When do tomato seedlings peak in the year? When and how to pick tomato seedlings? Influence of the lunar cycle

What are the favorable days for planting and picking tomatoes this year? Pinching the root must be done somewhere from one third of the root, so that the root in the future grows in length, and not laterally. Plus, you need to pick on time so that the root system still has time, while it is young, to recover.

You can take specific growth determination days that are suitable for growth. If you know how to choose the best dates, then any crop, including tomatoes, will be healthy after each manipulation, actively grow during the season and will delight you with a good harvest in the future.

For agricultural crops, depending on whether they bear fruit on the ground or already on the bush, various favorable lunar dates are determined. Also, when planting and picking seedlings, one cannot ignore the climatic characteristics of each specific area. So, this year, the dates for picking tomato seedlings were in March - 12-13, 16-17, and also the 21st. In April, the Lunar calendar pays special attention to such favorable days as April 9, 12-14.

When considering specific dates in April 2017, you need to understand that for open ground and greenhouses the dates will be slightly different. The optimal time in the second month of spring, after the dates already indicated above, is April 19 and 20, 24, as well as April 27 and 28. When compiling a pick calendar, not just the phase of the Moon is taken into account, but also the position of our planet’s satellite relative to the zodiac constellations.

Interesting! Some activities related to growing garden plants should be carried out on the waning Moon. But landing and picking, as a rule, takes place on the waxing Moon. But each crop may have its own characteristics, which the gardener must take into account if he wants to get an excellent harvest.

Care after picking

When the picking is done, the to-do list does not shrink, but increases. Because for young tomato bushes this is a trauma and they need help to get through the rehabilitation period as easily as possible. During the first three days after picking, place the tomatoes in a shaded place, then you can move the seedlings to grow in a place with the optimal amount of bright light.

When choosing a new place for already picked tomatoes, it is important to consider that direct sunlight will not benefit the seedlings, but there should be a lot of light during the day. You can already begin to prepare the seedlings for transplanting into open or closed ground, for which you leave them in the fresh air for 30-60 minutes every day, constantly increasing the time of such ventilation.

Advice! During the first two to three days after picking, the air temperature in the room where the seedlings are kept should be 20-22 degrees Celsius, dropping to 16-18 degrees at night. After this, reduce the temperature during the day to 18-20 degrees and to 15-16 degrees at night.

As for feeding, it should be carried out no earlier than the tenth day from the date of picking. Then fertilize every two weeks with complex fertilizer. Fertilizers are prepared based on ten liters of water, 12 grams of potassium sulfates, 35 grams of superphosphate with the addition of four grams of urea.

Correct picking technology:

• Individual stems need to be removed from the soil using a convenient means at hand. These items will leave a sufficient amount of earthen lump on the roots, which will prevent them from being severely damaged (you can take a regular teaspoon or table fork).
• In order for roots to form actively later, a depression must be made in the new container. Send the seedlings with earthen lumps there and deepen them down to the cotyledons. Do not plant the plant too deep: this will negatively affect its growth.
• Planting can be done either in separate containers or in a common container. In the second situation, it is necessary to leave a distance of at least six centimeters between the seedlings; for secondary picking, the distance between the bushes should be at least 15 cm.
• The soil will definitely need to be compacted immediately after picking, then moistened with water at room temperature.

If picking is carried out in order to immediately plant seedlings in a greenhouse or simply plant fairly large bushes, it is extremely important to focus on specific favorable dates of the Lunar calendar. There will not be many such days in April, but they exist both at the beginning and at the end of the month. So, it is important to decide exactly when to carry out the manipulation and how to do everything correctly so that the bushes do not experience stress and begin to grow actively and quickly immediately after planting, delighting them with abundant flowering and an excellent harvest in the future.

One of the important stages of growing tomato seedlings is picking. Fortunately, tomatoes tolerate this delicate procedure quite well. The main thing is to do it in a timely manner; for this, it will not be superfluous to know the timing of when to plant tomatoes for seedlings in 2018 according to the lunar calendar.

