When to plant tomatoes for seedlings?

At first, novice gardeners master many of the most diverse wisdom. Tomatoes are one of the most favorite vegetables for many; most summer residents strive to grow them and get a good harvest. Therefore, the question will certainly arise: how to plant tomatoes for seedlings.

People with extensive experience in gardening and garden work are often of the opinion that it is better to check the lunar calendar in all work. They not only plant tomatoes in the recommended month, but they also choose certain dates when they can sow seeds for seedlings.

It is believed that if you strictly adhere to the selected dates, this will have a beneficial effect on seed germination and seedling growth. But this does not mean that you need to pay less attention to all the required procedures for caring for plants. Even those who are skeptical about the calendar try not to sow seeds on unfavorable days for this. These days can change every year, so you should always check with the latest calendar.

In 2022, the most suitable days for sending tomato seeds to the ground are:

• in February - 12-14, 16-19, 24;
• in March - 2-4, 17-19, 23;
• in April - 19, 28.

The gardener's place of residence also plays an important role. The sowing time will vary from region to region. In the southern regions, you can already start thinking about seeds at the beginning of February, decide on a variety, and buy. And already in the twenties, you can sow them. It is not too late to carry out these manipulations before the end of the first decade of March.

In the Moscow region, it is worth starting to prepare seeds for sowing in the second decade of March. Approximately the same time can be chosen in the middle lane. The dates in the Urals will be slightly shifted, and it is better to start sowing seeds at the end of March. In Siberia and the Far East, you can start preparing seeds for seedlings in late March - early April. These times may vary slightly depending on different conditions: long-term weather forecasts, tomato variety, conditions and cultivation - in the open field or in a greenhouse.

There are many varieties of tomatoes developed for different regions. The main criterion by which varieties are divided is the ripening period. There are mid-season, late and early varieties. And it also depends on the belonging of a plant to a particular variety when it is worth sowing seeds for seedlings. And again, this, of course, is tied to the climatic conditions of the region.

In the Crimea, Krasnodar Territory, early varieties can be sown in late February - early March, mid-season ones - from early March to the 10th. In the central part of Russia, early varieties can be planted at the same time, but middle and late ones - in early March and early April. All these works must be completed by April 10.

With cold regions, you need to more carefully select varieties and focus on the weather, winter and spring may differ from year to year. But the seedlings are planted in the ground later, and the harvest is harvested earlier. It is necessary to take this into account and choose varieties that will have time to ripen before the cold weather and give a crop. The middle strip allows mid-season and late varieties to start planting in the second half of March, and early ones - until April 10. The Urals and Siberia dictate their own terms.Here, for medium and late varieties, it is better to choose a time from mid to late March, and for early varieties - April. The same timeframe applies to the Far East.

Some varieties are popular. Early and mid-early include "Far North", "Sanka", "Lyana", "Siberian precocious". If you need to choose mid-season and early options, you can try to plant on your site "Gardener", "Black Prince", "Gold of the Scythians"... Of the late varieties, the choice of summer residents often falls on Bullheart, Giraffe and De Barao.

Sowing tomatoes depends not only on the conditions of the region, the lunar calendar and the variety, but also on how the crop is planned to be grown. Timing for polycarbonate greenhouse and outdoor greenhouse will be different. Under favorable conditions, seedlings can be placed in the greenhouse as early as April (in the southern edges at the beginning, in colder ones at the end). Therefore, the seeds should be started to be planted in the ground earlier, around the beginning of February. Seeds for outdoor use are cultivar and region oriented - from late February to early April. And some grow seeds at home, and then place the seedlings on a covered loggia and balcony. Here, the timing will be the same as for the greenhouse.

If all the deadlines are met, one must, of course, not forget that the seeds need preliminary disinfection, hardening, and then regular moistening. When the first sprouts appear, they should be treated in order to prevent pests and diseases, and also do not forget to fertilize.