Planting days in March 2022 for tomatoes: when is it favorable to sow seeds

The quality and timing of the ripening of the tomato crop is largely influenced by the period of planting. Most often, sowing is done in early spring, so you should know the favorable planting days for tomatoes in March 2022. Planting plants at the right time helps prevent a number of problems in future care.

March for sowing seeds: pros and cons

Planting tomatoes in March 2022 has a number of positives and negatives.

The list of top benefits includes the following:

• when sown in early spring, the seedlings will have time to grow to the desired size and bring a crop during the warm period;
• low ambient temperature in spring will not lead to the drying of immature plants;
• According to the lunar calendar, March has the largest number of days favorable for sowing.

The main disadvantage is the high risk of return frosts. Early sowing can cause young seedlings to die due to cold exposure. In addition, the soil at the beginning of the spring period may not be fully warm.

Early planting - problems with overgrown seedlings

Timely grown seedlings are the basis of a large harvest. Seedlings should be transferred to the soil at the age of 55-60 days. The exact timing depends on the variety of tomatoes grown. If the seedlings are not transferred to the ground in time, they will outgrow. Also, the reasons for outgrowth are:

• early sowing;
• poor lighting;
• inappropriate temperature setting;
• abundant watering;
• frequent fertilizing.

Overgrown seedlings have low immunity, so hardening of seedlings is required before planting in the ground. Otherwise, the plants are likely to die. First you need to leave the seedlings on the street for 2 hours in cloudy warm weather and high humidity. During the week, the procedure is repeated several times with increasing time. A week later, the seedlings are left outdoors for a day and only after that they are transferred to the ground.

When to sow tomatoes for seedlings in March?

The timing of sowing seedlings varies depending on several factors. It is necessary to pay attention to the grown variety of tomatoes. As a rule, manufacturers indicate the recommended sowing period on the seed packaging. The following factors also matter:

• Weather conditions. With the onset of early and warm spring, sowing can be carried out in early March, and in case of frosty weather, it is better to postpone planting for 1-2 weeks.
• Lunar calendar. Designed taking into account agroastrological nuances, the calendar contains information about the phases of the moon, which allows you to plant tomatoes in the most favorable period.
• Seedling condition. With improper care or external influence, the seedlings may not have time to get stronger by the beginning of spring, and in this case it is recommended to delay the transfer of plants to the soil.

Auspicious days for planting seedlings in a greenhouse

Seeds for seedlings for subsequent transfer to open soil are sown in the first half of March. According to the lunar calendar, the most successful days for sowing greenhouse tomatoes: March 3-5, 10.12.

Open ground

Tomato seedlings for open soil in March 2022 are recommended to be planted on the 20th, 25th, 30th and 31st. Tomato seeds for cultivation in open soil are sown later than greenhouse varieties, so that they have time to get stronger and acquire a sufficiently powerful root system.

For home use

When growing tomatoes in an apartment, seedlings can be sown from early March to mid-April. The time period is increased due to the fact that tomato bushes will grow and bear fruit in unchanged environmental conditions. For active growth and abundant fruiting, it is necessary to provide a favorable environment. In particular, when sowing seedlings at home, you need to pay attention to the following factors:

• Temperature regime. The optimum temperature for seedlings of tomatoes in the daytime varies from 18 to 25 degrees. At night, the temperature can drop to 12-15 degrees.
• Moisture indicator. In order for the seedlings to germinate and begin to develop in time, the humidity level should be in the range of 65-75%.
• Lighting. Regardless of the variety of tomatoes grown, seedlings need plenty of natural light.It is recommended to leave a container with seedlings on the windowsill if the windows face south and are not covered with trees. With a lack of natural light, the use of artificial lighting is allowed.

Unfavorable days for sowing and planting

It is not recommended to sow seedlings and transfer seedlings to open ground or a greenhouse on March 12 and 28. These dates fall on a full moon and a new moon, respectively. During periods of changing lunar phases, it is better not to perform any agrotechnical actions, since the moon affects the processes of growth and development of plants. At the moments when the Moon passes from one phase to another, there is a movement of juices inside the bushes, and replanting can lead to disruption of the process.

What affects planting times?

The timing of planting seedlings, as well as sowing seedlings, depends on a number of conditions. It is important to take into account the region of cultivation, the variety of tomatoes, and climatic features.

Region

When planning to plant tomatoes, you need to prepare for the weather conditions and the specifics of the soil in a particular region. Given all the features, it will be possible to grow a large crop and not face care problems.

Moscow Region

Varieties of tomatoes suitable for growing in the Moscow region begin to be sown for seedlings from the beginning of spring until the first days of April. A long period is associated with the specifics of varieties and the method of their cultivation. If the tomatoes will be planted in open soil, you need to determine the moment when the probability of returning frosts will be minimal.

For different territories of the Moscow region, the transition of the average daily air temperature through 10 degrees in the spring occurs at different times. In the center and in the northern territory, this transition occurs in the first ten days of May, and in the southeastern regions, the transition occurs a week earlier.

In most areas of the Moscow region, stable warm weather has been established since the second decade.On flat terrain, frosts end after the 20th, but depending on the average daily temperature over the past year, there is a risk of cold snaps in early June.

Urale

The climatic conditions of the Middle Urals are more suitable for growing tomatoes in a greenhouse. This is due to the fact that the period of positive temperatures lasts less than 3 months. In the Urals, modern hybrid varieties of tomatoes are often chosen for sowing, which have high rates of resistance to diseases and changing weather conditions.

Due to the climate in the Urals, sowing is carried out 50-60 days before the onset of the warm period, so that the plants can adapt and develop to the desired level. As a rule, sowing for seedlings is allowed to be carried out during March. It is especially important to sow seedlings on time if the tomatoes are later transferred to unprotected soil. Determinant and superdeterminant varieties are more often planted in open ground, and tall bushes are planted in greenhouses.

Siberia

When planting tomatoes in Siberia, it is important to take into account a number of nuances.

In the Siberian territories, you can grow a limited number of varieties that can withstand a sharp drop in temperature and cool summers. If you plan to grow vegetables in greenhouse conditions in the spring, then the sowing dates are in mid-March, just like when planting in open soil. In other cases, it is allowed to choose any day for sowing. It is recommended to grow tomatoes in Siberia in greenhouses, because:

• Tomatoes are considered a heat-loving crop, and in greenhouse conditions it is possible to provide favorable temperatures for active growth and the formation of large fruits.
• Crop can be cultivated throughout the year.

Determined depending on the variety

Different varieties of tomatoes should be planted in a favorable period for a particular variety. The following dates for planting tomatoes are distinguished:

• early varieties are sown from 7 to 13 March;
• mid-ripening varieties are planted in mid-March from the 13th to the 25th;
• late-ripening tomatoes begin to be sown from the last days of February;
• high-growing indeterminate type tomatoes are planted between mid-February and early spring;
• small cherry tomatoes can be planted in early April.

Most manufacturers of planting material mark on the packaging information about the sowing period for seedlings. Using the information provided by the agribusiness, there is no need to calculate exact planting dates.

Further care of tomatoes

Most varieties of tomatoes need basic care, which involves watering, tilling, trimming bushes, fertilizing and using shelters. Watering is carried out as the soil dries, taking into account the amount of precipitation. Each watering is accompanied by loosening the earth so that air can freely pass to the roots of the plants.

For proper development and intensive fruiting, phosphorus-potassium, nitrogen and organic fertilizers are used. It is recommended to apply top dressing 3-4 times during the season. The formation of bushes also contributes to active growth. The procedure consists in removing yellowed leaves and deformed branches that continue to absorb nutrients.

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