Features of picking

Picking is transplanting young tomato sprouts into larger containers. When sowing seeds in a common box, the seedlings germinate densely. Plants that are in close proximity receive less nutrition and sunlight. The lack of one or another element leads to the withering of the sprouts and their elongation. That’s why picking is needed - so that each sprout receives the required amount of necessary elements for healthy growth.

The vast majority of gardeners believe that diving is the key to obtaining a bountiful harvest. During the picking process, you can select more viable seedlings by removing frail shoots, which still will not produce good offspring. Strong and healthy specimens are planted in separate pots, where they will develop much faster, since all the nutrition and space will belong to only one tomato bush. By the time of planting in a permanent place, the transplanted seedlings will have a well-developed root system and a strong stem, and this will lead to abundant fruiting.

Advantages of picking:

• Selection of higher quality specimens. During the procedure, you need to immediately remove all weak sprouts so as not to waste time and effort on them later, because they still won’t produce a good harvest.
• Development of the root system. After transplantation, the roots begin to intensively grow with lateral shoots, which contribute to the growth of a healthy plant. To stimulate a large number of shoots, the main root should be pruned.
• Minimizing the chances of developing diseased plants. When the seedlings are in a common container, the risk of various diseases appearing on the seedlings increases every day. In addition, the sprouts have little space, their roots are intertwined, and there are not enough nutrients. After picking, these problems disappear by themselves.
• Getting an earlier harvest. Seedlings that grow in bulk containers can calmly “wait” for the optimally favorable moments for planting in the garden without the risk of overgrowing.

Many novice summer residents are afraid of the diving procedure. Seedlings may die if the mechanism for planting is disrupted or if an unfavorable moment is chosen for picking. It is important to take into account several basic rules of this action and then all fears will remain a thing of the past.

When to pluck tomato seedlings

The timing for picking is determined based on when the seeds were sown. Tomatoes are usually sown in March or early April. When planning the procedure, you can refer to the lunar calendar or determine the moment by the appearance of the seedlings.

Tomatoes are planted when two blossoming leaves appear on the seedlings (10-14 days after germination). There is no point in delaying the transfer. It is better to transplant as soon as possible, without fear that the seedlings look too small by this time. Crowding has a bad effect on the growth of young tomatoes. And early and correctly carried out picking will benefit them.

Note: The first leaves appear on seedlings 5-7 days after germination. But at this time the root system is still too weak for transplantation.

Therefore, you should wait another 5-6 days for the roots to more or less develop. However, the waiting process should not be delayed - after 15 days the roots of neighboring sprouts will intertwine and it will be extremely difficult to transplant without causing injury to the plants.

In what cases is picking seedlings necessary:

Preparing for a dive

The dive begins with the preparation of additional devices so that the procedure takes place as quickly as possible.

For seating you will need:

• many spacious containers for tomato bushes. They can be made from any materials. For low-growing varieties, containers with a volume of 0.2 liters (for example, plastic cups) are suitable. Tall tomatoes, accordingly, should grow in larger containers. However, it is undesirable to use containers that are too large, since dangerous microflora can develop in excess soil;
• new soil. The soil mixture should include organic and mineral fertilizers. Before planting, the soil is disinfected with a manganese solution or calcined in the oven. The soil should be light, drained (a hole is made at the bottom of the container) and, of course, well moistened. It is also worth making sure that the soil temperature is appropriate for good assimilation of seedlings;

note: new soil is used for picking. It should be more nutritious and fertile.

• teaspoon or spatula. Any tool that can be used to pry up the sprout without damaging the roots will do.

Important! A day before picking, seedlings can be treated with Epin or Zircon. These drugs will help reduce plant stress during the planting period.

Planting tomato seedlings can be done in two ways:

• Transplantation.

The procedure must be carried out in well-moistened soil so that when pulling the plants out of the ground they do not break. To do this, the seedlings are watered abundantly with water a couple of hours before picking. Only the strongest specimens should be selected. The sprout is carefully removed from the ground using a spoon along with a lump of earth. The seedling must be supported by the roots or leaves, but in no way by the stem, otherwise it will simply break.

Advice: work with seedlings only with gloves, as sprouts react to the temperature of the human body, which is too high for them.

