What should be the optimal timing for planting a tomato? This question is regularly asked by all gardeners. Starting in February, the problem arises, so as not to make a mistake with the timing of planting vegetable crops for seedlings.
Many tomato growers set the timing for planting tomatoes in February, but there is an erroneous opinion that the more seedlings are grown on the window, the faster you can get the first crop in the garden. This is not true.
There are a lot of recommendations of specialists in this field, which consider the timing of sowing tomatoes and other vegetables for individual regions with different climatic conditions, depending on the tomato varieties and the conditions in which seedlings will be grown. But in fact, among the gardeners there is always a spirit of rivalry - whoever planted tomatoes in the open ground before.
It is not at all difficult to calculate the timing of sowing tomatoes , for example, for hybrids and early ripe varieties, the vegetation period until the first ripe fruits is about 100 days. So, to get the first tomato for salad by July 20, you need to sow tomato seeds in 100 days, add 7-10 days for seedlings and 3-5 days for the adaptation of the planted seedlings to the soil by this time. It turns out approximately sowing seeds by April 1.
Tomato varieties are divided into three groups: early varieties with vegetation of 85–90 days, mid-ripening - 90–110 days and late-ripening - 110–115 days. When buying seeds and sowing, it should be borne in mind that if you want to get an uninterrupted conveyor of fresh vegetables, you reckon on the fact that early varieties will make up about 40% - the first harvest for food and salads, the largest volume of 45% is calculated for mid-season salads ( harvesting for the winter) and late varieties - about 15%, for storage of fresh vegetables.
Varieties of the latter group are stored the longest, but early and mid-ripening varieties are distinguished by higher productivity and differ in the taste qualities necessary for food and preparations.
The determining factor is the timing of planting a tomato. If you plan to plant seedlings in a greenhouse or greenhouse, then it should be prepared by mid-May, in open ground - by June 10. Considering that the seedling age for planting is 50-60 days (the variety of tomatoes is important), then sow seeds not earlier than March 10, followed by placement of seedlings in the greenhouse, for planting in unprotected soil - by April 5.
Those who have heated greenhouses can sow seeds in late February - early March, subject to additional lighting of the greenhouse and growing seedlings in separate pots 10x10 cm.
In mid-April, sowing seeds is a bit late, with the exception of determinant early ripening varieties. In other cases, the risk of unripe fruit before the first autumn frosts is likely.
Favorable for sowing seeds in February are considered to be the 20th, 21st, 25th and 26th, and the dates for the second half of March are also determined - 19th, 20th, 21st, 24th, 25th.
When planting seedlings in a permanent place, you need to remember that tomatoes are very heat-loving plants. At a temperature of 15 degrees, the flowering and development of fruits stops, and at 10 degrees - growth stops completely. But tomatoes do not tolerate high temperature, and flowers do not pollinate at temperatures above 35 degrees.
With overgrown seedlings, when the planting period has not approached, they do this: they cut the upper part by 20 cm, remove the lower leaves and place them in water until roots form.
Both parts are planted in the ground, a stepson should appear on the mother stem - replacement of the main stem.
Tomatoes are relatively drought tolerant and do not tolerate excessive moisture, so you need to be extremely careful when watering.
If, for some reason, these dates for sowing tomatoes do not coincide with those recommended in the article, then you can experimentally set your own dates and see for example the experiments that are best suited for sowing vegetable crops.
For example, you can sow the seeds of one variety at different times with a break of 10 days and then, in the process of growth, determine the optimal timing of sowing. In this case, it is necessary to observe the conditions of growth and the environment.