they are placed for 20 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 gram per 0,5 cup of water). In order to accelerate the ripening of tomatoes, pre-sowing soaking of the embryos in solutions of microelements or growth stimulants can be carried out. You can use this method: soak in an infusion of wood ash (pour half a liter of water and add 1 tablespoon of ash). After stirring, leave the liquid for two days, stirring occasionally. Wrapped in a gauze bag of grain, you need to lower the future tomatoes for 4-5 hours.

Now your embryos are disinfected and soaked in trace elements. It is time to begin the process of awakening them. Remember – grains need oxygen, moisture and heat. Wrap them in wet gauze or a rag, placing it on a saucer. Then put it all in a plastic bag and provide heat in the range of 22-28 degrees.

It is important to know that future tomatoes cannot be soaked in a container of water – they will not receive enough oxygen and it is unacceptable to place them near batteries with temperatures above 30 degrees.

There are industrial methods for preparing embryos – drageeing, or granulation. They are covered with a protective shell of an organo-mineral nutrient mixture. If you purchased such grains, they do not need to be pre-soaked and processed. Dragee grains are planted dry so as not to wash off the protective shell.

The grains that have received heat, moisture and oxygen sprout in 2-3 days. This means that it is time to sow them. Tomatoes are grown with or without picking, while the grains are planted immediately in pots. When landing without a pick, a large area is required. More often, seedlings are grown with a pick. Pour the soil mixture into the prepared container. If you sow future seedlings in individual containers, the height from the ground to the edge should be at least 10 cm. If you plan to dive further, then a height of 6 cm is enough.

Water the soil with warm water. You can make grooves every 3-4 cm, up to 1 cm deep, and in them, after 1-2 cm, decompose the embryos. Then backfill and moisten the grooves. You can simply spread the embryos on the surface in rows, cover them with earth with a layer of 1 cm from above and water. For planting, choose sprouted grains, as they have more energy and will not lag behind in development.

Pack the container with sifted sprouts in a plastic bag. If the seed boxes are large, you can cover them with glass. This is done so that the soil mass is constantly wet. Put in a warm place with a temperature of 25-27 degrees. In this state, the tomatoes will be until the first shoots. After the plant needs to be moved to the light.

Landing time

The time when you can plant tomato seedlings is the beginning of June. It is impossible to give exact recommendations here, because each climate zone has its own characteristics. Climate change, sudden changes in weather conditions are forcing vegetable growers to plant vegetables when constant heat is established. This temperature is not lower than 20 degrees during the day and 12 degrees at night. Focus on the lunar calendar. You should look at the condition of the plants – it is better to plant them when the stem height has reached 25-30 cm. If the earth is well warmed up, after planting, the vegetables will set fruit in a week.

Residents of the southern regions should be guided by such calendar dates when it is necessary to plant tomato seedlings:

• early varieties – April 15 – May 1;
• mid-ripening vegetables – May 1-15.

Gardeners living in the central regions choose such dates when they can plant tomato seedlings:

• early plants – May 1-15;
• mid-season nightshade – June 1-10.

Vegetable growers recommend covering plants with foil after planting in open ground to avoid the threat of frost in May. In the first decade of June, it can be removed. When planting tomato seedlings, pay attention to the preparedness of the soil, as good readiness will allow the plants to adapt quickly.

Video “When to plant tomatoes for seedlings”

A video on how to correctly calculate the timing of sowing tomato seeds for seedlings, how to carry out pre-sowing seed treatment and how to sow seeds.