The soil is removed from the roots as much as possible and the main root is pinched (no more than 5 millimeters). This will contribute to the rapid growth of lateral roots. The seedling is lowered into a hole in a new container (the sprout is placed in the soil up to the cotyledon leaves), sprinkled with earth and lightly compacted so that the roots adhere to the soil.

Advice: After picking, pull the seedlings by the leaf - if the plant immediately comes out, it means that the picking was done incorrectly.

After diving, the seedlings are watered and left in a shaded, warm room for several days.

• Transshipment.

This method is more gentle. Its essence is that the seedlings are transferred to a new container along with the old soil. In this case, the roots are practically not damaged, and the seedlings do not get sick.

The technology of this method comes down to the fact that a couple of days before picking, they stop watering the seedlings so that the soil dries out well. The shoots are removed from the old pot by pressing on the bottom of the container. Since the soil is dry, it can easily separate from the walls of the container and the plant will come out along with a large lump of earth, which needs to be placed in a large container and the empty spaces sprinkled with new soil. After transshipment, the seedlings are watered abundantly so that the old and new soil adhere to each other and the roots are freed from dry captivity.

Note: This method is mainly used for the second picking of tall varieties of tomatoes.

Care after picking

Picking causes stress in plants. In the first days after the procedure, the seedlings may be sick: the leaves will wither, the sprouts will droop. In order for tomato seedlings to quickly regain their healthy appearance, they need to be provided with proper care.

The next three days after planting, the optimal temperature regime is set in the room where the seedlings are located: during the day - 20-23 degrees, at night - 15-18 degrees.

After four to seven days, when the bushes rise, the temperature is slightly lowered.

Tomato seedlings need plenty of sunlight, at least 10 hours a day.

If there is not enough natural light, then the tomatoes are illuminated with the help of phytolamps.

Advice: Do not place the artificial light source closer than 50 centimeters to the seedlings.

During the day, when the sun is active, the seedlings should be shaded a little so as not to cause leaf burns from excessive ultraviolet radiation. In order for the bushes to receive their share of light and not lean in one direction, the seedlings need to be periodically turned in different “barrels” towards the sun during the day.

It is enough to water the seedlings once a week as the soil dries out. It is important to prevent the formation of a dry crust on the surface of the soil, and also to ensure that the soil is not too waterlogged.

Within 7-10 days the seedlings will begin active growth. During this period, the root system of tomatoes develops, which is why it is so important to provide the seedlings with an abundance of light and fresh air. If it is not too cold outside, then the seedlings can be periodically taken out onto the veranda or balcony for a short time, gradually increasing the walking time.

An important component of the healthy development of tomato plants is the application of fertilizers. For the first time, fertilizing is applied 10-12 days after the dive. Complex fertilizers are used, which include urea, potassium sulfate and superphosphate.

After another two weeks, additional feeding is carried out with the same composition.

Advice: Fertilizing should be accompanied by watering, otherwise the aggressive composition of fertilizers can “set fire” to the roots. Immediately after moistening, the soil must be loosened to ensure the best access of oxygen to the roots.

After 2.5-3 weeks, the second phase of diving begins for tall tomatoes. This procedure must be performed because indent varieties develop much faster, and therefore their roots gradually need more and more space. If the plants do not have enough food and space, the stems will begin to stretch.

You can re-pick other types of tomato seedlings in cases where the seedlings have begun to outgrow (too thin stems can bend), the root system is too poorly developed (transplantation will stimulate the development of the underground part, while the above-ground part will slow down its growth).

Dates for picking seedlings in 2018, favorable days

When planning the picking date, many gardeners rely on the sowing calendar. This yearbook contains the movement schedule of the Moon, which significantly influences many processes on Earth, including the development of flora. Depending on the phase in which the celestial body is located, plants grow more rapidly or, on the contrary, freeze. Having the lunar calendar at hand, you can determine favorable days for carrying out land work.

During periods when the Moon is waxing, tides occur on Earth. This is the most favorable time for tomatoes - all the moisture goes to the above-ground part of the shoots, and they begin active growth.

Judging by the lunar calendar, it can be understood that in March, picking seedlings is best done on the following dates: 5, 6, 7, 15, 20, 21, 24, 25

Based on this, you can plan in advance the timing of sowing seeds for seedlings so that by these favorable dates two or three leaves appear on the seedlings - the moment of plant development when replanting can be done.

