Tomato seedlings can be planted based on the manufacturer’s recommendations or according to the lunar calendar. After all, each variety has its own planting characteristics that must be observed in order to get a rich harvest in the fall.
Why observe the timing of planting tomato seedlings?
Tomato seedlings need to be planted at a certain period, and not when the gardener has free time. So why is it important to adhere to planting deadlines? First of all, this is necessary in order to grow a good harvest. Planting seeds too early (in February) can cause the seedlings to outgrow while they are at home.. As a rule, such seedlings do not take root well in a new place and grow poorly, often get sick, and also produce a very meager harvest.
Sowing too late will also not lead to positive results. In this case, the harvest may not be obtained at all. Especially it concerns growing tomatoes in Siberia. The bushes simply will not have time to begin to form ovaries. According to the lunar calendar, seedlings should be grown in March. Tomatoes for seedlings planted during this period are considered the strongest and are characterized by stable and good yield.
Selection and preparation of planting material
While it’s quite easy to decide when to sow tomatoes for seedlings in Siberia, selecting and preparing the seeds is much more difficult. Pre-sowing preparation is carried out several days before planting tomatoes in the soil.
There are several ways to select planting material. The most common is using a saline solution. Dilute 1 tbsp in warm water. l. finely ground table salt, pour the seeds into a glass. Those seeds that float are unsuitable for planting. You can sow only the planting material that remains at the bottom.
You can also select seeds manually. Only healthy and strong seeds are used for planting. Broken and thin seeds can be thrown away. Next, you can begin to disinfect the seeds. To do this, they are soaked in an aqueous solution of iodine (3 drops per 100 ml of warm water) for 30 minutes. After this, you can sow tomatoes for seedlings.
To improve germination, you can germinate the seeds.To do this, moisten a small piece of natural fabric in warm water, wrap the seeds in it and put the bundle in a warm place (you can put it on a radiator). After 2-3 days, sprouts should appear. After this, the planting material can be planted in the ground.
How to sow seeds for seedlings
Not only the “health” of seedlings, but also future productivity depends on the quality of sowing seeds for seedlings.
How to sow seeds correctly in Siberia:
- First you need to prepare the seeds;
- For planting, you can use soil from your own plot (but first it must be warmed to room temperature). If you don’t have time to do this, then you can buy a ready-made soil mixture for cultivating tomatoes or vegetables;
- Pour drainage (fine crushed stone, eggshells, expanded clay) into the bottom of the container, then fill in the substrate and pour it with a solution of potassium permanganate;
- Make depressions (2-3) cm and sow the seeds, lightly sprinkle them with soil;
- Cover the boxes with glass and take them to a dark, warm place, ventilate the soil every two days;
- After the sprouts appear, move the boxes to the sun.
Planting dates for tomatoes of various varieties in Siberia
When to plant tomatoes? It depends on what variety the tomatoes are. Planting dates for early, mid-early and late varieties may differ.
Dates for sowing tomatoes:
- Early varieties are planted in the first ten days of March (from March 7 to March 13);
- Mid-season tomatoes are sown in mid-March (from March 13 to March 25);
- Late tomatoes are usually planted in late February (from February 15);
- Interdeterminate (tall) tomatoes begin to be sown from mid-February to early March;
- Cherry tomatoes can be planted as seedlings in early April.
Many manufacturers of planting material indicate on their packages the exact timing of when to plant tomatoes as seedlings. In order not to calculate exact dates, you can plant seeds based on the information provided by the agricultural company that produces the seeds.
The growing season for early and mid-early tomato varieties is approximately 100 days. In addition, 7 more days must be added to 100 days. This is the time it takes for the seeds to start sprouting. Also, it is necessary to add another 4 days to the total amount, which are required for the seedlings to adapt to the new planting site. Thus, it can be calculated that it is necessary to sow seeds on April 1-3. Then the timing of planting seedlings will be at the beginning of June, and the harvest will begin to ripen by mid-July.
Dates for planting nightshade crops according to the lunar calendar
Some gardeners prefer to choose the planting period for tomato varieties according to the lunar calendar. The basic rule that must be followed when using this method is that those crops that grow above the ground are planted when the moon is waxing. Those vegetables that grow underground are for the waning moon.
During the new moon and full moon, you cannot plant any crops. Thus, when planting tomatoes according to the lunar calendar in Siberia, you need to start with the waxing moon. The most favorable signs for planting are Taurus, Libra and Capricorn. The waxing moon in 2018 will be from February 28 to March 10, then from March 1 to March 10 and from March 29 to April 12.
Favorable numbers for planting, picking and transplanting tomatoes into open ground according to the lunar calendar:
- February - 16, 18, 22, 24, 27, 28;
- In March - 1, 4, 10, 17, 30;
- In April - 5, 10, 18, 23, 27, 28;
- In May - from 1 to 4, 13, 25, 27, 30;
- In June - 2, 4, 7.
Timing for planting tomatoes in a greenhouse
It is quite difficult to grow a rich harvest of tomatoes in Siberia. These nightshade crops prefer to grow in the southern latitudes of Russia. This is also noticeable in taste. Many varieties intended for planting in northern latitudes are distinguished by dense fruits, they often taste sour, not as sweet and juicy as those grown in the south.
When growing tomatoes in Siberia, it is necessary to take into account a huge number of nuances. First of all, not every variety can be planted in such conditions. Only those hybrids that can tolerate low temperatures and cold summers are suitable.
This problem can be solved very simply. It is advisable to purchase tomato hybrids intended for the greenhouse. This method has a number of advantages:
- The crop can be cultivated all year round. Of course, in winter, even in greenhouse conditions, the fruits are not as tasty, but this is better than buying vegetables in the store.
- Tomatoes are heat-loving crops, and in greenhouse conditions it is fashionable to maintain the required temperature for plant growth and vegetation.
If you plan to plant tomatoes in a greenhouse in the spring, then the planting time is the same as when cultivating seedlings in open ground. In other cases, you can choose any dates for sowing seeds in the soil.
