When is the best time to sow tomatoes for seedlings
To harvest a good harvest of tomatoes, you need to follow the rules for caring for the plant, calculate the time of sowing seeds. Consider when to sow tomatoes for seedlings and transplant plants outdoors.
Time for planting tomatoes for seedlings
Seed sowing dates
It is impossible to say for sure when to sow tomatoes for seedlings. The timing of disembarkation depends on many factors.
When choosing the date and month of sowing seeds, a number of factors are taken into account:
- growing region;
- equipment of the site;
- variety of tomatoes.
Let's take a closer look at how all of the above affects the timing of sowing seeds.
Growing region
Climatic conditions in different regions of our country differ significantly. In some areas, warm summers come very late and do not last long. Accordingly, it is possible to plant plants in the ground no earlier than mid-June.
Tatiana Orlova (Candidate of Agricultural Sciences):
In the southern regions of the country, tomatoes can be grown in a seedless way - by direct sowing into the ground. The seedless method is common among both farmers and amateur gardeners. Tomatoes are sown in the ground at the end of April, a full harvest is obtained in late August - early September. Seedless tomatoes are more resistant to various adverse factors.
In the southern regions, it is possible to grow vegetables in the open field from May 1 or 2, and under a film cover - after April 15.
If plants are planted in cold soil, growth will slow down. In addition, frozen bushes are more susceptible to various tomato diseases. Accordingly, seedlings are planted in well-heated soil only after the threat of spring frosts has passed.
Site equipment
Thinking about when to sow tomatoes for seedlings, you need to take into account the equipment of the personal plot.
Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse
Some household plots are equipped with a greenhouse. Accordingly, planting can be done early enough. Greenhouses can be made of different materials and equipped in different ways, therefore it is difficult to indicate the date of planting of plants. Some buildings are a film covering attached to a wooden or metal frame. The air temperature inside them is not much higher than outside, therefore, plants can be planted in them no earlier than in early May.
There are buildings made of polycarbonate, which protects well from cold air. In such greenhouses, plants are planted in early spring. If you equip them with a heater, you don't have to be tied to dates or months at all. As soon as the seedlings on the windowsill get stronger and reach 25-30 cm in height, they are transplanted into a greenhouse.
Outdoor cultivation
When planting tomatoes in open ground, you need to wait for warm weather, so tomatoes for seedlings should be planted no earlier than mid-March. If it is possible to provide the seedlings with the desired temperature, they are engaged in sowing seeds no earlier than April 15.
Tomato variety
Before you start growing seedlings, you need to decide on the variety of tomatoes.
Ultra early varieties
Choose the variety that suits you
Ultra-early varieties ripen in 70-80 days. They grow and develop faster than mid-season seeds, so their change can be sown several days later than mid-season seeds. In the southern regions, seeds are sown from early April to early June. In the northern regions, seeds are sown at the beginning of May.
Early ripe
Early maturing varieties ripen in 85-100 days. In the southern regions, seeds of early-maturing tomato varieties are sown at the end of March. In regions with short summers, seeds are sown in early April. Seedlings ready for planting are covered with foil after transplanting into open ground. As soon as the warm summer comes, the film cover is removed.
Medium early
Mid-early varieties ripen 100-115 days after germination. In regions with a warm climate, seeds are sown from March to early April. In regions with cold climates, seeds are sown in April. It is recommended to grow medium early varieties in the north of the country in greenhouses. Only frost-resistant varieties of Siberian selection are suitable for open ground.
Mid-season
Mid-season varieties ripen in 115-130 days. In the southern and central regions, sowing seeds should be done in early March. Plants are planted in open ground under a film covering. In the northern regions, seeds are sown at the end of February.
Late ripening
Late-ripening varieties ripen in 130 days. Seeds are sown, regardless of the climatic conditions of the region, in the second half of February and early March. Preference is given to tomatoes of Siberian selection. It is very important not to rush to sow late-ripening tomatoes. If you plant overgrown seedlings in the ground, you should not expect a good harvest. Late-ripening varieties are grown in a greenhouse.
Attention is also paid to what varieties are grown in the region. Tomatoes, which gave a stable high yield in the past, will be ugly this year as well.
Generally accepted timing of sowing seeds
We looked at when to sow tomatoes, depending on the climatic characteristics of the region and the variety of vegetable crops. Now let's talk about when to plant tomatoes, based on generally accepted norms.
