Sowing a tomato: timing, seed preparation

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

With the advent of spring, many gardeners are interested in such a question as sowing a tomato. The main thing here is to choose the right time. If everything is done using the recommendations of experts, you can get a great harvest. However, there are still a number of factors that should be taken into account, for example, the climatic features 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 look at the main features of growing tomatoes.

When to sow

This issue is worth dwelling on in more detail. Already in February-March, gardeners are gradually starting to prepare tomato seedlings. You can systematically prepare the soil, select seeds and purchase pots for seedlings. The time for sowing a tomato will depend on the variety you choose, as well as on the climatic conditions of the region. Tomatoes of different varieties are characterized by their ripening periods.

To get a rich harvest, every gardener should study the growing characteristics of the variety used. At the same time, at allit is not necessary to follow the instructions on the seed packaging. Often there are planting dates used in Central European countries with a warmer climate. This time may not be suitable for your region.

Different varieties of tomatoes are planted at certain times. Sowing of tall varieties begins in the period from February 20 to March 10. Early and mid-season varieties can be planted from 10 to 22 days of the first month of spring. Ultra-early tomato and cherry varieties have their own individual terms - from the beginning of April. Late-ripening species are recommended to be planted only in the third decade of the last month of winter.

You may well determine the time of sowing a tomato yourself. To do this, it is enough just to know the period that is required for the maturation of a culture. In hybrid and early varieties, the vegetative process lasts one hundred days. To this value must be added approximately 7 days spent on obtaining seedlings. Add three more days. This is the time it takes for the plants to take root. The resulting value will be the maturity of the culture. It is necessary to start planting seeds of a hybrid and early variety on April 1-2; seedlings can be transplanted into open ground as early as early June. In the first days of July, you will already be able to get the first harvest.

Sowing in a greenhouse and in the open field: what is the difference

The timing of sowing tomatoes for seedlings largely depends on how you are going to grow them. If you want to get a crop in a greenhouse, then the best time for sowing will be the period from February 26 to 2Martha. Plants for film greenhouses are planted 10 days later. Seedlings can be transplanted into open ground when they are 50-60 days old. It is worth adding to this period a week for the appearance of the first shoots and seven days for acclimatization.

When is the best time to sow tomatoes? Time must be calculated based on the climatic conditions of the region. It is worth knowing when the last frosts may be. 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 open ground. Thus, subtracting 2.5 months, we will get the approximate dates for sowing tomatoes - March 14-15.

Lunar calendar

Should I stick with it? Some summer residents are skeptical about the influence of the phases of the moon on the development of plants. Others try to use the lunar calendar for sowing tomato seeds, while others plant seedlings when it suits them. In their own way, all these points of view can be considered true. How to proceed is up to you. It is not necessary to follow the lunar calendar exactly. It is enough to know only one simple principle: vegetables, the fruits of which grow on the surface, must be planted on the growing moon, and the rest on the waning one. In the full moon and new moon, you should not plant anything at all. The best signs for picking and planting tomatoes are Capricorn, Libra and Taurus. Before sowing, the seeds must be soaked for a day in water.

Auspicious days

If you use the lunar calendar for sowing tomatoes, then the most suitable days are:

• 16, 18, 21, 22,February 25, 26.
• 1, 20-21, March 24-26.
• 17-18, 21-22, April 27-28.
• 18-19, May 24-26.
• 14-15, June 21-22.

About a month and a half after the appearance of the first shoots, tomatoes can be transplanted to a permanent place. For this period, the height of the seedlings should already reach 35 centimeters.

Terms of planting in the Urals, in Siberia, in the Moscow region

Let's take a closer look at these regions. In the Moscow region, sowing pepper and tomato for seedlings can begin as early as 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 taken into account:

• Growing place.
• Tomato varieties.
• Options to install additional lighting for early landing.
• Planting will be done under film or in a greenhouse.
• Expected weather conditions.

Sowing tomatoes for seedlings in Belarus is carried out at about the same time as in central Russia, that is, in March.

Folk omens

Many experienced gardeners pay attention to certain signs when planting vegetables for seedlings. 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 tofor lack of soil to its overgrown roots. If the sprouts are strongly stretched, the stems can turn out to be weak and thin. How to prevent seedlings from overgrowing? The main thing is to plant seeds on time. The best period for this is from the end of March to the beginning of April.

Among the possible reasons for overgrowing seedlings can also be called:

• Not enough sunlight.
• High room temperature.
• Delay of seasonal warming (cold spring).