If the seeds were sown at the end of March, then in April picking should be carried out from the 16th to the 18th and from the 24th to the 27th.

Excavation work is not recommended during the full moon and new moon. It is believed that during these periods plants suspend their development. If you carry out any manipulations with plants on such anxious days, the harvest will be poor and the fruits will be tasteless.

In the calendar for 2018, such unfavorable days include:

Timely gardening work will allow you to grow strong and healthy seedlings. Proper planting of seedlings in the garden will contribute to a good harvest. In the spring, a lot of strength and energy is required from the gardener in order to be able to enjoy his work in the summer - tasty and fresh tomatoes.

In winter and spring, all gardeners and gardeners are mainly busy preparing for the new season: purchasing missing seeds, fertilizers, equipment, cleaning the garden, pruning, etc. But the main and more labor-intensive preparation process is growing seedlings, or rather sowing seeds and picking sprouts.

Picking seedlings means transplanting sprouts from a common container where the seeds were planted into separate pots. Yes, this task is, so to speak, troublesome and takes up quite a lot of time from the gardener, especially if the garden plot is spacious and requires a lot of seedlings to cultivate it. In principle, not all garden crops need picking, many do not even like it and cannot tolerate it, but for growing healthy and strong tomato seedlings it is simply necessary.

Why do tomato seedlings need this tedious transplant? Let them grow in one box before planting, you can simply sow the seeds with a large indentation, and there will be enough space for everyone, or initially sow them in separate pots. There are several reasons for picking tomatoes:

1. Firstly, transplantation prevents the development of emerging diseases in the ground. It is clear that you can simply tear out a diseased sprout from a common container and forget about it, but many diseases go into the soil and infect neighboring plants. Therefore, when replacing the soil with a new one, there is less risk of losing seedlings.
2. Secondly, picking allows the gardener to choose the strongest and most developed sprouts from all the sprouts, of course, provided that a larger number of seeds were previously planted.
3. Thirdly, after transplantation, young seedlings receive more space for their development and light, and all nutrients from the soil go to one seedling, and not to a whole bunch, so each transplanted sprout will receive all the necessary elements in the right quantity.
4. Fourthly, picking saves the sprouts from being pulled out, since after this operation their growth in length is inhibited, while the weak stalk thickens and becomes stronger.
5. Fifthly, timely movement of tomatoes into separate pots has a good effect on the development of the root system, stimulating it for lateral root formation.

All gardeners and vegetable gardeners are familiar with this calendar. Most of them try to sow, pick and plant seedlings in accordance with his recommendations. The fact is that it shows the phases of the Moon for the entire year, as well as the constellations in which it is located.

It's no secret that the Earth's satellite affects all living organisms on our planet, and plants are no exception. The Lunar calendar indicates all the favorable and unfavorable days for carrying out certain gardening works.

By looking at the gardener's Lunar Calendar for 2017, you can determine the most favorable dates for transplanting tomatoes (the time in brackets is Moscow, so the calendar is applicable to any region of Russia):

2.04 (21:27) – 5.04 (01:13). Waxing Moon in Cancer;

7.04 (07:19) – 9.04 (15:34). Waxing Moon in Virgo;

12.04 (20:42) – 14.04 (13:27). Waning Moon in Scorpio;

17.04 (02:04) – 19.04 (13:51). Waning Moon in Capricorn;

21.04 (22:42) – 24.04 (03:32). Waning Moon in Pisces;

27.04 (05:56) – 28.04 (04:39). Waxing Moon in Taurus;

30.04 (04:48) – 30.04 (23:59). Growing Moon in Cancer.

It is better to pick tomatoes on the waxing Moon.

Particularly unfavorable dates on which picking is prohibited are the new moon and full moon phases. Seedlings transplanted these days have a high probability of not taking root or getting sick.

In April 2017, the full moon will occur on April 10 (18:24) - April 12 (20:42), and the new moon will occur on April 25 (05:02) - April 27 (05:56).

Preparing the soil for replanting

Picking tomato seedlings is mainly carried out in March - April, and their planting in most cases - at various times in May or even at the beginning of June (depending on planting in a greenhouse or open ground, as well as on the climatic zone in which the site is located). Therefore, the sprouts will spend quite a long time in new containers.

