What days to plant tomatoes in March. How and when to plant tomatoes according to the lunar calendar. Early planting - problems with overgrown seedlings

Tomato is a very heat-loving crop. Just a few decades ago, in northern latitudes, planting tomatoes in the ground without any shelter was out of the question. Due to climate warming, this has become possible not only in large-scale greenhouse shelters. Every gardener tries to grow this tasty and healthy vegetable on one's own. With what pride he then talks about the process of sowing seeds in March, picking in April, growing seedlings, planting in the ground and a high harvest. For this period, the Lunar calendar becomes his reference book. Everything is studied favorable days for sowing.

To get a good tomato harvest, seedlings should be planted on time.

Preparing to plant seeds for seedlings

To get a high-quality harvest, planting tomatoes in March 2019 must be approached with all responsibility. If you decide to grow seedlings yourself, without resorting to the services of people professionally involved in this, you should prepare the necessary equipment. You will need:

containers for sowing seeds for seedlings;
disinfectants (potassium permanganate, soda, Fitosporin powder);
film or glass for covering planted seeds;
prepared heated soil;
quality seed varieties.

Containers should be voluminous, but shallow, preferably made of plastic. Lightweight transparent sweet packaging is suitable. Soil can be purchased at a specialty store. It is disinfected and safer because... undergone chemical treatment.

If you use soil from the garden, you need to tinker with it. There are known methods for disinfecting soil:
calcination in the oven at temperatures up to 200 °C;
disinfection with boiling water;

dousing the soil with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

It is better to purchase tomato seeds packaged in special stores. They must have high-quality original packaging. The finished planting material has undergone careful screening and processing. Such seeds have a guarantee of quality and good germination.

Those who love their own harvest prepare in advance for the planting season. All vegetable and berry crops, greens, require the necessary watering, sowing, planting and feeding with fertilizers. If these rules are not followed, the quality of the harvest will be low. In early March, when everything necessary is ready for sowing, experienced gardeners mark the favorable planting days they have chosen on their calendar. Those who do not have much experience in this matter successfully use the Lunar calendar. Every year it can be purchased at any bookstore. point of sale. Every year, astronomers observe stars and create a calendar based on their findings. He gives a lot of necessary recommendations to help plan work on land plots.

Vegetable growers know how the influence of zodiac signs can stimulate, as well as inhibit, the growth of fruit and vegetable crops. Some days of the week can have both positive and negative effects on the growth and life of plants.

In our case, the Lunar calendar accurately indicates the favorable days of the week when tomatoes can be planted in March 2019. In March, you can start planting tomatoes for seedlings: March 20, 21, 24–26, 28.

Planting seeds for seedlings

Packaged seeds do not require serious treatment for sowing, but it never hurts to be on the safe side; to do this, you should treat the seeds in disinfecting solutions. They are easy to prepare:

A weak solution of potassium permanganate (a pinch on the tip of a knife in half a glass of water). The seeds wrapped in a thin cloth are kept in the solution for up to 15 minutes and washed thoroughly after processing.
In a solution of soda ash, diluted in the same way, soak the seeds for a day. This solution promotes early fruit set.
The seeds can remain in a solution of Fitosporin (half a teaspoon in half a glass of water) for up to one and a half hours.
Dilute prepared aloe juice from the pharmacy with water. The seeds can remain in the solution from 12 hours to a day. This treatment is very good, because... helps increase immunity in plants, improves yield and quality of fruits.

If you use some of these disinfection methods, you can get healthy and high-quality seedlings.

Before sowing, the soil is moistened and left in a warm room for several days. When all the preparatory processes are completed, you can start planting seeds in the soil, not forgetting to take into account favorable days for planting according to the Lunar calendar. The prepared container is filled with earth, small depressions are made in it at a distance of several centimeters from each other. One grain is placed in each cavity.

After laying, everything is lightly sprinkled with soil. The less often the seeds are sown, the later the seedlings can be planted.

Place film or glass tightly on top of the planting container to prevent air from passing through, maintaining a certain microclimate and air humidity inside. Seedling containers must be placed in a warm place.

Seeds can be soaked in Fitosporin solution

Growing seedlings

Soil moisture should be checked every day. As it dries, lightly spray with water from a spray bottle. If the humidity is excessive, open the film or glass slightly and let the soil dry. Occasionally, mold forms on the surface of the soil. In this case, remove the upper affected layer and treat with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. At warm air temperatures in the room with seedlings, the first shoots appear after 5 days.

It is impossible to get even, strong seedlings without good lighting. To do this, you need to find the brightest place in the room and plant the seedlings there. In March there may still be a lack of daylight. You can organize lighting using a fluorescent lamp. The first shoots should be kept in high humidity; dried soil is unacceptable. In this situation, it is better not to remove the film or glass for as long as possible.

Open it slightly every day so that the seedlings begin to get used to the air and at the same time be in greenhouse conditions. As soon as the seedlings begin to rest against the film, it should be removed so that it does not interfere with developing plants.

When the seedlings were in shelter, they did not need frequent watering. Outdoors, the soil dries out quickly. Watering tomato seedlings requires great care. It is better to do this with a syringe at the root in the morning. If you do this during the day, the soil will quickly dry out and become crusty. If you water in the evening, the water will stand, which is harmful for young shoots.

On warm, sunny, windless days, mature seedlings can be walked on fresh air, taking the container with plants outside for a short period of time. Tomato seedlings love straight lines. Sun rays. You can start hardening from a few minutes, each time increasing the time spent in the air.

A few weeks after the first shoots, you can start fertilizing. Subsequently, you need to fertilize every week. It is recommended to use natural organic fertilizers made from a mixture of manure and grass.

Picking

You should start picking when real leaves appear on the stem. This usually happens in April. In this case, you can again use the recommendation of the Lunar calendar on what day is best to transplant tomatoes. Favorable days:

March 20–26;
8–12; April 26–28.

