With the advent of spring, many gardeners are interested insuch a question as planting 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 wonderful harvest. However, there are still a number of factors that should be taken into account, for example, climatic features of the region or a variety of tomatoes. It is also important to choose a place for planting. It can be both a greenhouse and an open ground. In this review, we will consider the main features of growing a tomato.
On this issue it is worth dwelling in more detail.In February-March, gardeners are gradually beginning to prepare tomato seedlings. It is possible to systematically harvest soil, choose seeds and purchase pots for seedlings. The time of planting a tomato will depend on the variety you have chosen, and also on the climatic conditions of the region. Tomatoes of different varieties are characterized by their maturity.
To get a rich harvest, every gardenershould study the characteristics of cultivation of the variety used. It is not necessary at all to follow the instructions given on the seed packaging. Often there are crop dates used in Central European countries with a warmer climate. For your region this time may not be suitable.
Different varieties of tomatoes are planted in a certaintime. Sowing of tall varieties begins in the period from February 20 to March 10. Early and middle-ripening varieties can be planted from 10 to 22 days of the first month of spring. Ultra-rare varieties of tomato and cherry have their individual terms - from early April. It is recommended to plant late-ripening species only in the third decade of the last month of winter.
You can also determine on your ownsowing time tomato. To do this, it is only necessary to know the period that is required for the maturing of the culture. In hybrid and early varieties, the vegetative process lasts a hundred days. To this value, it is necessary to add about 7 days spent on getting the shoots. Add three more days. This time is required for plants to take root. The resultant value will be the maturity of the culture. It is necessary to start seeding of hybrid and early varieties on April 1-2, open seedlings can be transplanted already in early June. In the first days of July you can already get the first harvest.
The timing of sowing tomatoes on seedlings is in many respectsdepend on how you are going to grow them. If the crop you want to get in the greenhouse, then the best period for sowing will be the period from February 26 to March 2. Plants for film greenhouses are planted 10 days later. In the open ground seedlings can be transplanted when she turns 50-60 days. It is worth adding to this date a week for the emergence of the first shoots and seven days for acclimatization.
When is it better to plant a tomato?Time must be calculated based on the climatic conditions of the region. It's worth knowing when the last freeze can be. For example, in the south of the Urals, this period is from late May to early June. It is at this time that tomatoes can already be transplanted into the open ground. Thus, taking 2.5 months, we will get an approximate date for sowing tomatoes - March 14-15.
Should I stick to it?Some gardeners 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, and others plant seedlings when they are comfortable. In their own way, all these points of view can be considered correct. How to act, it's 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, should be planted on the growing Moon, and the rest - on the decreasing. In the full moon and the new moon in general, there is nothing to plant. The best marks for picking and planting tomatoes are Capricorn, Libra and Taurus. Before sowing the seeds must be soaked for a day in the water.
If you use the lunar calendar for sowing tomatoes, then the most suitable days are:
Approximately one and a half months after the appearance of the first shoots tomatoes can be transplanted to a permanent place. For this period the height of seedlings should already reach 35 centimeters.
Let's take a closer look at these regions. In the suburbs, sowing pepper and tomato for seedlings can begin in March. For the Urals and Siberia, these terms are slightly shifted towards the end of March - April.
To accurately calculate the time of planting, it is necessary to consider the following factors:
Sowing a tomato for seedlings in Belarus is done about the same time as in the middle band of Russia, that is, in March.
Many experienced gardener when planting vegetables onseedlings pay attention to certain signs. According to them, as soon as the first snowdrops begin to blossom, tomatoes can be planted on seedlings. As soon as the lilac or mountain ash is blossoming, the culture can already be moved to its permanent place.
What to do in this situation?Often the seedlings are stretched upwards, starts to hurt in a small cell, where the seeds were planted because of a 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 overgrowing of seedlings? The main thing is to drop seeds in time. The best period for this is from the end of March to the beginning of April.
Among the possible causes of overgrowth of seedlings can also be called:
If the seedling has overgrown, before planting ona permanent place for it is recommended to make a small groove and horizontally put a seedling there. Only the top should remain above the surface of the earth. If the grower noticed that the seedlings had stretched long before transplanting into the open ground, then the number of seedlings can be doubled. This will increase the yield. From the seedlings, the top of the head is cut off and placed in a container of water.