Taking into account this fact, it is necessary to ensure transplantation into soil containing all the necessary substances for the normal growth and development of young seedlings.

You can buy ready-made soil at a gardening store or make it yourself by mixing peat, garden soil, humus and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1:0.5, respectively. In addition, it is recommended to add mineral fertilizers to the mixture: superphosphate and phosphorus-potassium.

Preparing and filling individual containers for seedlings

Pots for transplanting can be peat, which in the future will make it somewhat easier to plant seedlings in a permanent place, or plastic.

The latter can be done independently, if there are containers left, for example, from sour cream, you just need to melt holes in the bottom with a hot awl or a nail. The volume of each container for transplantation must be at least 300 ml.

Plastic pots should be well washed and disinfected if any seedlings were grown in them last year. After all the previous preparations, you can start filling them with soil, which is poured into each pot in portions, slightly compacting it.

It is important not to overdo it here so that the soil does not become heavy. The container should not be filled to the very top, otherwise watering will be difficult: water will flow out through the edges of the cup.

Watering seedlings before picking

To prevent the young root from being exposed during the separation of the sprout from the total mass, the seedlings are well watered the day before transplanting. Immediately before picking, watering is not recommended, since a heavy lump of earth can come off the stem along with the root. Over-dried soil is also undesirable, as the lump will simply fly apart.

Preparing planting holes

This refers to using the index finger or the back of a fork to make indentations in the new substrate for transplanting the sprouts. They need to be made in each pot, and then poured with settled water from a room watering can.

The most interesting stage of transplantation, at which extreme care is required from the gardener. For convenience, each tomato sprout is removed from a common container with a lump of earth using a fork.

When transplanting, the seedling should be held either by this earthen lump or by the leaves. Tomatoes really don't like having their stems grabbed.

When moving, the sprout can be buried down to the cotyledon leaves, it will not rot. It is important that the root and part of the stem immersed in the ground sit there evenly; when these parts bend, the tomatoes get sick.

Covering with earth and pressing

This point is very important, because seedlings can get sick if air voids are left at the root. To prevent this from happening, you must carefully fill the entire unoccupied space of the hole with soil until a flat surface is formed, and then lightly press it down around the seedling.

Watering

After all the above manipulations, all pots with transplanted tomatoes are spilled with settled water from a home watering can.

If after emergence the sprouts did not receive the required amount of light, and this often happens because the weather in March is still quite cloudy, then the young seedlings begin to stretch out: the stem is slightly colored, long and thin.

It is clear that even their own leaves cannot withstand such a “dead thing.” It is precisely for such seedlings that transplantation is a real salvation. There are several techniques thanks to which the sprouts will not only get stronger, but also have a well-developed root system:

• When digging out one elongated specimen from the total mass, it is recommended to expose its spine and pinch it with your nails. It is clear that everything is good in moderation, so the very tip of the spine comes off. This technique stimulates the development of the root, while growth in length will stop, and growth in width will begin;
• deep transplantation along cotyledon leaves. These are the very first rounded leaves that appear on the seedlings. The stem will begin to grow again, as it were, and the entire underground part will turn into a root and send out side shoots.

Yes, these methods will slow down the development of the entire above-ground part of the tomato for some time, but will help preserve the required number of seedlings, which as a result will be strong and healthy.