Tomatoes are not afraid of transplantation, but you should still do it with special care. Plants should be replanted with lumps on the roots, and each sprout should be picked up very carefully. During the first transplant, planting material is planted in a container of about 200 grams. After a few weeks, you can dive a second time. The size of the containers should be larger. Be sure to continue proper watering and hardening.

At the age of 1.5 months, when the planting material at home reaches a certain height and expels the first flower clusters, it should be transplanted to a permanent place of residence: in a greenhouse, greenhouse or open ground. The transplantation process cannot be delayed, because... this may lead to reduced yield. If it is not possible to plant the seedlings on the desired day, you can remove the flower cluster. New flowers will appear only in a week. Before planting, healthy tomato seedlings should have thick stems, large leaves, a strong root system and set buds.

The lunar calendar helps gardeners and gardeners grow a bountiful harvest of tomatoes.

Good afternoon everyone. We continue the tomato topic, and let me immediately remind you that in the previous article, we talked about what are the best ones to choose for planting in a greenhouse or open ground, taking into account climatic conditions cultivation of crops.

I hope that the seeds have already been selected, purchased, or stored since last fall, which means that it’s time to figure out the specifics of planting these vegetables for seedlings. And this post is dedicated to such a pressing issue.

Today we will look at the issues that concern everyone: this year’s planting dates, seed preparation, and sowing methods. So be careful and read slowly.

When to plant tomatoes for seedlings according to the 2019 lunar calendar

In fact, growing tomatoes begins quite early, and it is very important to accurately determine the planting date.

Many gardeners and gardeners rely on the lunar calendar, which is based on the growth phases of the moon. Such an assistant is considered quite successful in this matter, but do not forget about the region where the vegetable is grown and the characteristics of the chosen variety, and also pay due attention to your experience.

And remember one thing Golden Rule, it’s better to be a little late with tomato seedlings than to rush, otherwise the seeds sown too early will “toil.”

Now let's directly turn to 2019 itself and see what it recommends to us.

I repeat once again, do not forget about the climatic conditions of growing the crop; in the Urals, Siberia and in the northern regions, spring comes later, so it is better to devote time to seedlings in early April.

It is preferable to plant early tomato varieties in the second half of February. But large tomatoes - in the third ten days of February.

And since I am a resident of the Moscow region, I give the following recommendations on this issue:

early tomatoes for open ground - early April;
early tomatoes for planting in the ground under film covers - the second half of March;
tall tomatoes for greenhouses - late March;
low-growing tomatoes for greenhouses - early to mid-April;
large tomatoes - early March.

If you don't trust lunar calendar, then you can easily and simply calculate the planting date for seedlings. And this is done as follows:

To independently calculate the sowing time, focus on the growing season. Thus, in early and hybrid varieties, the growing season is observed in 100 days. To this time, add the time it takes for the sprout to emerge. This is about a week. Plus the survival time of seedlings is three more days. That is, the total period is 110 days. Next, count down in reverse order - 110 days from the estimated harvest day, this will be the date of sowing the seeds.

As you can see, nothing complicated, simple mathematics)) And we move on to the next question.

How to select and prepare seeds for seedlings

Seed preparation is very important, because the quality, and therefore the future harvest, depends on them.

Purchased and homemade seeds require special preparation. This condition also applies to the soil in which the tomato will be grown.

There are several ways to prepare seeds for sowing: dressing, soaking, germination.

But before I tell you about the features of preparing seeds, I want to give a couple more tips on what you should pay attention to when purchasing and choosing a variety:

Climatic conditions.
Manufacturer.
Best before date.
The name of the variety and the F1 icon must be indicated on the packaging,
Information on seed germination.
Pay attention to whether tomatoes are intended for planting in open ground or for a greenhouse.
Also, do not forget to look for early or late varieties.
Well, the purpose of vegetables (for salads, canning, etc.)

Now we move on to preparing the seeds for sowing.

The first thing you need to do is disinfect them, this way you will destroy pathogens. To do this, wrap the seeds in gauze and dip them in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate (2.5 g per 1 cup of water) for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse the seeds under running water and dry a little.

When you complete the disinfection process, then I recommend germinating them . This process accelerates the emergence of seedlings . Take a paper napkin, moisten it with water and fold it in half. Place the pickled tomato seeds on one end of the napkin and cover them with the other end.

Place the napkin with the seeds on a saucer or small plastic plate. Next, we place the entire saucer in a bag and place it in a warm place (for example, near a radiator). Constantly moisten the napkin so that the seeds on it do not dry out.

Usually seeds germinate on the 3-5th day. Select all seeds that have hatched by this time for sowing. Ungerminated seeds should not be sown!!

Advice! Germinated seeds can be placed in the refrigerator for a day; this will result in a kind of hardening of the seedlings, which will further facilitate its acclimatization after diving and transplanting into the ground.

Soil can be purchased at a gardening store. Choose any universal soil for growing vegetable seedlings. Also, this mixture can be “diluted” with garden soil. But the land from the street needs to be cultivated. It needs to be brought into the room 3-5 days before sowing so that it has time to warm up. Also, water the soil well with a pink solution of potassium permanganate and let it stand for another 1-2 days. Only after this can it be mixed with the store-bought substrate in equal parts.

And finally, you need to choose containers for seedlings.

For sowing, you can use seedling boxes or separate containers. Sowing seeds in containers of each type differs only in that seedlings from large containers, when they reach a certain size, should be picked, and sprouts from cups can be transplanted immediately into open ground.

Only after all these manipulations have been carried out can you proceed to sowing seeds.

How to sow tomatoes for seedlings at home

1. If you have seeds that were previously germinated, then you need to transfer them into the soil very carefully. It is best to use tweezers.

2. Each seed should be placed vertically, pointing the sprout upward, and the seeds should be carefully sprinkled with dry soil on top and not pressed down.

3. There is no need to water the seedlings, just sprinkle the soil from a spray bottle with warm water that has been standing for 24 hours to compact the soil.

4. If you have swollen or dry seeds, then any sowing method will do. You can use wooden boxes or common containers. Make prepared grooves using wooden sticks or a dull knife. Simply draw stripes on the soil, which are about 1 cm deep and the distance between the lines is about 4 cm.