When it takes root, the seedling can be immediatelyplanted in the ground. The disadvantage of this method lies in the late period of maturation. Tomatoes you will get a couple of weeks later. When planting it is necessary to water well and fertilize the soil. Moisture will be an excellent growth stimulator for the root system of seedlings. Specifically, there is no need to grow sprouts. So you risk losing most of the crop. In addition, too much shoots will be difficult to transport to a new location. It can break in the way.
How to do it right?The first stage is the preparation of tomato seeds for sowing. For this process, dry or soaked planting material should be used. Before placing the seeds in the soil, they should be further processed. For disinfection, the seeds can be soaked in a saline solution. It should be borne in mind that in such an environment the planting material should be kept no longer than 10 minutes. After this, the seeds should be thoroughly rinsed. Then they should be transferred into clean water and wait until they swell.
Preparing a tomato for sowing does not representof special complexity. Seeds need to be put in moist matter in a shallow container, for example, a plate. After that, they are covered with a film or lid and kept for 24 hours. After doing this, you can proceed to disembark.
Seedlings of tomatoes will be good in soil with highthe content of humus and turf. The ground must be sufficiently loose and well ventilated. You can add a little bit of sawdust, peat, vermiculite and perlite. Pre-prepared soil must be decontaminated. This procedure will remove pests and infection from the soil. There are several ways to disinfect. You can choose one of them or combine several at once.
Here are the main:
The soil after disinfection must be slightly moistened and held in a warm place for 10-12 days. So in it microorganisms, useful for plants, will multiply.
Experienced truck farmers recommend using coconut substrate for growing tomatoes. Seedlings grown in such soil form a strong root system, will be healthy and strong.
For the planting of tomatoes, gardeners recommenduse peat pills. This method is convenient in that it does not require picks. To obtain seedlings by growing in a peat tablet, 2-3 seeds are used per piece. If all of them ascend, you will need to leave only the strongest sprout. The rest will have to be deleted. 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 usepots or boxes, a depth of at least 10 cm. Lay out the planting material, not strongly burying in the ground (about 1 cm). After disembarkation, the containers are covered with glass or a film. You can also use a transparent cover for this purpose.
The timing of germination is affected by factors such asseed quality and air temperature. If the required thermal regime and the use of quality seeds are observed, the shoots will appear within a week after planting. After this, sprouts are recommended to provide additional artificial lighting. The backlight should be calculated from the calculation. that shoots need 15-16 hours.
After the appearance of the first shoots, it is necessary to adhere to the following rules:
This issue should be approached seriously.Many truck farmers who are sowing tomatoes in March, are interested in when the finished seedlings can be landed on a permanent place. The main condition is the absence of frost. As a rule, seedlings are beginning to be planted already in late May or early June. It must also be taken into account that the landing time depends on the weather conditions and climatic features of the region. To protect the culture from wind and other negative environmental influences, it must be covered with film or other material.
Preparing a tomato for sowing includes such aan important stage, like tempering. If you have the opportunity, immediately after the appearance of the first shoots, boxes with seedlings must be taken to fresh air or a balcony. Young tomatoes have natural protection against UV rays. Therefore, you can not be afraid of burns. Accustom the tomatoes to walks gradually. It is better to start with 15 minutes and increase the duration of the plant in the sun. A week later the tanks can already be left in the fresh air all day. The hardening procedure helps to get strong and healthy seedlings, which successfully transfer the transplant to the open ground.
With regard to fertilizers, then make fertilization forseedlings can be already 2-3 weeks after the appearance of the first sprouts. Organic fertilizers are best 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 specified in the instruction.
Now you know how to properly conductsowing tomato seeds in March or another month suitable for your region. At the first stage it is necessary to prepare the planting material, prepare the soil and choose the capacity for planting. For the cultivation of seedlings, pots, special cassettes and large containers are suitable. If you want to do without picks, then it's best to use peat pills. When grown in pots, the root system develops better, and fruits can be obtained much earlier. When picks, the seeds are planted 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 and watering scheme. Young plants must be hardened. Then they will better transfer the transplant procedure to the open ground. Tomatoes also require fertilizers. Feeding seedlings can be done only 14 days after emergence.
If you adhere to all the recommendations presented in the article, you can get a rich harvest.
