Sowing tomatoes in open ground with seeds, planting rules

Vegetable growing » Tomatoes

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Kira Stoletova

Sowing tomatoes with seeds in open ground is a backup option for cultivating the plant, since it is not always possible to grow seedlings.

Rules for planting tomatoes with seeds in open ground

The method includes almost all the same processes. The difference is that the seeds are immediately sown in a permanent place.

Seedling cultivation of heat-loving crops, including tomatoes, is used in those regions of the country where the duration of the growing season (in other words, the warm period of the year) is less than the growing season of the tomato.

Positive and negative aspects of the method

Planting tomatoes in open ground with seeds in the spring has positive and negative sides. The main condition for the future harvest is the absence of sudden soil frosts at night, which in central Russia can occur until the end of May. Night frosts, even with proper care and choice of variety, can destroy the seeds.

Positive and negative aspects of the method

Advantages of seed planting in the ground:

• The bush forms a powerful root. The result is healthy foliage and larger juicy fruits.
• The plant quickly adapts to sunlight and changes in temperature, and develops strong immunity against pests and diseases.
• The absence of replanting does not cause stress to the tomato; there is no period of adaptation to the soil.

Planting seeds is widely practiced in the southern regions of the country with a warm climate. Here the tomato has enough time to form a bush, and there is time for the crop to ripen. Disadvantages of seed planting:

• Yield loss if low-quality seed material is selected. The gardener will not have time to replant vegetables. If some of the seeds have not sprouted, the fruits will not have time to ripen.
• Death of seedlings due to improper feeding or soil selection.

It is not recommended to plant tomato seeds for open ground in those areas of the garden where tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes grew last year. Good neighbors for all nightshades will be cucumbers, legumes, and white cabbage.

Pests and diseases

When planting tomatoes in the ground with seeds, you need to take care of the health of the plants. It is always easier to prevent diseases than to treat them. Therefore, for this purpose, you can spray tomatoes with garlic infusion. It is prepared like this:

• take 1.5-2 tbsp. garlic, chopped;
• pour hot water (boiling water cannot be used);
• add a little potassium permanganate;
• bring the volume of the product with warm water to 10 l;
• mix, filter (no need to insist).

For better adhesion, you can add liquid soap. 3-4 treatments of plants are carried out at intervals of 6-10 days.

Thickened plantings contribute to the spread of diseases, so this should be avoided. Mulching the soil will also be beneficial for the health of your tomatoes.

To prevent late blight, you need to plant early-ripening varieties that will produce a harvest before the disease begins to rage. To treat late blight, spray tomatoes with 1% Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate solution: 40-50 g per 10 liters of water. During the growing season, 2-3 treatments are carried out.

Seed preparation

Preparation and selection of seeds remains a priority. The seeds are pickled and hardened. Begin preparations 1 week before the next landing. The seeds are soaked for 10-15 minutes. in a solution of potassium permanganate (a faint pink solution of potassium permanganate). The floating seeds are thrown away. After 15 min. the seeds are removed and dried on a spread out cloth.

Preparing seeds for planting

To harden, dry seeds are wrapped in cloth and placed in the freezer for 24-36 hours.

You can plant tomatoes with seeds in dry soil or after daily germination. To get a sprouted seed, it is laid out on a cloth, moistened with water at room temperature and placed in a warm place. Planted after the cuttings appear (after 1-2 days).

Which varieties to choose for planting in open ground

The best varieties of tomatoes for open ground can be either tall or determinate. Breeders have bred enough hybrids that grow equally well in open areas of the garden and in a greenhouse. Among the tall ones, bushes up to 2 meters, the varieties De Braso, Tsarskoselsky, Mustang, Mazarin have proven themselves well.

Among the hydrides, the Admiral, Komissar, and Frant varieties are very popular among gardeners. Do not neglect low-growing species that ripen well in open ground conditions. These are productive varieties Iceberg, Solokha, low-growing hybrids Olya, Cherry Fingers.

Seeds

It is necessary to choose the tomato variety most suitable for the seedless growing method. Low-growing varieties are most often planted, but you can also choose tomatoes that grow to an average height.