5. Place tomato seeds in the prepared grooves at intervals of 2-2.5 cm.

Remember!! You need to water the soil before sowing the seeds.

6. Sprinkle the seeds with a 1 cm layer of soil and compact it a little, simply pressing down with your fingers.

7. All that remains is to cover the boxes with cellophane and put them in a warm place for 7-10 days.

8. When green shoots appear, remove the film immediately. The growing temperature should not be lower than 23 degrees.

Another great way to grow seedlings is to sow seeds in disposable plastic cups. Now we will analyze all the stages in detail.

Let's take it plastic cup and make a drainage hole in it. Next, pour the drainage itself (expanded clay, small pebbles or eggshells) onto the bottom. Fill the glass with soil and water well with warm water.

We make small holes (1-2 cm) in the ground and sow 2-3 seeds in them.

Carefully spray the crops with a spray bottle. Cover the containers themselves with film and place in a warm place.

Watering the seeds after sowing and until the seedlings become stronger can only be done with a spray bottle.

For good growth, seedlings need to be in the light for at least 12 hours a day. If you can’t organize this, then purchase lamps for additional lighting.

Diving tomato

The next stage in preparing seedlings is to pick them up, and this stage is required if the seeds are planted in a common container.

Before diving, be sure to water the seedlings thoroughly. Next, remove the plant using a knife or small metal spatula. Try to capture not only the plant itself, but also a lump of earth between the roots.

During the dive, you can pinch the central root by a third, this will stimulate the growth of the root system, and the plant itself will become more powerful.

It is better to throw out weak and damaged plants. And having chosen the strongest and most robust tomatoes, plant them in a separate container, one or two plants in each. If you choose the method of planting in pairs, at the stage of formation of the fourth or fifth leaf you will need to pinch the weaker tomato and tie the stems of both plants with nylon thread. In this way, it will be possible to grow stronger seedlings that will give a bountiful harvest.

Remember that containers with pickled tomatoes should not be placed in too bright sunlight. Therefore, at first it is better to use artificial lighting or place the seedlings on dimly lit window sills.

If the tomato seeds were initially planted in a separate container, then the picking step can be skipped, but I recommend picking the seedlings.

To do this, they need to be thinned out, leaving a strong plant (if several seeds have sprouted in one container). But do not pull out the “extra” seedling from the ground, but pinch it off just above the soil level.

If you took several varieties of tomatoes, do not forget to stick their names on the cups, so you will not confuse the seedlings.

You need to water the seedlings with settled, boiled or melt water, which is heated or kept near heating devices. The water temperature for irrigation should be about 20 degrees.
It is necessary to fertilize seedlings if appearance the plants are lethargic, and the leaves are drooping and yellowed. Apply fertilizing by first diluting the fertilizer in water for irrigation.
Before planting in a permanent place, harden off the seedlings. That is, 10-14 days before planting, open the windows in the room, and later take the boxes out to the balcony for a few minutes, and only then leave the tomatoes outside, but do not forget to shade the plants from the sun.
You can plant seedlings in a greenhouse or in a garden bed when 6-7 true leaves have appeared on the plant, and the first buds have also appeared. And the height is more than 15 cm, the stem must be strong and have bright green foliage.

Video on how to sow tomatoes in twists

Well, after preparing the seedlings, we are left with the final stage - transplanting the finished seedlings to a permanent place of growth. But more on that later.

I really have never tried this method, but they say that this method is very successful. In general, watch the story, you will see everything for yourself.

Planting seedlings in a polycarbonate greenhouse

Well, now it’s time to consider the features of planting seedlings in open ground or in a greenhouse, that is, directly in the place where tomatoes will grow and delight us with their fruits.

So, landing is usually carried out in the late afternoon or in cloudy weather. And the soil at the depth of the roots should already warm up to 10-16 degrees. If the soil temperature is lower, the seedlings most likely will not take root, and if the soil cools down to 2 degrees, the plants will die.

Immediately before planting, you need to prepare the soil. I found the stages of soil preparation, I’m sharing with you:

sanding (carried out in the fall for heavy, wet soil at the rate of 1 bucket of sand per 1 sq.m);
liming (used to reduce soil acidity; for this purpose, during autumn or spring digging, lime powder is added to the soil at the rate of 0.5-0.8 kg per 1 sq.m);
disinfection (in the spring the soil is treated with a hot (70-80⁰C) solution of copper sulfate at the rate of 1 liter per 1 sq.m);
application of organic fertilizers (when digging the soil, add humus or rotted compost at the rate of 3-7 kg per 1 sq.m);
application of mineral fertilizers is carried out during spring digging of the soil to a depth of 15-20 cm.

Now we will briefly consider the moments of planting seedlings in open ground, and then we will move on in detail to the issue of transplanting into a greenhouse.

Immediately before planting, form beds (width 100-120 cm, height 15-20 cm) and make holes at a distance of 35-45 cm in a row and 55-75 cm between rows. If the seedling is in a peat tablet or cup, then simply lower it into the hole without removing it. From other containers you need to carefully remove the earthen lump with the plant.

1-1.5 hours before planting, the seedlings need to be thoroughly watered so that during transplantation the earthen lump does not crumble and the roots are not damaged.

Place the seedlings in the holes vertically and cover them with fertile soil up to the cotyledons or the first pair of true leaves. Next, carefully press the soil and water it. Now place pegs (50-80 cm high) so that around the 12th day you can tie the plants to them.

After planting, do not water the tomato bushes for a week.

Stages of planting tomato seedlings in a greenhouse:

1. Soil preparation. It is best to remove the top layer of soil and water the renewed soil with copper sulfate (1 tablespoon per bucket of water). Next, be sure to ventilate the room. Then dig up last year's beds with humus and cover with a greenhouse before planting tomatoes.

Fresh manure cannot be used as fertilizer!

