Tomato sprouts are very sensitive to sudden changes in weather conditions.

Healthy, properly grown seedlings are resistant to various weather conditions, less prone to diseases and more resistant to garden pests and weeds.

It is best to sow tomatoes for seedlings from the end of February to the end of April. 

The timing of sowing tomatoes depends on where you are going to plant seedlings - in open ground or a greenhouse.

If in open soil, tomatoes should be sown later - from mid-March.

Then the soil will have warmed up enough and it will be possible to plant seedlings without fear.

To grow tomatoes in a greenhouse, you can sow in February.

If you keep the seedlings in room conditions for a long time, it is also not very good - the overgrown seedlings will be weak. 

It takes 50-60 days from sowing to planting to obtain full-fledged tomato seedlings 

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Depending on this term, the weather forecast, the readiness of the soil, you can plan the exact date of sowing.

When to sow tomatoes in 2023 according to the lunar calendar

It is not necessary to sow tomatoes on a new moon or a full moon.

  • Favorable days for sowing tomatoes for seedlings in February are February 24, 25 and 26.

  • In March, the best days for sowing tomato seeds are March 1-3, 24-25, 29-31.

  • In April, the most favorable days for sowing according to the lunar calendar will be April 24-25, 29-30.

What is needed for growing tomatoes

  • The soil for growing tomato seeds should be nutritious, contain humus, ash, eggshell, sawdust or peat.

  • Before sowing, the soil must be disinfected - heat the soil mixture in the oven for 10-15 minutes or heat it for a few minutes in the microwave or pour boiling water over the soil.

  • The decontaminated, if necessary, moistened soil should be left in a warm place for several weeks so that bacteria useful for tomatoes multiply in it.

  • Tomato seeds must be pre-soaked before planting.

  • For sowing, you need to prepare a container with drainage holes.

    Fill the container with moist soil.

  • Make grooves in the soil at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other and up to 1 cm deep. Spread the seeds in them at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other and sprinkle with soil.

  • Cover the container with the sown seeds with a film and place it near a heat source.

    The optimal temperature for seed germination is +25-30ºC.

How to grow tomato seedlings in peat tablets

  • You can sow tomatoes for seedlings in peat tablets.

    To grow tomatoes in this way, special peat tablets are taken, which are previously filled with water at room temperature so that they swell.

    After the excess water drains, the tablets are placed in a container with a slightly larger diameter than the tablets and placed in a transparent box with a height of 10 cm or more.

  • In the center of each pill, you need to make a hole 1-1.5 cm deep, place the seed there and cover it with soil.

    Two to four seeds are sown in one tablet.

    The box with seeds is covered with something transparent and placed near a heat source.

    When the stairs appear, the covering must be removed.

Read also:

  • It's time to sow pepper for seedlings: when and how to plant according to the lunar calendar of 2023

  • When according to the lunar calendar is the best time to salt cabbage in February and March 2023