If the seedling has overgrown, before planting in a permanent place for it, it is recommended to make a small groove and place the seedling horizontally there. Only its top should remain above the surface of the earth. If the gardener noticed that the seedlings were very stretched long before transplanting into open ground, then the number of seedlings can be doubled. This will increase the yield. The top of the seedling is cut off 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 lies in the late period of maturation. You will receive tomatoes a couple of weeks later. When planting, be sure to water and fertilize the soil well. Moisture will be an excellent growth stimulator for the seedling root system. It is not necessary to specially allow seedlings to grow. So you risk losing most of the crop. In addition, too tall sprouts will be difficult to transport to a new place. It may break down on the way.

Preparation of planting material

How to do it right? The first step is to prepare tomato seeds for sowing. ForThis process requires the use of dry or soaked planting material. Before placing the seeds in the ground, they should be additionally processed. For disinfection, the seeds can be soaked in a saline solution. It should be borne in mind that in such an environment, planting material must be kept for no longer than 10 minutes. After that, the seeds should be thoroughly washed. 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 laid out in a damp cloth in a shallow container, such as a plate. After that, they are covered with a film or lid and aged for a day. Having done this, you can start disembarking.

How to choose the right soil

Tomato seedlings will do well in soil high in humus and sod. The earth should be sufficiently loose and well ventilated. You can add a little sawdust, peat, vermiculite and perlite to it. Pre-prepared soil must be disinfected. 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:

1. For disinfection, the soil can be calcined in the oven for 10-15 minutes at a temperature of 180 to 200 degrees.
2. The earth can be heated in a microwave for a couple of minutes at 850 watts.
3. The soil can be poured with boiling water, placing it in advance in a special container with drainage.
4. Strongpotassium permanganate solution.

The soil after disinfection should be slightly moistened and kept in a warm room for 10-12 days. So microorganisms useful for plants will multiply in it.

Experienced gardeners recommend using coconut substrate for growing tomatoes. Seedlings grown in such soil will form a strong root system and will be he althy and strong.

For planting tomatoes, gardeners recommend using peat tablets. This method is convenient in that it does not require picking. To obtain seedlings by growing in a peat tablet, 2-3 seeds are used per piece. If they all sprout, you will need to leave only the strongest sprout. The rest will have to be removed. In the future, the care process 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. Planting material should be laid out without deepening into the ground (about 1 cm). After landing, the containers are covered with glass or film. You can also use a transparent lid for this purpose.

The timing of germination is influenced by factors such as seed quality and air temperature. Subject to the required thermal regime and the use of high-quality seeds, seedlings will appear within a week after planting. After that, the sprouts are recommended to provide additional artificial lighting. Illumination should be carried out according to the calculation. that seedlings need light for 15-16 hours.

After the appearance of the firstseedlings must adhere to the following rules:

1. Move seedling boxes and pots to a cool and well-lit area.
2. The air temperature for growing tomatoes should be approximately 16 degrees.
3. In a week, when the sprouts get stronger, it will be possible to increase the temperature to 20 degrees Celsius. At night, a drop of a couple of degrees is acceptable.
4. In advance, care must be taken to ensure that there are no drafts where the seedlings grow.
5. Seedlings require moderate watering. Water should be at room temperature.
6. Overmoistening of the soil should not be allowed. This can cause root rot and kill young shoots.
7. As soon as the first true leaves appear on the stems, the number of waterings can be reduced to 1 time per week.
8. When five true leaves grow, increase the number of waterings to every four days.

When seedlings can be moved to a permanent place

This issue should be taken seriously. Many gardeners who sow tomatoes in March are interested in when the finished 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 features of the region. To protect the culture from wind and other negative environmental influences, it must be covered with a film or other material.

Preparing a tomato for sowing includes such an important step as hardening. If you have the opportunity, then immediately after the first shoots appear, the boxes with seedlings must be taken out to fresh air or a balcony. Young tomatoes have 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 length of time the plants are in the sun. A week later, the containers can already be left outdoors all day. The hardening procedure helps to get strong and he althy seedlings that will successfully transfer the transplant to open ground.

As for fertilizers, you can apply top dressing for seedlings already 2-3 weeks after the first sprouts appear. 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.

In closing

Now you know how to properly sow 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. Pots, special cassettes and large containers are suitable for growing seedlings. If you want to do without a pick, then it is best to use peat tablets. When grown in pots, the root system develops better, and fruits can be obtained much earlier. When picking the seedsplanted 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 off. Then they will better tolerate the transplant procedure in open ground. Tomatoes also need fertilizer. You can feed seedlings already 14 days after germination.

If you follow all the recommendations presented in the article, you can get a rich harvest.