Also keep in mind that tomato seedlings cannot be planted in soil where nightshades previously grew, namely tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, physalis, but after cucumbers and potatoes, on the contrary, it is necessary.

2. Landing. First, choose a day, preferably cloudy, and make sure the soil is already well warmed up. Next, pay attention to the planting depth: the root should be completely in the soil, but the growth point should not be covered - it is approximately 15 cm deep; it would be good to put humus or other fertilizer in the recesses.

If the plant has yellow leaves, remove them. Compact the soil around the plant and sprinkle with soil. After transplanting, water the tomatoes generously, under each bush. Then do not water the plants for a week, otherwise all development will be spent on stem growth.

3. Watering. In the future, water the tomatoes rarely, but generously and best in the morning.

Now I’ll show you the schemes for planting tomatoes for polycarbonate greenhouses.

The planting pattern is two-row: the width of the bed should be about 1.5 meters, and the length - as much as you like, taking into account that the distance between plants should be about 30-60 cm.
Checkerboard - planting bushes in 2 rows, about 50 cm apart, at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other, forming 2-3 stems. This scheme is suitable for low-growing, early-ripening varieties.
Checkerboard order, but for tall species, every 60 cm with a distance of 75 cm between rows.

So, planting tomato seedlings has its own specific algorithm. But in order not to be mistaken in the distance between plants, carefully study the seed packaging, because it will most accurately describe planting in the ground. In any case, you should not plant more often than 30 cm apart and no further than 80 cm.

If you have a small distance, then the tomatoes will wither from a lack of nutrients, and if it is very large, then there will be a small harvest, and accordingly the fruits will grow and ripen more slowly.

Is it possible to plant peppers, tomatoes and eggplants together?

And in conclusion, I would like to answer the question that worries many gardeners - is it possible to plant tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in one greenhouse?!

So, it is better to grow tomatoes and eggplants, as well as potatoes, as far apart as possible. Since all kinds of diseases and pests can move from one plant to another. Plus there are also differences in planting tomatoes and eggplants, which is why you can’t plant them next to each other:

To save tomatoes from the heat, the glass of the greenhouse is sprayed with chalk; in such conditions, night falls for the eggplants, and this does not have a very good effect on their growth.
Tomatoes need a draft for the flowers to be pollinated; eggplants will not grow in drafts.
Eggplants need high humidity, but with such humidity, tomato flowers will not be pollinated, because pollen from the bush will not be able to fly;
Tomatoes need space and high greenhouses.

Therefore, you cannot plant tomatoes and eggplants together!!

As for pepper, yes, you can!! Since when choosing neighbors for tomatoes, you need to take into account what they love most. For example, tomatoes prefer the sun, but cannot stand the heat. They also require moderate humidity and abundant but not frequent watering. Therefore, such vegetables will be excellent neighbors different types greens: dill and parsley, green onions, as well as radishes, melon, watermelon, green beans, peas and peppers.

I hope I have answered all your questions about preparing and planting tomato seedlings in 2019. If you have any questions, write, I will try to answer them. And also share the article on in social networks, I will be immensely grateful. That's all, see you soon!!

Better conditions

Better conditions- these are the conditions that are most favorable for growing a particular variety under specific climatic and resource parameters. But before getting into the details, it's wise to consider the basic requirements that never change.

Substrate and container

Germinated seeds usually germinate 2–3 days after planting in the substrate, and ungerminated seeds germinate after 4–5. During the period from sowing to germination, light does not play a role and is even harmful, since it will dry out the soil. Cassettes with seedlings are brought into sunlight after germination to ensure photosynthesis.

Maintaining humidity is very important. During this period, the crops are covered with a plastic cover or a piece of polyethylene to create a greenhouse effect. Condensation will accumulate - this is normal, but it must be removed in time. After the seedlings sprout, move them closer to the light and remove the film. From this point on, caring for tomatoes consists of timely watering and maintaining a stable temperature.

If you sowed tomatoes at the end of March, then the spring day length will be enough for them, but February seedlings must be “extended the day” with the help of lamps.

When to plant

When you choose the time to plant tomatoes, keep in mind that the quality of the seedlings will be influenced by external factors: light, humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure. Season and time of year are not important only if tomatoes are grown in artificial conditions, for example in closed greenhouses with climate control and other professional equipment.

According to technology, tomato seedlings can be planted from late February to mid-March, but many practicing gardeners do not entirely agree with this. As practice shows, February seedlings, even when using phyto-spotlights, have too elongated and weak stems that do not hold fruit well.

Apparently, the activity of the February sun is still insufficient, so it makes sense to wait until March, and in February start preparing the soil and equipment for future “greenhouses”.

According to the lunar calendar

The theory about the influence of lunar cycles on seedlings is based on changes in magnetic fields and atmospheric pressure depending on the phase of the moon. It is these processes that formed the basis that farmers actively use.

In the lunar calendar there are two key concepts that define favorable and unfavorable days for sowing - the phase of the moon and the constellations through which it passes during a given period of the cycle. The phase of the moon is its position relative to the sun. We determine the phase by the illumination of one of the parts of the moon (waxing, waning) or the entire side (full moon).

In the old days, people said that planting a vegetable garden, as well as starting a new business, should be done on the waxing moon. But now astrologers clarify: when the moon is waxing, it is better to sow what grows upward (tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, etc.), and the waning moon will have a good effect on creeping or seedlings.

Moon in zodiac sign. The house of one of the signs in which the moon is located takes precedence over the phase, and if a contradiction arises - unfavorable phase / favorable sign - focus specifically on the sign:

Fertile signs: Cancer, Taurus, Scorpio.
Relatively fertile: Libra, Capricorn, Pisces.
Relatively infertile: Virgo, Gemini.
Infertile: Aquarius, Aries, Sagittarius, Leo.

The lunar calendar is similar to the solar one, the one we are used to using in Everyday life. The difference is that in the “lunar month” there are 29.3–29.5 days, respectively, in lunar year- 354 days. In the adapted calendar, lunar cycles and phases are superimposed on the grid of the conventional solar calendar. This lunar calendar is very convenient for choosing the time to sow seeds for seedlings.
Favorable days for planting early tomatoes in February:

February 17–18 - waxing moon in Pisces;
February 21–22 - waxing moon in Taurus;
February 25–26 - waxing moon in Cancer.

