Favorable days for planting tomatoes in March 2024

The quality and timing of tomato harvest ripening is largely influenced by the planting period. Most often, sowing is done in early spring, so you should know the favorable planting days for tomatoes in March 2024. Planting plants at the right time helps prevent a number of problems in future care.

March for sowing seeds: pros and cons

Planting tomatoes in March 2024 has a number of positive and negative aspects.

The list of main advantages includes the following:

• when sown in early spring, the seedlings will have time to grow to the required size and will bear fruit during the warm period;
• low ambient temperatures in spring will not lead to drying out of fragile plants;
• According to the lunar calendar, March has the largest number of days favorable for sowing.

The main disadvantage is the high risk of return frosts. Early sowing may result in young seedlings dying due to exposure to cold weather. In addition, the soil may not warm up fully at the beginning of spring.

Early planting - problems with overgrown seedlings

Timely grown seedlings are the basis for a large harvest. Seedlings should be transferred to the soil at the age of 55-60 days. The exact timing depends on the variety of tomatoes grown. If you do not transfer the seedlings to the ground in time, they will outgrow. Also reasons for overgrowth are:

• early sowing;
• insufficient lighting;
• unsuitable temperature conditions;
• abundant watering;
• frequent fertilizing.

Overgrown seedlings have low immunity, so hardening off the seedlings is required before planting in the ground. Otherwise, the plants are likely to die. First, you need to leave the seedlings outside for 2 hours in cloudy, warm weather and high atmospheric humidity. During the week, the procedure is repeated several times with increasing time. After a week, the seedlings are left outdoors for a day and only after that are transferred to the ground.

When to sow tomatoes for seedlings in March?

The timing of sowing seedlings varies depending on several factors. It is necessary to pay attention to the variety of tomatoes being grown.As a rule, manufacturers indicate the recommended sowing period on the seed package. The following factors are also important:

• Weather. With the onset of early and warm spring, sowing can be carried out in early March, and in case of frosty weather, it is better to postpone planting for 1-2 weeks.
• Moon calendar. The calendar, developed taking into account agroastrological nuances, contains information about the phases of the moon, which allows you to plant tomatoes in the most favorable period.
• Condition of seedlings. With improper care or external influence, seedlings may not have time to grow stronger by the beginning of spring, and in this case it is recommended to delay the transfer of plants into the soil.

Favorable days for planting seedlings in a greenhouse

Seeds for seedlings for subsequent transfer to open soil are sown in the first half of March. According to the lunar calendar, the most successful days for sowing greenhouse tomatoes are March 3-5, 10 and 12.

In open ground

Tomato seedlings for open soil in March 2024 are recommended to be planted on the 20th, 25th, 30th and 31st. Tomato seeds for growing in open soil are sown later than greenhouse varieties so that they have time to grow stronger and acquire a sufficiently powerful root system.

For home use

When growing tomatoes in an apartment, sowing seedlings can be done from early March to mid-April. The time period is increased due to the fact that the tomato bushes will grow and bear fruit in unchanged environmental conditions. For active growth and abundant fruiting, it is necessary to provide a favorable environment. In particular, when sowing seedlings at home, you need to pay attention to the following factors:

• Temperature conditions. The optimal temperature for tomato seedlings during the day varies from 18 to 25 degrees.At night, the temperature is allowed to drop to 12-15 degrees.
• Humidity indicator. In order for the seedlings to germinate and begin to develop on time, the humidity level should be in the range of 65-75%.
• Lighting. Regardless of the variety of tomatoes grown, seedlings need plenty of natural light. It is recommended to leave the container with seedlings on the windowsill if the windows face south and are not covered by trees. If there is a lack of natural light, the use of artificial lighting is allowed.

Unfavorable days for sowing and planting

It is not recommended to sow seedlings and transfer seedlings to open ground or a greenhouse on March 12 and 28. These dates fall on the full moon and new moon, respectively. During periods of changing lunar phases, it is better not to perform any agrotechnical actions, since the Moon affects the processes of plant growth and development. At moments when the Moon passes from one phase to another, juices move inside the bushes, and replanting can lead to disruption of the process.

What affects planting times?

The timing of planting seedlings, as well as sowing seedlings, depends on a number of conditions. It is important to take into account the growing region, variety of tomatoes, and climatic features.

Region

When planning to plant tomatoes, you need to prepare for weather conditions and soil specifics in a particular region. Taking into account all the features, you will be able to grow a large harvest and not encounter any maintenance problems.

Moscow region

Varieties of tomatoes suitable for growing in the Moscow region begin to be sown as seedlings from the beginning of spring until the first days of April. The long period is associated with the specifics of the varieties and the methods of their cultivation.If tomatoes are planted in open soil, you need to determine the moment when the likelihood of return frosts is minimal.

For different areas of the Moscow region, the transition of the average daily air temperature through 10 degrees in the spring occurs at different times. In the center and northern territory, this transition occurs in the first ten days of May, and in the southeastern regions the transition occurs a week earlier.

In most areas of the Moscow region, stable warm weather sets in from the second decade. In areas with flat terrain, frosts end after the 20th, but depending on the average daily temperature over the past year, there is a risk of cold snaps returning in early June.

Ural

The climatic conditions of the Middle Urals are more suitable for growing tomatoes in a greenhouse. This is due to the fact that the period of positive temperatures lasts less than 3 months. In the Urals, modern hybrid varieties of tomatoes are often chosen for sowing, which have high resistance to diseases and changes in weather conditions.

Due to the climate in the Urals, sowing is carried out 50-60 days before the onset of the warm period, so that the plants can adapt and develop to the desired level. As a rule, seedlings can be sowed during March. It is especially important to sow seedlings on time if the tomatoes are subsequently transferred to unprotected soil. Determinate and super-determinate varieties are often planted in open ground, and tall bushes are planted in greenhouses.

Siberia

When planting tomatoes in Siberia, it is important to take into account a number of nuances.

In Siberian territories, a limited number of varieties can be grown that can withstand sharp drops in temperature and cool summers.If you plan to grow vegetables in greenhouse conditions in the spring, then the sowing time is mid-March, the same as when planting in open soil. In other cases, it is allowed to choose any day for sowing. It is recommended to grow tomatoes in Siberia in greenhouses because:

• Tomatoes are considered a heat-loving crop, and in greenhouse conditions it is possible to provide favorable temperatures for active growth and the formation of large fruits.
• The crop can be cultivated throughout the year.

Determined depending on the variety

Different varieties of tomatoes should be planted in a favorable period for a particular variety. The following dates for planting tomatoes are distinguished:

• early varieties are sown between March 7 and March 13;
• mid-season varieties are planted in mid-March from the 13th to the 25th;
• Late-ripening tomatoes begin to sow from the end of February;
• tall, indeterminate type tomatoes are planted from mid-February to early spring;
• small cherry tomatoes can be planted in early April.

Most manufacturers of planting material mark information on the packaging about the sowing period for seedlings. Using the information provided by the agricultural company, you will not need to calculate exact planting dates.

Further care for tomatoes

Most varieties of tomatoes require basic care, which includes watering, tilling the soil, pruning bushes, fertilizing and using shelters. Watering is carried out as the soil dries, taking into account the amount of precipitation. Each watering is accompanied by loosening the soil so that air can freely pass to the roots of the plants.

For proper development and intensive fruiting, phosphorus-potassium, nitrogen and organic fertilizers are used.It is recommended to fertilize 3-4 times during the season. The formation of bushes also contributes to active growth. The procedure involves removing yellowed leaves and deformed branches that continue to absorb nutritional components.