Since with the seedless method, tomato plants develop more slowly and do not have a growth spurt compared to seedlings, the main criterion for choosing a variety is its early ripening and uniform yield. After all, fruiting and harvesting will occur at the end of summer - beginning of autumn, when frosts or prolonged cold snaps and rains are already likely.

How to prepare seeds

The seeds need to be pickled and hardened. To do this, they are soaked for 15 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate. To harden, wrap it in fabric in 3 layers and place it in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. It should be placed in the compartment where vegetables are stored. This procedure will accelerate the germination and growth of the crop in the future.

Seeds need to be hardened and germinated

Seeds can be planted dry or germinated. To germinate, they are placed on a damp cloth, gauze or bandage, folded in 3 layers. Leave in a warm place (temperature 26-28˚C). Make sure that the fabric does not dry out. When the sprouts appear, the tomato seeds are ready.

It is advisable to sow sprouted seeds in the ground, this will shorten the time of germination. For many amateur gardeners who, for various reasons, do not have the opportunity to grow seedlings at home, this is the only opportunity to get tomato plants without resorting to purchased seedlings.

Soil preparation

Proper soil preparation will help to plant tomatoes with seeds in open ground and reap a good harvest. In the fall, the future site for planting tomatoes is fed with manure or compost and covered with ash at the rate of 50 grams. per 1 sq. m. After 2 weeks, the ground is dug up.

Soil preparation

10 days before planting the seeds, the area is loosened, watered and covered with polyethylene to warm the soil. If it was not possible to prepare the site in the fall, the soil is fertilized with turf and humus.

Disembarkation methods

Some of the methods, at first glance, seem very strange, but upon closer examination it turns out that they are not without undoubted advantages.

Into boiling water

The method is suitable for seeds of plants with a dense shell (tomatoes and other nightshades are one of them), it allows you to simultaneously soften it, accelerating the emergence of seedlings, and disinfect the soil:

1. Sprinkle the soil with hot water (75–80°C). You cannot use hot boiling water; the seeds will simply cook.
2. Immediately plant the seeds, deepening them to 1–1.5 cm.
3. Cover the container with film and place it on the radiator for 30–40 minutes. Then transfer to a warm room.

Planting tomato seeds in boiling water allows you to simultaneously soften the hard shell and disinfect the soil

Video: planting tomato seeds in boiling water

In peat tablets

The tablets are available in different sizes (2.5–7 cm in diameter) and retain their shape thanks to a mesh “wrap”. For tomatoes, choose tablets at least 5 cm in diameter to avoid picking and damaging the roots when transplanting into the ground:

1. Place the tablets in a deep container and pour warm water into the bottom.
2. Let them swell and plant one seed at a time in the existing holes.
3. Cover the container with film or glass.

Peat tablets are quite expensive, so this is not an option if seedlings for your own plot are grown in large volumes

Video: tomato seedlings in peat tablets

Toilet paper instead of soil (Moscow style)

Tomatoes do not require large doses of nutrients. When grown in this way, you can evaluate the roots and select the most powerful and developed seedlings for transplanting into the ground:

1. Cut a strip of polyethylene or cellophane 2-3 cm wider than toilet paper.
2. Lay the paper on top of it in 3-4 layers, moistening it with water from a spray bottle.
3. Stepping back 1–1.5 cm from the top edge, place the seeds at intervals of 4–5 cm.
4. Roll the strip into a tight roll and secure with a thin elastic band.
5. With the edge where there are no seeds, place the rolls in a container with water (a layer 0.5–1 cm thick).
6. Create a “greenhouse effect”.

Several rolls of toilet paper take up minimal space on the windowsill - much less than the same number of tomato seedlings in individual pots

Video: germinating seeds in toilet paper

In vermiculite

The main advantage is the ability to keep the roots intact when picking and transplanting into the ground:

1. Pour vermiculite with a heated (35–40°C) biostimulant solution (2–3 drops per liter of water). Mix well to wet the entire substrate.
2. Place 1–1.5 tablespoons of vermiculite in small glasses and seal. Place the seeds on top.
3. Fill with approximately the same volume of substrate and compact again.

Tomato seedlings grown in vermiculite can be easily removed from a common container without damaging the roots

In hydrogel

The synthetic chemically neutral polymer has a high moisture capacity, minimizing the risk of drying out the seedlings:

1. Pour water over the dry hydrogel and wait until it turns into jelly-like crystals.
2. Drain off excess moisture, mix the hydrogel with soil (1:5).
3. Spread the seeds on the surface, do not cover with soil. Cover with film.