Favorable days for planting tomatoes in March:

March 6–7 - waning moon in Scorpio;
March 20–21 - waxing moon in Taurus;
March 24–26 - waxing moon in Cancer.

Usually on the back of the package all the necessary information about the seeds and the features of handling them is given. The problem is that some important details go unnoticed because an experienced manufacturer simply considers them obvious and self-evident, but for the buyer this is not always the case.

Depending on the ripening time tomatoes are early and late. The timing of planting seeds for seedlings depends on the early maturity of tomatoes, and the efforts that will have to be made to grow them also differ.

Early varieties They produce a harvest a month earlier than conventional varieties, but require more heat and light. An average of 80–100 days pass between the sowing of seedlings and the first fruits, and the fruits can be harvested already in early to mid-June. Let’s say right away that the period of 80–100 days is not universal for all early ripening varieties: for some it is 70–80 days, and for others it is 90–100. Agree that the difference of two weeks makes a difference.

On the territory of Russia and Ukraine (not counting zones with a subtropical climate) grow early tomatoes in open ground in the usual way impossible. In latitudes where frosts can last until the middle or even the end of May, it is simply too cold for heat-loving plants. Therefore, the only way to do without a greenhouse here is to sow the seedlings earlier and later transfer them to the soil.

First, early tomatoes are planted and grown as usual, but after about a month the seedlings are transplanted into large containers with a volume of 4–6 liters, in which they will grow for another month and a half. When the time comes to plant tomato seedlings in open ground, the seedlings reach 2/3 or more the size of an adult plant and soon begin to bear fruit.

Late varieties planted March 10–20. Late and early ones are transferred to the ground at approximately the same time, in mid-late April. The fruits of late tomatoes are distinguished by their keeping quality, abundance of vitamins and suitability for preservation. For commercial reasons, large enterprises grow few late varieties, but for reasons of taking care of themselves and their health, it is advisable to plant at least a third of all planned areas with them.

Did you know? The content of lycopene, the strongest antioxidant found in tomatoes, doubles during heat treatment. So both fresh vegetables and dishes prepared from them are useful.

Growing seedlings

When handled correctly, growing seedlings is not troublesome and even fun. This process has several stages:

selection of seeds;
preparing seeds for sowing;
caring for seedlings during different periods of growth.

Let's look at each of their stages in more detail.

Seed selection

Manufacturer. It is better to buy seeds from bona fide producers who have proven themselves in the market: “Esasem”, “Altai Seeds”, “Senior Tomato”, “Flora”, “Professional Seeds”. This product usually costs more, but it is a worthwhile investment.

Best before date. You should not buy seeds whose shelf life is coming to an end, because despite the fact that tomato seeds remain viable for 2 years, this ability is gradually lost. It may happen that two packs of seeds that are still suitable, but of different ages, will have a difference in germination of up to 40% in favor of fresher ones.

Zoning. Choose varieties suitable for your climate zone. A gorgeous variety with huge half-kilogram fruits will not please you if it is zoned for the subtropics, and you live in the Moscow region.

Germination test. To immediately separate viable seeds from the dummies, prepare a 1% solution of kitchen salt (about a teaspoon per 0.5 liters of water) and place the seeds there - the viable seeds will sink to the bottom, and the dummies will remain floating on the surface.

Did you know? Tomato juice- a natural bactericidal agent. Helps fight kidney and urinary tract infections.

Preparation and sowing

Tomatoes suffer greatly from blackleg, so before planting it is necessary to soak the seeds in a three percent solution of potassium permanganate for 3-5 hours, then rinse thoroughly in clean water.

Sowing ungerminated seeds. Ungerminated seeds are usually planted in a bowl or container in rows, followed by picking. If you treated the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate immediately before sowing, you do not need to soak them additionally and immediately plant them in the soil. If the seeds have already dried out, place them on a damp cloth or cotton wool for 6–7 hours to soften the shell.

The prepared seeds are sown at a distance of 0.5 cm from each other in a groove 0.5–1 cm deep made in the soil and sprinkled with a thin layer of soil. The work is so painstaking that it is inconvenient to do it with your fingers, so many people use special tweezers to grab seeds and manipulate the soil.

But if you don’t have a tool, don’t worry: just lightly press the seeds so that they disappear underground. 7–10 days after emergence, the seedlings are planted in separate containers.

Sowing germinated seeds. Germinated seeds can be sown immediately in separate containers. This eliminates the need for further picking and greatly simplifies the process.

Important! It happens that the seed coat remains on the leaves of the seedling; in such cases, the plant can be helped by removing it yourself. To do this, you will need a syringe and water: simply apply a couple of drops of warm water to the shell and wait a couple of minutes, then carefully peel it off with your fingers.

Seedling care

Caring for seedlings can be divided into:

period from germination to picking;
from picking to landing in the ground.

From germination to picking. When the crops have already sprouted, they need to be provided with good access to light. This is especially important in the first days, so if you are unlucky and the weather is cloudy at the time of germination, you will have to highlight the plants. Lack of light during this period will make the plants elongated and unstable, and it will be difficult to correct the situation in the future.

Prepare for the fact that the seeds will germinate unevenly: some may germinate on the second day, others on the fourth or fifth, and others may not germinate at all. These "tomato nurseries" usually look very disorganized and cause uncertainty about the quality of the seeds, but there is nothing to worry about. Simply put, this always happens.

12–14 days after sowing, regardless of size, all seedlings are already strong enough for picking. If some of the plants seem too small to you, you can wait another 3-5 days, but no more, since tomatoes do not like crowding. It's also worth remembering that you don't have to plant out all the seedlings, and if any of them are growing too poorly, it may be a problem with care and it might actually be worth sacrificing them.

