Planting tomatoes in May 2022 in open ground according to the lunar calendar

It is customary to plant tomato seedlings in open ground in May, based on the lunar calendar. By this month, the seedlings have time to develop well, and the optimum temperature is established outside.
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But in order for the plants to quickly take root in the garden and bring maximum yield, you need to select a favorable day for the procedure according to the lunar calendar.

We will tell you how to do this in today's article.

Preparing tomato seedlings for planting in open ground

By the time tomato seedlings are planted in open ground, the seedlings must be at least 50-70 days old, and 30-35 days have passed since the picking. Plants in May should reach 20-30 cm in height, and each has more than 6 true leaves. And it is desirable that the crops produce their first flower cluster.

Tomatoes will take root faster in the garden if you properly prepare them before planting. Taking into account the peculiarities of the lunar calendar, this should be done in this way:

14 days before planting plants in open ground, begin hardening them. To do this, take the seedlings out onto the balcony or into the garden and leave them for 30-45 minutes in a shaded, windless place. Repeat the procedure daily, each time increasing its duration by 30-60 minutes.
7 days before planting, treat the seedlings with phytohormones (Heteroauxin, Ukorenit, Amber Acid). Prepare solutions strictly according to the instructions, without exceeding the dosage. And you need to spray the plants with them on the foliage. The procedure itself should be carried out early in the morning or at sunset.
3-4 days before planting, watering should be completely stopped. And in 30 minutes. Before the procedure, water the seedlings generously.
Remove cotyledon leaves within 3-5 days. If the tomatoes are too elongated, then it is worth tearing off 2-3 lower leaves. But such seedlings need to be planted deeper, positioning them at an angle.

ATTENTION! The day before planting tomatoes in May according to the lunar calendar, it is worth treating them with fungicides. For example, the drug "Ridomil Gold". It must be diluted in warm water (20 g per 10 l) and used to spray foliage. It is worth adding 20 g of urea to the solution to enhance the effect and additional nutrition.

Lunar calendar for May 2022 planting tomatoes

When to plant tomatoes in open ground in May, depending on the region

When planting tomatoes in open ground, you need to take into account not only the lunar calendar, but also the climate of the region. So, you can plant no earlier than the daytime air temperature reaches +12...+18 °C, and at night does not drop below +10 °C. Seedlings can withstand short-term cold snaps, but take a long time to recover from it and later bear a harvest.

REFERENCE! It is worth checking the soil temperature at a depth of 8-10 cm. It is optimal that it reaches +8...+12 °C.

South of Russia (Crimea, Kuban)

Plant tomatoes from the first days of May, avoiding unfavorable days according to the lunar calendar.

Central regions, including the Moscow region

You can plant from mid-May.

North of Russia (Siberia, Ural)

You can plant tomatoes no earlier than the end of the month. And, if the weather is cool and there is a risk of return frosts, then you need to reschedule the event to the first ten days of June.

How to properly plant tomatoes in open ground

To plant tomatoes, you need to choose illuminated places. In partial shade, the plants will take root, but will bear fruit poorly, and their harvest will ripen later. Crops are not suitable for lowlands, wetlands and places with close groundwater.

It is advisable to plant them on a small hill. You can also arrange drainage in advance to prevent moisture stagnation at the roots of plants.

ATTENTION! It is not recommended to plant tomatoes in one area for 2 years in a row, and it is better to choose a new place for them every year. It will be doubly good if beets, carrots, cabbage, zucchini and greens grew there before. Avoid areas where eggplants, peppers or potatoes were grown last year.

Having chosen a favorable day according to the lunar calendar, you should plant tomato seedlings according to the following algorithm:

For plants, dig holes with dimensions of 30*30 cm. Between the depressions you will need to maintain a distance of 40-50 cm, and the row spacing should reach at least 60 cm. The rows must be arranged in the direction from north to south, then all crops will receive enough light. It is better to plant low-growing varieties in a checkerboard pattern.
Water the soil in the depressions generously with water at a temperature of +22…+25 °C. Remove the seedlings from the planting pots, being careful not to destroy the earthen ball. If the seedlings were planted in plastic cups, they can simply be cut. If the plants were originally planted in peat tablets, then this step should be skipped.
Plant the seedlings into planting holes one at a time. Place the plants in the center and immediately water them with settled water at room temperature.
Cover the crops with soil, deepening them to the place where the cotyledon leaves were. If the seedlings are very elongated, then they need to be sprinkled with soil up to the first stems. In this case, the plants will need to be installed in the holes at a slight angle.

