WHEN TO PLANT TOMATOES IN A GREENHOUSE: WHERE CAN ONE SOW SEEDS OF TOMATOES, HOW IS CULTURE GROWN IN CENTRAL RUSSIA AND AT WHAT TIME IS IT BEST TO DO IT?

Tomato is a heat-loving plant, and to obtain a rich harvest it is necessary to create favorable conditions for the growth and fruiting of this “vegetable” in our country.

And although the high demand for tomatoes gave an impetus for the development of new varieties and hybrids capable of withstanding the changing climate of Russian latitudes, growing and caring for tomatoes is a rather laborious process.

Nevertheless, this fruit is so "caught on" in the diet of people that the difficulties in growing tomatoes do not frighten gardeners at all.

How to choose the right time for planting tomatoes?

How not to twist, but the exact date when you can and should be planted tomato seedlings in the greenhouse is not. In this case you need to choose the right time, focusing on weather conditions and temperature indicators.

To plant tomatoes in the greenhouse should be when the soil warms to 15 degrees or higher. When the temperature is below the permissible value, plants can often hurt, stop developing or even die. As a result, you can not see a good harvest of tomatoes. Approximate landing time May-June.

But you need to carefully monitor the timing, so that the tomatoes could produce a crop before the cold nights. Some gardeners when disembarking are guided by the lunar calendar.

Influencing factors

Planting tomatoes are usually produced in two ways - seedlings and seeds. Rassadny is more often used in northern latitudes and central Russia. Planting seeds suitable for the southern regions of the country.
Tomatoes on seedlings are sown in March, so that by the time of planting in the greenhouse the seedlings are strong and able to survive temperature extremes.
No later than two weeks before planting seedlings in the greenhouse, plants should be hardened.
The first days you need to open the windows, and for 4-5 days the seedlings can be taken out on the balcony and, in the presence of warm weather, leave the plant for the whole night.
Hardened plants have a healthy blue-violet color.
An important factor influencing the planting time of tomato is also the type of greenhouse.
Planting is made in glass greenhouses in April, and in glass film greenhouses they are planted in May.
For planting in the greenhouse, tall (indeterminate) tomato varieties or hybrids are more suitable. Better if they are self-pollinated.
Both early and mid-season and late-ripening can be planted.
However, with all the diversity, it is still better to give preference to zoned varieties, since they are adapted to the local climate and fully disclose all their properties and will delight you with a good harvest.

Terms of sowing seeds and planting tomatoes for the middle zone and in other regions of Russia

Many novice gardeners are wondering "when is it better to sow tomatoes?" But they most likely will not get an unequivocal answer to this question. It is possible to determine favorable time for crops by simple calculations.:

We take the approximate time for planting tomatoes as a starting point (in this case, we must take into account the region, the landing site (greenhouse or soil), weather conditions and forecasts for spring).
Then it is necessary to subtract the maturity of a variety from this date. For early ripening, this period is about 45 days, for the mid-ripening period - 60 days, and for the late ripening period - about 70 days.
From the result obtained, we subtract approximately 5–7 days (the time of seed germination) and determine the exact date of planting tomatoes in the greenhouse.

Depending on the region, as mentioned earlier, the timing of planting tomatoes in greenhouses will vary.

For central Russia The beginning of May is considered to be a favorable time for planting tomatoes in a greenhouse. from 5 to 10 of the month. The age of seedlings should not exceed 60 days. On the plant by this time there are already large buds on the first hand.
In the Urals In early April, when there is still snow on the street, they prepare the ground in the greenhouse and start planting after May 10th. Quite often, not to ruin all the seedlings, gardeners plant plants in 3 steps with a difference of a week.
In Siberia a large variation in ambient temperature and this imposes certain difficulties with the cultivation of tomatoes. For this region, a large number of hybrids capable of withstanding both low and high temperatures, as well as those distinguished by early maturity and high yields are bred. The exact dates of planting tomatoes in a greenhouse in Siberia are not available. You should observe the temperature, weather conditions, forecasts.

Depending on the type of greenhouse and varieties of tomatoes, some summer residents start planting seedlings already from the end of April. However, the time recommended by experienced gardeners for planting tomatoes in an unheated greenhouse is the second half of May (from the 20th of the month).

Planting seedlings can also be based on the lunar calendar.. Favorable dates for planting seeds and seedlings in the greenhouse in Siberia on this calendar are: April 14, 15, 18-21, 27, 28.

This time frame is approximate, each gardener, based on personal experience, has the right to decide for himself when to plant a vegetable. And if there are no skills yet, you can always ask for help from the special literature, read the forums or ask for advice from a more experienced person.