When talking about caring for tomatoes, you need to remember that this light-loving plant tolerates direct sunlight even at a very tender age: tomatoes very rarely develop burns or loss of turgor. But temperatures below 20 °C during the day and high humidity will certainly slow down the development of seedlings and can cause root rot (blackleg).

From picking to landing in the ground. After each plant is in its own territory, caring for it consists of maintaining temperature, light conditions, humidity and hardening before planting tomatoes in open ground.

Watering. Recommendations for watering are very variable: it depends on air humidity, container volume and age of the plant. If at the beginning of the growing season, when the length of the seedlings does not exceed 10 cm, watering once a week is enough, then before planting, daily watering may be necessary.
Light. Duration daylight hours must be at least 12 hours. With a lack of light, the seedlings will stretch out and absorb poorly useful material from the soil.
Temperature should not be lower than 22 °C during the day. Cold will slow down development and can also cause fungal diseases.
Hardening. You can start hardening off seedlings at the end of April. There is no need to rush too much, since early hardening of immature seedlings can undermine the plant’s resistance and have a sharply opposite effect. You can start with 15–30 minutes, gradually increasing the time you spend outside. You need to start hardening on a fine day and carefully monitor changes in the condition of the seedlings. At first, the reaction can be very different: from loss of elasticity of the leaves to a stem bent almost in half, but there is no need to panic - this is just a reaction to changed humidity and, possibly, wind. In any case, the main thing is not to rush and do everything gradually.

So, in conclusion, let’s highlight a few key points:

You need to choose high-quality seeds and be sure to check them for germination before sowing.
Having pre-treated with potassium permanganate and germinated the proven seeds, you can plant them in containers and be patient.
Make sure the seedlings have enough light. The fact that there is not enough light will be indicated by an elongated and thin stem, which can hardly support the weight of the foliage.
Do not flood the seedlings, because for tomatoes moisture + darkness = death.
At the end of April, when heat-loving tomatoes are no longer harmed by the outside temperature, it’s time to get ready to plant seedlings on the plot and begin to harden the plants. The response to climate change may be strong, but moderation and timing will solve the problem.

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It is difficult to imagine that there will be no tomatoes in the garden of a modern summer resident. Our compatriots love tomatoes and use them for preparing salads, soups, stews, canning, etc. Today our article is about how to properly and when to plant tomatoes for seedlings in 2019: the estimated timing of planting tomato seeds for different regions and planting according to the lunar calendar.

In order to harvest a healthy and abundant harvest, enough for all family members, you need to be informed about when to plant tomatoes.

If you plant weak plants very early that have not been properly cared for during cold, cloudy days, they will bloom later than expected and the harvest will not be harvested on time. What dates should tomatoes be planted to ensure an abundant harvest? This article will talk about this.

How to calculate the date of planting seeds

Experienced gardeners do not recommend planting tomato seeds for seedlings very early. But it is not recommended to be late with this process. This is especially true for those garden owners who are not averse to eating early tomatoes in July. Important attention is paid to the timing of planting tomato seeds for seedlings.

In order not to make a mistake with the deadlines, you need to do simple calculations.

How to determine the day to plant seedlings in the soil

First. You must first select an approximate date for planting seedlings in open ground or a greenhouse. Weather forecasts for the spring months will help with this. We need to find out in more detail whether spring will be early or late. We need to decide on the landing site. If it is a heated greenhouse or greenhouse, planting is carried out earlier.

Second. Consider the variety of tomatoes: what is the ripening period of the crop. Please note that:

Early ripening tomatoes ripen from 40 to 50 days, medium varieties - from 55 to 60 days, late varieties - 70 days.

Next, you need to subtract this number of days from the previously determined date. You also need to leave time for seedlings, because they will not appear immediately. They need 5 to 6 days. This number of days should also be subtracted from the resulting date.

This gives an approximate time for planting tomato seedlings.

Here is an example of calculations:

It is planned to plant seedlings in a film greenhouse, for example, on May 10. On what day should you plant seeds of early tomato varieties? To do this you need to take 50 days. It will turn out on March 24th. For seedlings to appear, it is necessary to wait another 5 days.

Now you need to figure out when to plant mid-season tomatoes. If you take the same number as May 10, then subtract 60 days, you get March 19, subtract 5 days, you get March 9. As you can see, doing the calculations is not that difficult.

On a note! If you plan to sow tall tomatoes for seedlings, it is advisable to do this in the period from 20.02 to 10.03. If we are talking about early-ripening and mid-ripening varieties, then for them the sowing time is from March 10 to March 22. Ultra-early varieties and the “Cherry” variety have their own dates. This is the first days of April. The third decade of February is considered suitable for planting late-ripening varieties for seedlings.

When to plant tomatoes for seedlings according to the lunar calendar

Whether to attach special importance to the lunar calendar or ignore it is up to everyone to decide for themselves.
In the year when sowing is due, you can find out about the recommendations for that year. It will indicate on what dates sowing should be carried out.

They begin to grow seedlings by first determining the correct sowing time. In 2019, in accordance with the lunar calendar, seedlings will need to be sown on the following days:

In January it is 15, 16, 18;
In February - 6-8, 11, 13, 16;
In March - 10, 11, 15, 16;
In April – 8, 11, 18
In May - 9, 15, 17, 18.

You should not plant tomatoes in 2019 on such unfavorable dates:

In January - 6, 21.
In February it is 5.19.
In March – 6, 21.
In April – 5, 19.
In May - 5, 19.

Advice! When is it advisable to plant tomato seedlings in open soil?

In April these are days favorable for this process: 2, 7-8, 11.
In May it is 8-9, 12-18. In June - 5-6, 9-14.

The new moon and full moon are the days when you don’t need to sow tomatoes. This is due to the fact that the juices of the plant are concentrated either in the roots and tubers, or in the upper part. This is an obstacle to the normal development of plants.

If the seeds are sown on a waxing moon (immediately after the new moon), the ground part of the plant activates its growth. For those plants that were sown on the days of the waning moon (after the full moon), roots begin to grow.