Two-month-old plants can be planted on the site
January is the worst month for sowing seeds. Even if the plants develop slowly, they will outgrow by the time they are planted. It is advisable to sow seeds in the first month of winter only if you plan to pinch off the top and plant it separately. This method helps to get 2 plants from one seed. Such plants are generally not high yielding and disease resistant. Better to purchase high-yielding hybrids.
In February, they are engaged in sowing only if there is a heated greenhouse on the personal plot. In March, you can already think about sowing seeds. It is produced in the last days of this spring month. March seedlings are planted in May, so the sowing of tomato seeds in March should be done by farmers living in the central and southern parts of the country.
Tatiana Orlova (Candidate of Agricultural Sciences):
January and February are the most unfavorable months for growing seedlings also for the reason that the duration of daylight hours at this time is only 7-8 hours, and tomatoes need 12-14 hours. It is imperative to supplement the seedlings with artificial light.
In the period from February 20 to March 10, it is recommended to sow tall varieties, early ripe varieties are sown no later than March, early varieties for greenhouses are sown in mid-February. Sowing seeds should be done on favorable days.
April and May are the best months for planting seeds. To harvest the early harvest, seeds are sown in April; for a late harvest, the process is postponed until May.
Two-month-old plants are planted in a permanent place.
Temperature and lighting
When growing tomatoes, you must comply with a number of requirements regarding temperature and illumination. So, for example, in the first days after the emergence of seedlings, the temperature in the room should not fall below 24 ° C.
If the air temperature varies between 24-26 ° C, the first shoots will appear already on the 6th day. Massively seeds will sprout in 8-9 days. If the air temperature at home varies from 20 ° C to 23 ° C, then the seeds will sprout 10-11 days after planting. If the air temperature in the room is less than 18 ° C, then the seedlings will sprout for about 2-3 weeks.
Regardless of whether the seeds are sown in February or March, the containers with plants will have to be additionally illuminated. If this is not done, the landings will stretch excessively upward. The stem of the plant itself will remain thin.
Moon calendar
When choosing the date of sowing seeds for seedlings, pay attention to the lunar calendar. It has been proven that the moon affects absolutely all areas of life and affects the growth of plants. The lunar calendar (or planting calendar) is bought every year, it gives a complete picture of favorable and unfavorable days for planting tomatoes.
Recommendations
- Sometimes the seedlings outgrow. It is not recommended to plant such plants in the ground. The best way out is to reseed a vegetable crop. If it is too late to start growing seedlings, you can try to grow tomatoes in the open field from seeds. Seeds of early tomatoes are sown in open ground from March 1 to March 22, depending on the climate.
- When sowing seeds, pay attention to the instructions that come with each package of planting material. As a rule, it is presented in the form of a table, where the possible sowing dates are marked. These tables indicate the approximate ripening time of the vegetable crop. Focusing on these data and taking into account the climatic characteristics of a particular region, you can easily select varieties that are ideal for a particular personal plot.
- The timing of planting a plant in a permanent place largely depends on climatic conditions. In the same region, in different years, heat can come in March or April. There are also abnormal years when the heat comes only in May or, for example, in February, therefore, when deciding when to plant grown tomato seedlings in a permanent place, you need to be guided by the weather forecast. Air temperature and ground temperature at the beginning of May can be very different. It is necessary to ensure that the moment the seedlings are planted, the soil warms up to 10 ° C, and preferably 15 cm.
Tatiana Orlova (Candidate of Agricultural Sciences):
When growing your own seedlings, you must always have an "insurance fund" in case of the death of a part of the planted seedlings. If you plant 50-60 seedling roots, then insurance plants should have at least 10-15 pieces.
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Seedlings are purchased on the market, but houseplants, during the cultivation of which all standards were observed, are more productive than those purchased on the market. There are frequent cases when, after a while, the seedlings purchased on the market begin to fade. Also on the market, under the guise of hybrids, ordinary varieties are often sold.
Conclusion
Regardless of how correctly the timing of sowing tomato seeds is calculated, the quality of seedlings depends on proper care. It is best to grow plants on the windowsill near the southern windows. They are the most illuminated at any time of the year. After planting, the containers must be covered with foil. This is done to speed up the germination process. After emergence, the film is removed. Some gardeners plant tomatoes in shared containers, after which the plants have to be planted. It is better to plant seeds 1 at a time in separate containers.