There is no need to water the garden bed after planting. But you will need to mulch its surface with straw, sawdust, and compost. The layer of organic matter will feed the crops as it decomposes, and at the same time protect the roots from freezing and overheating. Mulch also slows down the evaporation of moisture and prevents the soil surface from compacting.

ADVICE! Do not use peat or fresh manure for mulching. Such organic matter oxidizes the soil, which tomatoes do not like.

Tricks and useful tips for planting tomatoes in the ground in May

In May, the weather is changeable, and in order to protect the seedlings from return frosts, it is advisable to cover the bed with non-woven material (lutrasil, spunbond). You can also use plastic bottles with the bottom cut off, placing them on top of each bush.

But it is important to ventilate the planting daily, otherwise the tomatoes may dry out. In the case of cut bottles, you can simply not screw the cap on them.

ATTENTION! For the first 10 days after planting crops in open ground according to the lunar calendar, they cannot be watered or fed. At this time, it is better not to disturb the tomatoes at all, so as not to aggravate the stress of the procedure.

In May, cool weather often occurs, during which crops form weak fruits. To speed up this process, it is advisable to spray the leaves with a solution of boric acid or special preparations such as “Ovary” or “Tomaton”. They improve the resistance of tomatoes to unfavorable conditions.

Preparing tomato seeds for planting

Regardless of whether you bought seeds or collected them yourself, you need to prepare tomato seeds before planting seedlings. It is recommended to carry out the following preparatory procedures: disinfection and germination.

Disinfection is necessary to eliminate pathogens that can spoil seedlings during cultivation. To disinfect seeds, follow the following procedure:

Place the seed in a fabric bag or wrap it in gauze, previously folded in several layers.
Prepare a dark solution of potassium permanganate and immerse the seeds in it.
Let the material steep in the potassium permanganate solution for about half an hour.
After the time has passed, remove the seeds, rinse them well with running water and dry.

Germination should be carried out after disinfection and immediately before sowing. This manipulation helps accelerate the emergence of seedlings.

Germination of tomato seeds is carried out as follows:

It is necessary to moisten the gauze or paper napkin generously.
Place gauze or napkin on the saucer.
Then you need to put the seeds on one end of the gauze or napkin and cover them with the other end.
Wrap the saucer in a plastic bag and place it next to the battery.
Regularly moisten the seed; do not allow it to dry out.
After about three to five days, germination will begin, at which point you can sow them for seedlings. And it is not recommended to plant those tomato seeds that have not sprouted, since most likely the seedlings will grow frail and be susceptible to diseases and pests.

Common mistakes

When planting tomatoes in open ground, inexperienced gardeners make the following mistakes:

They do not adhere to the lunar calendar. New Moon and Full Moon are considered critical periods for tomatoes. If planting is carried out on these unfavorable days according to the lunar calendar, the crops may not take root, or will develop and bear fruit poorly.
Plants are not prepared for planting in May. When you plant tomatoes in the garden, it is a serious stress for the seedlings, and it is important to harden them off before this event. Otherwise, they may die from a sudden change in conditions.
Disembarkation is carried out at midday. In May, the sun is already quite active, and if the event is held from 12:00 to 16:00, then due to overheating, the roots and leaves may get burned.

Preparing the soil for growing tomatoes

Tomatoes love nutritious soil, so it is recommended to prepare the bed for planting seedlings in the fall, when during digging you can add organic matter to the soil (per 1 square meter - a bucket of humus or rotted manure), potash and phosphorus fertilizers (20 grams each).

If it was not possible to apply fertilizer in the fall, then in the spring, a week before planting, dig up the soil, make holes and add one teaspoon of superphosphate and a handful of humus and ash. Humus and ash must be mixed with soil and only then placed in the hole. Find out what folk remedies can be added to the hole when planting tomatoes from our article at the link.

