How and when to plant tomatoes for seedlings

Tomatoes

Tomatoes, along with potatoes, entered Europe from South America along with the first European sailors who discovered this continent. However, for a very long time they were grown as ornamental plants. The Germans planted tomatoes in pots and decorated their rooms with them. The French planted them near gazebos, and in Russia they grew in greenhouses next to exotic flowers. They were not eaten for a very long time, as they were considered poisonous, and in many European countries, including Russia, tomatoes simply did not have enough time to ripen.

Perhaps everything would have continued this way, but the Russian scientist Bolotov A.T. in the second half of the 28th century - the beginning of the 19th century paid a lot of attention to this crop and introduced the method of growing tomatoes through sowing seedlings. Thanks to the Russian scientist, tomatoes were finally recognized as a food product. The method of growing tomatoes through seedlings is still used in most areas with a temperate climate. Let's try to figure out how and when to plant tomatoes for seedlings.

Content:

The best time for sowing tomato seedlings

When planning to grow tomatoes in seedlings, it is important to decide on the timing of sowing the seeds. There is no single recommendation or exact dates. Recommending a specific number for sowing is too simple and wrong.Here you need to focus on the climatic and weather characteristics of the region, as well as the ripening time tomatoes.

In addition, when growing through seedlings, you need to take into account the fact that when transplanting tomatoes into the ground, they need time to take root and adapt. On average, this takes 10 - 12 days. During this period, the plant almost does not develop and does not grow. Consequently, at least another 10 days are added to the ripening period stated in the varietal characteristics. When determining the date for sowing seedlings, this period must be taken into account.

Tomatoes are divided:

  • for early ones, they produce a harvest 95 - 105 days after germination of the bulk of the seeds; when grown by seedlings, the timing may change slightly and amount to 105 - 115 days
  • medium, ripening on 106 - 116 days, when grown through seedlings, medium varieties can be harvested on 116 - 120 days
  • late, they ripen after 118 days; when grown by seedlings, this period can increase to 135 days

Tomato seedlings

Tomato seeds begin to germinate on the fourth day. It is important to know! If friendly shoots do not appear on the 8th - 9th day, then the tomatoes for seedlings will most likely have to be replanted. In most regions, favorable weather conditions for planting tomato seedlings in the ground occur in the third ten days of May - in the first ten days of June. Taking this into account, the timing of sowing seedlings is for:

  • early tomato March 20 - April 10
  • medium tomatoes April 1 - 10
  • late tomatoes April 10 - April 20

Many vegetable growers try to sow seedlings as early as late January - mid-February. But perhaps such early sowing will lead to overgrowth of the seedlings. In addition, for its normal development, additional lighting will be required to prevent the seedlings from stretching.In addition to lighting, you need to take care of the soil mixture in advance and create conditions for timely seed germination and seedling development.

Soil, lighting, watering when growing tomato seedlings

When there is a question about preparing the soil yourself, it is important to take care of some of its components in the fall. It is also important to remember that the health of the seedlings will depend on it for 8 - 10 weeks. The simplest soil composition for tomatoes is a mixture of equal parts of humus and turf soil. For 10 kg of such a mixture you need to add 3 kg of river sand and 10 g of ammonium nitrate. The soil must be disinfected.

The best way is to freeze it. Even if the components of the future soil mixture were exposed to frost, after mixing the soil is taken out into the cold. It is advisable to do this during a period when the temperature does not rise above -15. After three days, the soil is brought into a warm place, they wait for it to thaw and the procedure is repeated. Steaming and calcination can also be used soil. If the land has not been prepared in advance, then store-bought soil for nightshade crops is suitable.

Lighting and temperature

Even on well-lit windows, tomato seedlings require properly organized lighting. For it, you can buy either special phyto lamps or install a fluorescent lamp that provides the light spectrum necessary for the seedlings. The lamp is installed above the seedlings. This will provide uniform lighting and prevent one-sided development of seedlings.

The best temperature for tomato sprouting is + 22 + 25 degrees. In the future, it can be reduced by 2 - 3 degrees. Two weeks before planting in the ground, you can begin gradual hardening of the seedlings.If it is possible to meet the basic conditions, then within the time limits indicated above you can begin sowing tomato seeds for seedlings.

Sowing tomatoes for seedlings, growing tomatoes

Before sowing the seeds, the planting containers are filled with prepared soil and spilled with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. This should be done about a day before sowing. After this, you need to make grooves about 1.0 cm deep. Spread the seeds at a distance of 1.0 - 1.5 cm. Cover with soil. The soil layer should not be more than 3 sizes seeds tomatoes Cover everything with glass and put everything in a warm place.

Important! Nowadays, many seed producers prepare them for planting, so no additional steps are required. If the seedlings appear on time, then additional watering is not needed, but if the soil dries out, then it should be carefully sprayed with warm water.

When most of the seeds germinate, the containers are placed in a well-lit place.

Seedling care, picking

In the first week, the seedlings are sprayed with warm water. Its temperature should be + 25. This will be a good prevention of blackleg. At night you need to maintain the temperature + 18, during the day + 22. A slight decrease is acceptable on a cloudy day. When 2-3 true leaves appear on the tomatoes, the seedlings are planted in individual pots.

Seedling

Unlike cucumbers, tomatoes respond well to picking. They form more voluminous roots, which improves nutrition of above-ground parts. After picking, seedlings can be grown at night temperatures + 16, at day temperatures + 20. Water regularly once every 2 - 3 days as the top layer of soil dries out.

At the end of May - beginning of June, when the seedlings are 60 - 70 days old, they are transplanted into a prepared bed. This is done either in cloudy weather or in the evening. A tomato seedling is placed in the hole, the root system is covered with soil, a liter of water is carefully poured in and the watering area is mulched. With normal rainfall, tomatoes do not require additional watering.

Growing tomatoes after planting in the ground

Tomatoes respond very well to loosening the soil and hilling. This improves air access to the roots and stimulates the formation of additional roots. Simultaneously with loosening, you need to remove weeds 2-3 times. Varieties with unlimited growth should be grown on a trellis, promptly securing shoots to it as they grow.

The harvest will be better if grow tomatoes in one or two stems with simultaneous removal of stepsons. In general, the technology for growing tomatoes after planting in the ground is similar to growing potatoes and does not require much time and physical investment. After two to three weedings and hilling, the tomato bushes gain strength and produce a good harvest.

Video about the correct planting of tomatoes for seedlings:

Tomato seedlingsSeedling