Hydrogel in its pure form is used for germinating seeds, and mixed with soil for cultivating seedlings

Video: personal experience of growing seedlings in hydrogel

In coconut substrate

The procedure is simple:

1. Fill the substrate briquette with water. They should approximately double in size in 2-3 hours.
2. Fill small containers with “soil” and plant the seeds as usual.

When soaking the coconut substrate, add water gradually - 1-1.5 liters as it is absorbed

In cardboard egg trays

Very light free container, but small, so it does not allow you to avoid picking seedlings:

1. Fill the cells with soil, cut off the lower part.
2. Plant the seeds one at a time, cover with film until shoots emerge.

Cardboard egg boxes can successfully replace small peat pots

Similarly, eggshells can be used as individual pots.

When planting seedlings in the ground, you don’t need to remove them from the shell - the roots themselves will break it

Video: seedlings in egg cells

Rules for planting seeds in open ground

The time for planting tomatoes in open ground with seeds will vary. For central Russia, dates after May 14 are recommended, when night frosts are guaranteed to have passed. Sowing is carried out in two ways:

• into the hole;
• lowercase.

With the hole method, a hole is dug, 2-3 grains are laid, and turf and a layer of soil are poured on top. Sowing depth is 3-4 cm. If all the seeds have sprouted, the strongest sprout is left. The weak ones are not pulled out, but pinched off at ground level, so as not to injure the root system of the remaining plant.

When sowing in rows, a row is formed. The bottom is watered with warm water. The seeds are laid out at a distance of 3-4 cm from one another. The distance between the rows is at least 70 cm. Planting depth is 3-4 cm. A layer of earth is placed on top of the seed. At night, if the air temperature drops below 10 degrees, cover the seedlings with film. The film must be removed every day, otherwise the soil may become moldy and the seeds will burn.

When and where to plant tomatoes?

In Russia, tomato seedlings are planted after May 12-14, since at this time there is a minimal threat of unexpected night frosts. It is not worth planting in early spring, since the air and soil are cold, and the tomato seeds will sleep until favorable warm days.

It is necessary to plant in a place that is protected from strong gusts of wind. Plants in open areas often die from frost and sudden cold snaps. The most successful area for planting is the beds where zucchini, pumpkin, cucumbers, legumes and late varieties of cabbage used to grow. You should not plant in the place where there were peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants.

Important! It is recommended to choose well-lit, open and wind-protected beds; this will help tomatoes grow in large quantities.

Features of cultivation and care

After the tomato has formed a stem, pinching and bush formation are carried out. Depending on the variety, 1, 2 or 3 root stems are left. Tall varieties are formed into 1 stem. After the appearance of the fourth or fifth fruit branches, pinching is carried out.

Features of growing tomatoes

For low-growing bushes, two main stems are often left and the side shoots are removed. Dwarf hybrids, for example, the Cherry variety, must have a branched stem, since the plant's height does not exceed 70 cm and all leaves participate in photosynthesis.

Water the seedlings as the soil dries out. At the same time, they hill up the plant and remove weeds. The first shoots will appear 12-25 days after sowing.

Seedling care

Caring for tomato seedlings also includes creating optimal conditions for them:

• Temperature. Before emergence – 27–30°C, after – 22–26°C during the day and 18–22°C at night.
• Lighting. Ungerminated seeds do not need light; the optimal length of daylight for seedlings is 12–14 hours.
• Watering. When the seeds have not yet sprouted, the soil is sprayed with a spray bottle, keeping it slightly moist. Seedlings are watered only at the root, every 3–4 days.

  Tomato seedlings are watered so that drops of water do not fall on the leaves - you will need a watering can with a long spout or other similar device

• Feeding. They begin to apply two weeks after seed germination with an interval of 15–20 days. Use special organomineral fertilizers for seedlings or those intended for Solanaceae in half concentration.

  It is undesirable to use natural organic matter to feed seedlings - this is a potential source of disease spread

• Dive. Experienced gardeners recommend immediately planting tomatoes in individual containers, avoiding this stage. The roots of the seedlings are thin and easy to damage.