It is not recommended to add pure ash into the holes during planting, as it can burn the roots. Also, fresh manure should not be used.

You can also use special complex fertilizers, which are sold today in almost any specialized store. They should be used strictly according to the instructions, since excess nutrients also negatively affect the development of plants.

You will be interested to know: The best fertilizers for tomatoes in July in a greenhouse and open ground

Answers to frequently asked questions

Even when planting tomatoes according to the lunar calendar for May, gardeners have the following questions:

Do I need to prepare a plot for tomatoes?

Yes, and this should be done 3 weeks before the event, or better yet, in the fall. To do this, you will need to clear the area of weeds and plant debris, dig it up and apply organic and mineral fertilizers.

For every sq. m of soil, use humus (10 l), ammonium sulfate or superphosphate (25 g) and wood ash (100 ml).

What to do with stretched seedlings?

Overgrown seedlings must be planted at an angle of 45°. They should be buried deeper than usual.

When to remove cover in May?

Lutrasil or spunbond can be removed when the temperature reaches +20…+25 °C. This happens in late May - early June. But to prevent the plants from rotting, it is necessary to ventilate the planting daily.

What to do with frozen saplings in May?

If the above-ground part of the plant has turned black, you will need to trim the stems and leaves back to healthy tissue. Tomatoes should be treated with a warm solution of boric acid.

It is advisable to spray the seedlings with growth stimulants (Epin, Heteroauxin), and this activity will need to be repeated every 8-10 days.

3-4 days after spraying with boric acid, feed the tomatoes with a solution of urea or Kemira.

After a week, you will need to apply full mineral fertilizer to the garden using half the dose.

Timing of fertilizer introduction

If shoots have appeared, then after 14 days you can carry out the first fertilizing with fertilizers, apply them directly to the root of the plant, after watering procedures, preferably in the morning.

Various compositions can be used as fertilizing or fertilizer:

· Fermented manure or mullein.

· A strong infusion of onion peels.

· Diluted chicken manure.

· Crushed egg shells.

· And also wood ash.

You can choose the fertilizer yourself; to do this, take into account the characteristics of the soil, as well as the characteristics of the variety.

Applying fertilizers is not prohibited during the full moon, as well as during the waning moon.

Normalization of bushes

This is the removal of inflorescences that did not bear fruit, the so-called stepsons. It is carried out in a standard way.

If the inflorescence has turned into a fruit, but it does not develop, then it is also removed, provided that there is one large or medium-sized tomato on the bush. Don't forget to pinch the tops. It is better to carry out such procedures when the sign of Virgo enters the lunar phase.

If you are going to prune the bushes, then it is better to do it during the waning period, when the Moon passes through the sign of Aries or Leo.

Watering

There are no strict restrictions on watering - it can be carried out on any days, but if you take into account the peculiarities of the lunar calendar, then it is advisable to carry out such procedures on the following days:

· better on the waning Moon;

· when she is in the sign of Leo, Cancer, Pisces, and also Scorpio.

Reference! It is not advisable to carry out such procedures when the Moon is in Libra, Gemini and Aquarius.

Treatment against diseases and pests

If the plant requires treatment and protection from pests, then such procedures should be carried out during the waning Moon, and in its last quarter.

But it is better to “put” the vaccine on the new moon or closer to the full moon, provided that the phase of Aries, Leo or Sagittarius has begun.

Weeding tomatoes It is recommended to follow several rules; they will help get rid of weeds.

Action plan:

On the waning Moon in the sign of Leo, you will have to dig up the earth.
Dig up the garden again and weed it out of the already sprouted weeds when the planet is in the sign of Capricorn.
Then loosen the soil again and dig again during the waning moon.
When the plants begin to bloom, weeding should be carried out in decreasing order.
Moon, preferably in the sign of Capricorn.

If you do everything correctly, the tomatoes will delight you with the harvest and will surprise you with their large size. To do this, you will have to loosen the soil, water the plants, remove weeds on the indicated days, following the precepts of the calendar.