The conclusion is this: if we are talking about grains, they should be planted when the moon is waxing, and the days of the waning moon are good time for planting root crops.

If we consider tomatoes, then this is a capricious crop. Here special attention must be paid to ensuring that tomato seedlings are planted only on days that are most favorable for this.

It is imperative that when calculating the timing of sowing tomatoes for seedlings, you should take into account the region in which it is intended to be grown and the variety.

When to plant tomatoes according to the Lunar calendar 2019

Start pinching a couple of weeks after planting the tomatoes in a permanent place, of course, provided that the extra shoots have already appeared. Pruning is carried out until the final stage of harvesting at intervals of approximately once every 10 days.

It is better to pick stepsons from tomatoes when the Moon is in the constellations Gemini, Scorpio, Capricorn. But on the days of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, it is better to postpone the procedure.

Dates for planting tomatoes for seedlings in the Moscow region, the Urals and Siberia

When to sow tomatoes in the Moscow region

If early ripening varieties are for open ground - in early April;
Early ripening varieties for planting in the soil under a plastic cover - the 2nd half of March is suitable for them;
High-growing varieties of tomatoes for greenhouses - the last days of March are suitable for them.

On a note! Large tomatoes should be planted in early March.

This is due to the fact that apartments usually create uncomfortable conditions for it (too dry air, insufficient lighting). That's why you shouldn't rush to plant seedlings.

When to sow tomatoes in the Urals, Siberia and the Volga region

On average, the growth period of tomato seedlings is approximately 2 months. Taking into account the climatic conditions of your region, you can calculate the required dates for sowing seeds.

Since spring comes later to the Urals, Siberia and the northern regions, this means that it is necessary to shift the planting of tomatoes to seedlings to the first days of April. This time is not considered favorable for planting tomatoes. But there is no need to worry. You can choose days that are considered favorable according to the zodiac constellations.

In April it is the 1st, 2nd, 12th.

Taking into account the climate of the Volga region, the timing of planting tomatoes for seedlings will be as follows:

Late-ripening varieties should be planted in the last days of February - the first ten days of March.
Early and mid-ripening varieties - the last days of March - the first ten days of April.

What containers to choose for planting seeds for seedlings

There are several options for containers where tomato seedlings are planted. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Each gardener can choose what he likes, taking into account his capabilities.

Boxes made of wood or plastic have been popular for growing seedlings for many years.

They were mainly used. The seeds are planted, with picking later, in the same boxes. In order to carry out further transportation, no special equipment is required. This will save money, since you can make the boxes yourself.

Among the disadvantages, the following are noted: a box filled with soil weighs a lot, and when the tomatoes are planted in a permanent place, there is a high risk of seriously damaging the root system.

Plastic cassettes are fastened together by cells of the same size.

If the need arises, it is possible to purchase cells of different lengths and widths. Very often, you have to buy a separate tray for them, or make something yourself to collect excess moisture.

The “plus” of them is that they weigh little, they are easy to separate using scissors, they are simple to use, there are holes for drainage, and the seedlings are easy to remove from the cells.

Disadvantages: they can’t last that long, it’s inconvenient to transport, when you have to take out one seedling, you can damage a neighbor’s seedling.

Very popular among summer residents, in Lately, peat cups have become, since the material from which they are made is environmentally friendly.

Experts advise using peat cups when picking tomatoes.

This type of container has the following advantages: they are strong, do not pose a danger to plants, there is no need to replant tomatoes, since the cups ideally dissolve in the ground and are an auxiliary source of nutrients.

Disadvantages: it happens that you cannot buy them, you will need to spend additional money, the moisture evaporates very quickly, so you need to water it often.

Peat plates are compressed balanced peat that is placed in a mesh. Before sowing, you need to place them in water to swell for 10 minutes.

Their “advantages”: they are convenient to use, they help the root system become stronger and stronger when planted in a permanent place - they dissolve in the soil.

Disadvantages: the cost is expensive, you need to buy a tray, they quickly become dry.

The popularity of plastic cups recently is due to a number of reasons.

Both 100-mm and 200-mm cups are used for planting seeds, and half-liter cups are used for subsequent picking.

Their “advantages”: they are easy to work with, the seedling is easy to pull out when transplanting, can be used many times, and are inexpensive. Disadvantages: you need to make holes for drainage yourself, you need to purchase an auxiliary pallet; when transporting, you will need to think about accessories.

In addition to the varieties listed above, you can use those containers that are at hand. For example, you can give preference to: cardboard boxes, yogurt cups, plastic buckets for cabbage or cucumbers, etc.

How to choose tomato seeds for growing seedlings

The choice of seeds for seedlings should be taken as seriously as sowing tomato seeds for seedlings. You should worry about this in advance.

You need to buy only seeds from agricultural companies that have proven themselves, offering high-quality material for planting. It must have high germination rates, must be resistant to temperature changes, and must be adapted to the region.

No need to buy a large number of seeds, in reserve. It will be enough to buy as many seeds as needed for planting specific area. They also take into account the costs of the greenhouse.

Video: how to sow tomato seeds for seedlings

It is difficult to imagine a modern summer resident's garden without tomatoes. Tomatoes have become the favorite vegetable of our compatriots. They are used to prepare salads, put them in soup, make stews, preserve them for the winter, etc. To get a good harvest that will be enough for the whole family, you need to know when to plant tomatoes. Weakened plants planted too early, which did not receive proper care on cold, cloudy days, will bloom later, and you will have to wait for the harvest. When should you plant tomatoes to get a rich harvest? Let's talk about this.

The correct time to plant tomatoes is an important factor for getting a good harvest.

Harm from early planting

The sooner you plant seedlings, the faster you will reap the harvest. Many people are sure that this is so, so they plant tomatoes already in February or January. This is mistake. Why are deadlines so important?

