When to plant tomatoes in March?

Tomato, if not the king of the garden, is certainly a big boss. Summer residents treat tomato plantings with special trepidation, and this is well deserved. What other product pleases in all forms, and in what other part of the site there will be such an aroma, if not in a tomato greenhouse. When it is right to sow tomatoes for seedlings, how to choose favorable days and what they depend on - these are the questions in which beginners often swim.

It is worth starting with why exactly March was chosen as the month in which it is customary to sow tomatoes for seedlings. The month is really almost ideal for sowing, this applies to early varieties, and to medium, and to late ones. Daylight hours in March are already decent, that is, additional lighting for seedlings is not particularly needed.

The obvious plus of the March planting is that by the time of transplantation into the ground, the plant will already be quite strong and hardy. For central Russia and other regions with similar climatic features, planting seeds in early March is most acceptable. Moreover, most varieties have already been tested in terms of sowing dates.

Many gardeners are guided by the lunar calendar, considering it the best assistant in terms of timing. It is worth mentioning it separately. The moon affects all living things, it needs 28 days to pass all 12 zodiac signs. Some of these signs, according to long-term observation experience, are favorable for certain types of work. But there are signs that do not condone active farming, or rather, certain procedures associated with it. Plants behave differently during different phases of the moon.

What phases of the moon are distinguished:

• new moon - energy is directed to the base, to the root system, which means that the growth of seedlings will slow down;
• the full moon is characterized by the release of accumulated energy that has accumulated in fruits, shoots, flowers;
• the growing moon helps nutrients from the roots to the top of the plant, increasing the rate of photosynthesis - this is a good period for planting;
• the waning moon lowers nutritious juices from the leaves to the roots, and these are the right days for harvesting.

How to navigate the calendar, if suddenly there is no data for the current year: when the moon is in Leo, Libra, Gemini - not the best time for planting tomatoes. The sign of Aquarius is the most unfortunate period for sowing. But the signs of Water and Earth contribute to successful landings, Aries, Sagittarius and Virgo are neutral signs.

Then you can navigate by a specific year. For example, in March 2021 - from 15 to 18, as well as from 22 to 24 - the days are optimal for planting tomatoes. In March 2022, there are much more optimal dates: March 3, as well as 6-8, 10-13, 15-17, 21-23, 29 and, finally, March 30, you can safely plan sowing work.

If the plants are classified as early maturing varieties, the second half of March will be a good time for planting. If late-ripening - the beginning of March, mid-ripening, respectively, the middle of the month. But if you confuse these schemes, even successful days according to the lunar calendar will fail.

By specific dates: March 2021 is not the best days for working with plants - 12-14 and 28. Fortunately, there are far more favorable days than unfavorable ones. In March 2022, such days in the lunar calendar are 1, 4-5, 14, 27-28.

But, of course, the question is not limited to just the choice of dates. There are many rules that summer residents sometimes bypass, and then blame the calendar for everything and stop checking it.

It is worth recalling these rules a little.

• The boxes where the seeds will be sown in March are taken either not large enough or not calculated for the projected seedling volume. Between the seeds, any interval seems sufficient only at first, then, with close proximity, it is difficult for the sprouts to develop. Some of them die.
• The container must be decontaminated before sowing tomato seeds. If the container is plastic, you can wipe it with a cotton pad moistened with alcohol. A wooden container is well treated with fungicides; copper sulfate can also be used.
• The soil in which the seeds will grow must be disinfected. The most affordable way is roasting in the oven. Half an hour is enough at a temperature of 180 degrees so that those pathogens that may be in the ground have no chance of survival.
• At the bottom of the boxes where the seeds will be planted, you need to lay a drainage layer about 1 cm thick. It can be expanded clay, small pebbles, egg shells. The latter option, by the way, is multifunctional, because the shell is also a nutritious element.
• The seeds are laid out along the grooves in the soil mixture, after which they must be sprinkled with earth. The sprinkled soil is slightly laid down, crushed. After that, the ground should be moistened with a spray bottle.

Regional climatic features are taken into account first of all. You need to pay attention not only to the weather, average temperature, but also to the characteristics of the soil.

• Northwestern. It is not worth sowing seeds before the middle of the first spring month. The pick is carried out 2-3 weeks after the seedlings emerge. And the seedlings will go to the garden in the first summer days. This is all done so that night frosts do not destroy the seedlings.

• Moscow region. Not earlier than the 20th of May, the period comes when you can plant tomatoes on the street. Low temperatures happened even in the first days of summer. Therefore, in the first week of March, seeds are not yet sown, but the second or third week is already a more suitable time to plant seeds.

• Ural. The weather suitable for growing tomatoes in a greenhouse lasts from two to three months. Not all varieties will yield crops in such a climatic zone; gardeners usually choose hybrids that demonstrate high resistance to weather jumps, and are also not afraid of diseases. In the first days of March at home, you can already deal with seedlings, focusing on the lunar calendar.

• Siberia. In its harsh conditions, varieties are promising, which are not afraid of significant temperature jumps. These are tomatoes that grow in cool summers. Towards the end of March, fast-ripening varieties are sown, but if the variety requires a long growing season, it will have to be done earlier.

The package with seeds (if the product is purchased) usually contains all the essential information, first of all, about which variety is early, mid-season or late. When calculating the estimated dates for planting seedlings in the ground on the street, you need to "rewind" the time that will be spent on growing seedlings from seeds, thus determining the optimal time for the first planting operations.

Tomatoes grow in the open field and in the greenhouse. Of course, they have different growth conditions.

First of all, the cultivar is taken into account. These should be those varieties or hybrids that are resistant to pests, diseases, and frost. They should not be afraid of drought and high humidity. Of course, without strict adherence to agrotechnical foundations, it will also not work to grow a good harvest of tomatoes in the open field.

What is important to consider first of all:

• tomatoes are very demanding on heat, they grow best at a temperature of 20-25 degrees, and if it is hotter outside, their growth slows down;
• tomatoes will not tolerate excess moisture;
• the growing season for this culture is long, therefore, for better survival, ready-made seedlings are planted on the garden bed - you can do without this, but the forecast for the survival of seedlings will be much lower;
• it is not necessary to plant a tomato in open ground after nightshades (that is, not in the place where tomatoes, eggplants, peppers grew last season), you should also not plant tomatoes after strawberries;
• garlic, cucumbers, legumes are excellent precursors for tomatoes.

The beds should be ready a couple of weeks before planting. They need to be dug up by 30 centimeters, leveled with a rake, sprayed with Bordeaux liquid on dry soil.

The main "starting flag" in this case will be the weather. If the nights are cold, you should postpone, on average, you can send seedlings to the greenhouse if the temperature outside is stable at 8-12 degrees with a tendency to increase in temperature. In the northern regions it is the end of spring, in the central regions it is closer to mid-May, in the south it can be April, from the 10th and onwards.

Only plants that already have 4-5 leaves should be sent to the greenhouse. Early varieties are usually planted when they have their first brush. It makes no sense to keep them on the windowsill at home, otherwise the seedlings will overripe. In medium and late varieties - the landing reference will be 7-8 true leaves. But if the weather is warm, the transplant is possible earlier.

Overgrown tomatoes are in a hurry to plant, whatever their age. If the soil is warmed up, the culture will take root in greenhouse conditions. The day before planting in the greenhouse, the seedlings are well shed, it is necessary to moisten the soil lump. After moistening, the soil is more solid, does not crumble, and then the plant will be transplanted less stressfully, since the root system is protected.