What time should you plant tomatoes for seedlings?
Content
Sowing dates
Tomatoes grown in mid-February manage to stretch out and get sick by the time of disembarkation. Vegetables that have risen by mid-March will be stronger. Each gardener must correctly independently determine the date when it is necessary to plant tomato seedlings, and before that - the sowing time.
It is necessary to understand: when we plant the plants in a permanent place, they should be provided with the most comfortable conditions. The slightest frost can destroy tomatoes and all labor. If the air temperature for several days is below +5 degrees, nightshades will stop growing and will hurt in the future.
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, sowing is best done after March 15th.
If you marked the date when to plant tomatoes, count from it 55-65 days ago. When you grow seedlings with a pick, then take another seven days. The resulting number is the date when the tomatoes should be sown. For example, if the landing date for a fixed place is June 1, then you need to plant in the last days of March.
Gardeners often rely on the lunar calendar to determine when tomato seedlings can be planted. The phases of the moon affect all areas of our lives. In such a calendar, everything is scheduled for the gardeners. Lunar phases are recommended to do the first crops on February 20-22. It is better to choose varieties for taste and for preservation: "Persimmon", "De Barao", "Yellow giant", hybrid "Zlatozar".
All chemical and biological processes in them are inhibited. The vegetable grower's task is to wake up and give impetus to a long chain of natural transformations.
Secrets of correct seeding
But before doing this, the embryos must be disinfected. To do this, they are placed in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes (1 gram per 0.5 glass of water). In order to accelerate the ripening of tomatoes, pre-sowing soaking of the embryos in solutions of trace elements or growth stimulants can be performed. You can use this method: soak in an infusion of wood ash (pour half a liter of water and add 1 tbsp. L ash). After stirring, leave the liquid for two days, stirring occasionally. Having wrapped the grain in a gauze bag, you need to lower the future tomatoes for 4-5 hours.
Now your embryos are disinfected and soaked in trace elements. Now is the time to begin the process of awakening them. Remember - grains need oxygen, moisture and heat. Wrap them in wet cheesecloth or a rag and place it on a saucer. Then put all this in a plastic bag and provide heat in the range of 22-28 degrees.
It is important to know that you cannot soak future tomatoes in a container with water - they will not receive enough oxygen and should not be placed near batteries with a temperature above 30 degrees.
There are industrial methods for preparing embryos - pelleting, or pelleting. They are covered with a protective shell made of organic mineral nutritional mixture.If you purchased such grains, they do not need to be soaked and processed beforehand. The pelleted grains are planted dry so as not to wash off the protective shell.
Grains that have received heat, moisture and oxygen sprout in 2-3 days. This means it's time to sow them. Tomatoes are grown with or without a pick, while grains are planted directly in pots. When landing without a dive, 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 sufficient.
Water the soil with warm water. You can make grooves every 3-4 cm up to 1 cm deep and spread the embryos in them after 1-2 cm. Then fill in and moisturize the grooves. You can simply lay out the embryos on the surface in rows, cover them with 1 cm of earth on top and water them. Choose sprouted grains for planting, 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, cover them with glass. This is done to keep the soil mass constantly moist. Place in a warm place with a temperature of 25-27 degrees. Tomatoes will be in this state until the first shoots. After the plant, you need to transfer it to the light.
Landing time
The timing when you can plant tomato seedlings is the beginning of June. It is impossible to give precise recommendations here, because each climatic zone has its own characteristics. Climate change, abrupt changes in weather conditions force 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 height of the stem has reached 25-30 cm. If the ground is well warmed up, after planting the vegetables will tie the fruits 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-season vegetables - May 1-15.
Gardeners living in the central regions choose the dates when you can plant tomato seedlings:
- early plants - May 1-15;
- mid-season nightshade - June 1-10.
Vegetable growers recommend covering the 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 quickly adapt.
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.