Fertilizer

The first fertilizing is carried out 2-3 days after the seedlings emerge and the row is thinned. The sprouts are fed with mullein, which is prepared in advance. It is necessary to pour 9-10 kg of manure with 20 liters of water in a plastic barrel and leave for 10 days. The resulting composition is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 (1 liter of mullein, 10 of water). Water the bush 1 liter per seedling.

Tomatoes are fed with ammonium nitrate. The chemical strengthens the plant’s immunity and promotes the formation of a healthy ovary and a good harvest. It is necessary to dilute 15 grams in 10 liters of water. mineral fertilizer, use as the first feeding.

The second planned feeding is carried out during the formation of the ovary. Potassium chloride and superphosphate are used. The preparations are diluted in water for irrigation in the following quantities (per 1 sq.m):

• 20 gr. superphosphate;
• 10 gr. potassium salt.

Preventive treatment of tomatoes against pests is carried out before flowering, during the ripening period, but no later than 3 weeks before harvest, so that the tomato has time to remove pesticides.

The correct choice of variety will ensure a consistently high yield of tomatoes. In the central and northern regions, you can plant tomatoes by seeds in the ground and reap good harvests every year. It is important to follow watering and feeding techniques, the procedure for pinching tall bushes and protection from pests.

Thinning tomato seedlings

As soon as 2-3 true leaves appear, the seedlings should be thinned out. I try to leave those plants with a distance of 5-10 cm between them. Of course, I leave the strongest plants.

I do the second thinning when the small tomato plants already have at least 4-5 true leaves. Again I leave only strong plants in the hole, the distance between which increases - 12-15 cm.

Before the last thinning, I water the hole well, trying to keep the soil very wet. Those tomato plants that I decided to remove from the hole, I do not pull out of the ground, but carefully dig them up with a lump of earth. They can be transplanted to a new place or planted where there are weak seedlings. Thus, during the final thinning, I leave 3-4 plants with a distance between them of up to 40 cm. I try to have the plants grow along the perimeter of the hole.

La-la-fa F1

The fruits of this hybrid are real “strong” (the average weight of one fruit is 150 g). This characteristic alone deserves to plant several bushes of these tomatoes in your garden. By the way, you can collect about 3-4 kg of fruits from one plant.

La-la-fa F1 tomatoes are grown in greenhouses and hotbeds; grown seedlings are planted in a permanent place in early - late May. These tomatoes are practically not afraid of the tobacco mosaic virus and are perfectly stored.

Given the considerable weight of tomatoes, the bushes must be tied up during the fruiting period.

Preparatory activities

When growing tomato seedlings at home, it is important to create optimal temperature, lighting and humidity. The composition of the soil in which the seeds will be planted is of great importance.

Sowing work begins with the acquisition of seeds, soil and preparation of equipment. There is never enough light to grow early seedlings. Therefore, it is worth taking care of additional lighting in advance.

Selecting a variety and purchasing seeds

Today there is a huge variety of varieties with different heights, growing seasons, variety of colors and fruit sizes. To choose seeds for sowing seedlings, be sure to read our rating of the best tomato varieties.

When purchasing seeds, preference should be given to reliable agricultural companies and breeders who have proven themselves to be the best. These can be websites of seed manufacturers or online garden stores.

Calculate your capabilities, how many seeds you will need for sowing and how many seedlings you can plant in your garden or greenhouse. The number of seeds is indicated on each bag. Also check the stated expiration date.

Experienced gardeners collect seeds from their gardens only if they are varietal tomatoes. It is not possible to obtain high-quality seeds from hybrids - they do not produce a harvest in the second generation.

Where to plant - containers for seedlings

You can use any convenient container as containers for growing tomato seedlings.

Wooden boxes are used to sow seeds in a schoolhouse . They are filled with prepared soil, and then the seeds are laid out. If the box is large, you can make several grooves and place seeds of several varieties in them.

Important! It is necessary to maintain the distance between seeds when sowing in large containers. Otherwise, the seedlings will stretch out and interfere with each other's growth.

For many years, gardeners have successfully used peat pots . They come in different sizes and are easy to choose for seedlings of any size. It should be noted that this is an environmentally friendly material that completely decomposes in the soil after planting.