When to sow seeds: planting, timing and seedling care

Since February, every landowner has begun to think about when it is better to sow seedlings, which crops to grow. Someone seeks to plant seeds, covering as many crops as possible, while someone plantes only certain types of plants in small quantities. In any case, each gardener raises the same question: "And when to sow the seeds?"

Features of crops

Each type of crop has its own sowing dates. Some vegetables and flowers are planted in a permanent place at a certain age. For example, tomato seedlings should be 60 days, and cucumbers - 21-23 days. Knowing these features, many gardeners themselves calculate the timing of crops, taking into account the climate.

Sowing dates of the nightshade family

Planting seeds of the nightshade family is carried out at different times. This group includes: tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, physalis, eggplant. All these cultures were brought to Russia from Europe and America. Almost all plants are thermophilic and in most regions of the Russian Federation are grown only through seedlings. Although now there are varieties that have time to grow and completely give back the crop, even with direct sowing in open ground.

Potatoes are one of the most important crops. It is grown by planting tubers in the ground. Usually, landing is carried out on condition of warming up the earth, when the average daily temperature does not fall below eight degrees. By terms in the middle zone of the Russian Federation, such conditions occur approximately from late April to early May. It is during this period that potatoes are planted.

Growing peppers, eggplant and tomatoes

Peppers and eggplants are grown through seedlings, since these crops are heat-loving and do not have time to give crops during direct planting. In the southern regions of the country they can be grown by direct sowing, but not all varieties. But in the middle zone of the Russian Federation pepper and eggplant are necessarily grown through seedlings. Planting of seeds is carried out in the last decade of February - in early March. Seedlings have been planted in the garden since mid-May.

Tomatoes are grown in the same way, that is, seedlings. Planting of seeds is carried out closer to mid-March, when sunlight will be sufficient for the normal development of the plant. If you plan to plant seedlings in a heated greenhouse, then it is sown earlier. When planting tomatoes in open ground, seeds are planted for seedlings in late March or early April.

In Russia, a culture such as physalis is grown. It is not as common as tomatoes or eggplant. This type of plant is grown through seedlings: the timing of sowing is the same as that of tomatoes.

Growing pumpkin crops

This species includes: pumpkins, zucchini, cucumbers, squash, watermelons and melons. Usually sowing seeds in open ground is carried out at an average daily temperature of at least 14 degrees, that is, after May 10.

Watermelons, melons, cucumbers and zucchini can be grown by sowing in open ground or through seedlings. This method allows you to get earlier crops. Sowing of seeds is carried out in late March - early April, and seedlings are planted in a permanent place at the end of May. The age of cucumber and squash seedlings should be no more than 23 days, other crops are planted when they reach the age of 50 days.

When growing pumpkin seedlings, it is worth considering that cucumbers, watermelons and melons do not tolerate a transplant. Because of this feature, seedlings are sown in separate containers so as not to damage the root system when transplanting plants. When planting plants, it is worth taking care of their shelter, since all plants of the pumpkin family are afraid of frost.

Most gardeners grow these plants by direct planting of seeds in the ground in spring. Usually, crops are carried out after May 5 under the film or directly in the garden in early June, when the threat of frost passes.

Sowing cabbage crops

Cabbage family vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, white cabbage, Beijing, red cabbage, kohlrabi. Of all the crops grown, white cabbage is most often grown. Shoots of the plant tolerate small frosts well (up to -3 degrees). The seedlings themselves appear quickly, about the seventh day after sowing. Typically, cabbage is sown for seedlings in open ground in mid-April, covering the beds with film.

Care Features

Vegetables are grown in several ways: sowing seedlings in boxes, direct sowing seeds in beds, sowing seedlings under shelters, sowing in a greenhouse. Each method has its own characteristics.

Planting seeds and caring for seedlings grown in crates is more difficult than caring for seedlings under shelters or in a greenhouse. Basically, this is due to the features of irrigation and providing seedlings with the right amount of light. Seedlings grown on the windowsill must be accustomed to natural light (hardening).

Having planted tomato seeds or other crops in boxes, it is necessary to provide the seedlings with the right amount of light. It is best to place the boxes on the southern windowsills. Be sure to monitor the level of moisture: tomato seedlings during overflow is affected by a black leg and dies. With other methods of planting, this happens extremely rarely, we can say that these are isolated cases in the entire history of growing seedlings under shelters.

Seeding Tricks

It will be useful for each gardener to keep a table of planting dates on hand. She will help to orient with crops of different cultures.

Using the table below will help to sow different types of crops in time and get a good harvest at different times.