Lack of lighting

In winter there are short daylight hours. And plants need a lot of light. If you want to get strong seedlings, you will have to illuminate them. And this is additional energy consumption. How long does it take to do this, and why is light so important for tomatoes? For the first 2-3 days after emergence, plants are illuminated around the clock, i.e. 24 hours. Use for this fluorescent lamps. Then light them so that the plants are in the light for 10-12 hours, i.e. turn on the lamp for 2-3 hours in the morning and evening.

If you do not do this, you will have to wait a long time for the harvest. Tomato seedlings have one feature. When they don't have enough light, they don't produce inflorescences. This continues until the illumination improves. Therefore, seedlings planted later, but receiving proper care and lighting, are better. It produces a harvest earlier than plants that have been tormented by unfavorable conditions. To get a good harvest, follow the deadlines.

If you plant tomatoes too early, the seedlings will not receive the necessary lighting and will stretch out.

Shelf life of seedlings

Remember that the seedlings stay in the house for no longer than 2 months, then they must be planted in a greenhouse or open ground. It is important to comply with these deadlines. It is unlikely that you will be able to transplant tomatoes in early April, unless you have a heated greenhouse. It has been experimentally established that the strongest plants are seedlings planted at the end of March or beginning of April. It will grow more actively when compared with the one that was planted in February.

Tomato seedlings are kept in the house for 50-55 days, but no more than 2 months. Then it needs to be replanted. Can it be stored longer? It is possible, but under one condition. For each plant, allocate 1-5 liters of soil. Not a single window sill can accommodate so many pots, and filling them with soil will be problematic. So take your time. Plant seedlings on time, correctly calculating all the timing. We will tell you when to do this.

You can store seedlings on the windowsill until they grow

How to calculate the date of planting seeds

You can’t plant seeds too early, but it’s not recommended to be late either, especially if you want to enjoy your tomatoes in the middle of summer. The timing of planting tomatoes is important. When should you plant tomato seedlings? To understand this, when to sow the seeds, you need to make simple calculations.

Date of planting seedlings in the ground. Calculate the approximate date when you will plant the seedlings in open ground or a greenhouse. It is worth finding out in advance the forecasts for spring, whether it will be early or late. Where you plant your plants is important. In a heated greenhouse, planting occurs earlier, just like in a greenhouse, than when planting in open ground.
Age of seedlings. As mentioned above, seedlings can only spend so much time in the house. It depends on the variety: early tomatoes – 40-50 days; mid-season varieties - 55 -60 days; late-ripening tomatoes – 70 days. Subtract this number of days from the previously determined date.
Time for germination. Tomato seedlings do not appear immediately; it takes 5-6 days. These days must also be subtracted from the resulting date. This will give you an approximate landing time.

Let us show with an example how to carry out calculations. You have a film greenhouse where you expect to plant seedlings on May 10th. When to plant seeds of early ripening varieties? Subtract 50 days, we get March 24, minus 5 days for the seeds to hatch. Early varieties planted around the 19th of March.

Now let’s calculate the time for planting mid-season tomatoes. We take the same date, May 10, and subtract 60 days. March 14, minus 5 days – March 9. As we see, there is nothing complicated about this.

Before planting in the ground, tomato seedlings grow no more than 60 days

When to plant seedlings

To make accurate calculations, you need to know the date of planting the seedlings in a greenhouse or open ground. When can you transplant seedlings into a greenhouse? Most often this is done in early May, when you are sure that there will be no frost outside. The soil in the greenhouse should be warm, at least 8 degrees, but it is desirable that the soil be between 10 and 15 degrees. If you plant tomatoes in cold soil, they will either die or be constantly sick.

Most often, these conditions appear in the greenhouse in early May, i.e. somewhere from May 1 to May 15. If you have a heated greenhouse, then you can do it earlier.

When planting seedlings under a film cover - a little later, from May 20 to 31. You plan to immediately plant tomatoes in open ground. When is the best time to do this? The approximate landing date is from June 10 to June 20. But remember that these are approximate figures. It all depends on the region you live in and the weather this year. The threat of frost should have passed. How to understand that seedlings are ready for planting:

It has a developed root system.
The stem is thick.
8-11 leaves have already been developed, which are colored dark green.
The buds of the first flower cluster have already appeared.

Seedlings for planting must have strong roots and a dozen leaves

Folk signs

Is it worth trusting folk signs? It is impossible to give an exact answer to this question. But it doesn't hurt to know about them. Sometimes they can be a good guide. So, according to signs, potatoes are supposed to be planted when the birch tree blooms. This is much more reliable than simply relying on some date, because... the plant produces leaves at a certain period, when it has enough light, moisture, and the right temperature. If the conditions are favorable for the birch tree, then the potatoes will be comfortable.

Planting potatoes is often timed to coincide with the opening of birch buds

Signs

Recently, there has been frequent talk about climate warming, which is often reflected in the weather. In April there may already be intense heat, and the soil warms up to the desired temperature. Should I rush to plant or should I wait? Folk signs will help you determine when you can plant various crops in the ground.

Stick. Take a pointed stick and run it across the dug up area. If the soil is smeared, it’s too early; if the soil is crumbling, you can carry out spring work.
A lump of earth. Dig a hole to a depth of 5-10 cm, take a handful of earth, squeeze it in your fist and throw it from a meter height. If the lump has scattered evenly, the ground can be cultivated; if it remains intact and has only changed slightly, then it is too early. A completely crumbled lump of earth indicates that the earth is dry and you are late.

There are signs according to which tomatoes are planted. So, if snowdrops and blueberries have bloomed, you can plant tomatoes as seedlings. According to popular belief, when can tomatoes be replanted? When the rowan or viburnum bloomed.

Moon calendar

Whether or not to trust the lunar calendar is up to everyone to decide for themselves. In the year of sowing, you can read the recommendations for a specific year, where the exact planting dates are written. But the seeds of vegetables, for which the part that is above the ground is important, are sown on the waxing Moon, in its second phase. This time is 7 days before the full moon.

Seedlings are planted after the new moon, i.e. with the Moon in the first phase. When the new moon or full moon occurs, it is not recommended to plant plants, as well as twelve hours before them and twelve hours after their onset.