How to pick up stretched tomato seedlings: video

1. Watering. It should be moderate and carried out only to ensure that the earth does not dry out. Tomatoes are not water-bearing plants, but they should not be subject to drought either. If the weather is not sunny and gloomy, then watering is replaced by loosening. Due to excess moisture, fungal diseases such as blackleg appear in tomatoes.
2. Feeding. The first of them, after picking the seedlings, is carried out only after 10...14 days. Subsequent applications of fertilizers are recommended every two weeks. Moreover, the composition of fertilizers should be comprehensive. Typically, humates (sodium, potassium) are used, which are diluted in the amount of one cap per bucket of water, as well as various combinations of nitrogen-containing and phosphorus-potassium mineral fertilizers. You can also purchase ready-made fertilizers in specialized stores, which are labeled “for seedlings”; they are usually packaged in small bags that are convenient to dissolve in a small room watering can. If yellowing of the leaves is observed after transplantation, the plants need feeding with calcium and iron.
3. Prevention of fungal diseases. If the pre-sowing soaking of tomato seeds in a fungicide was not carried out, then prevention will have to be carried out by spraying the Fitosporin solution from a spray bottle. Thanks to this, the newly grown seedlings will develop resistance to rot and blackleg disease.
4. Hardening. It is carried out with the aim of increasing the seedlings’ resistance to temperature changes and other stresses. Hardening is carried out in fairly warm weather, closer to mid-to-late April, and consists of placing tomato seedlings on the balcony (if you have one) or opening windows in the room where there are containers with seedlings. As a result of hardening, the stems thicken, acquire a dark green color, and closer to the root - even a bluish tint. Seedlings that have undergone this operation can be considered completely ready for planting in a permanent place.

How to pick tomatoes (tomatoes): video

Thus, tomato seedlings, picked in accordance with the recommendations of the Lunar calendar according to all the above transplanting rules, as well as providing proper care for them, can be considered one of the completed points on the way to obtaining a rich harvest of tomatoes.

When to pick tomatoes after germination and is it necessary to do so? The answer to the second part of the question is positive, but only on the condition that there is a desire to get high-quality seedlings for next year. The fact is that picking tomatoes is the best method for activating the development of a powerful root system of a plant by increasing the number of lateral roots.

If the seeds for seedlings were sown not in individual pots, but in a common box, then picking tomato seedlings into separate containers will protect the seedlings from intertwining their roots, which will significantly simplify the work of gardeners at the stage of moving the seedlings into open ground.

When there are more seedlings than planned, pick the seedlings to select only the healthiest and strongest seedlings for planting. Using the same principle, you can get rid of sick or infected plants.

Often, when tomatoes are plucked, this is done in order to slow down growth. This way the plant can be protected from overgrowth, the negative consequence of which is an abundance of green mass and small tomato fruits. But at the same time, the same delay in the development of tomato seedlings can be caused by inaccurate picking, therefore, before starting work, you should understand all the rules and subtleties of this process, for example, by watching a video.

On what favorable days should seedlings be planted in separate containers? Experienced gardeners recommend doing this when the first true leaves appear on young plants, and this often happens within a week after germination. But you shouldn’t immediately make a pick when you find a real leaf; it’s better to wait a couple of days and let the delicate trunks of the plants get a little stronger so that they are not damaged during the replanting process.

Also, one of the guides for the time when to plant tomato seedlings is the lunar calendar. It is with its help that the most favorable days for carrying out this manipulation are determined.

Dates for picking

Let's look at how to grow seedlings in 2017.

• In March 2017, it is recommended to plant tomato seedlings from the 15th to the 18th.
• On March 28, 2017, it is better not to touch the seedlings; it is recommended to return to picking on March 30-31, 2017.

Accordingly, the answer to the question of when tomato seedlings are harvested will be: 7-10 days after germination. However, this is purely individual, since some varieties grow poorly and do not even produce a real leaf in 10 days, while others, on the contrary, grow so large and strong that they should have been replanted much earlier.

Can tomatoes be picked later or earlier? Yes, but at an early age the seedlings have too delicate a root, and the chance of damaging it during transplantation is quite high.

Accordingly, the plant will spend a lot of effort and time restoring its previous state, which results in a significant delay in its development, which can lead to a lack of harvest or even death of the plant.

A later transplantation leads to the fact that the growing seedlings become intertwined with their roots, and during their transplantation the rhizomes are severely damaged. That is why experienced gardeners strongly recommend using the lunar calendar to select favorable days for planting and picking, so that the plants develop in accordance with their natural characteristics.

The picking technique is the same for everyone: those who plan to plant tomatoes in a greenhouse or greenhouse, and those who will grow tomatoes in open ground. As mentioned earlier, the appropriate time is determined by the moon.

Tomato seedlings: from germination to picking (video)

Tomato seedlings should be planted in separate small containers, for example peat pots filled with soil pre-fertilized with superphosphates, potassium sulfate and vermicompost.