How to plant tomato seedlings in open ground

Before planting seedlings in open ground, it is very important to decide on the planting time.

Timely planting of tomato seedlings in open ground depends primarily on air temperature and soil temperature. Tomato seedlings are very tender and can die even with slight drops in temperature. This crop grows very poorly at temperatures below 14 degrees Celsius. Therefore, it is best to plant tomatoes after there is confidence that there will be no more spring frosts.

Hardening tomato seedlings before planting

Planting tomato seedlings begins with hardening the plants.

In order for the seedlings to undergo transplantation with minimal stress, they need to be hardened to environmental conditions. A few days before planting seedlings in open ground, they need to be taken out into the open air, first for 15 minutes, then for 30 minutes, an hour, two …., and then planted in a permanent place in open ground.

We plant tomato seedlings in open ground in groups

It is not necessary to plant all seedlings at once. It is better to plant a certain number of tomato seedlings at different times with an interval of 1-2 weeks. The best period for planting tomato seedlings is from mid-May. During this period, there is usually still enough moisture in the soil and there are no longer night frosts.

The first group of seedlings can be planted when the night air temperature is above 11 degrees Celsius. In this case, the average daily temperature should be higher than 15 degrees. During this period, there is enough moisture in the soil, which allows the root system of plants to develop well.

The second group of seedlings begins to be planted when the average daily temperature is in the range from 15 to 20 degrees. At the same time, the night temperature should not be lower than 14-15 degrees Celsius.

The third group of seedlings begins to be planted when the average daily temperature exceeds 20 degrees. At this time, there is no longer any danger of a significant drop in temperature. With this planting, the plants take root well, but the root system does not develop well. At such a high temperature without shading, plants can “burn in the sun”.

How to plant tomato seedlings

Step-by-step instructions for planting tomatoes in a greenhouse and in open ground:

Step 1. Gentleremember the pot on all sides and remove the plant.

Step 2. Place the seedlings with an earthen clod in the prepared hole. The soil in the hole must first be filled with fertilizers. For example, apply a special fertilizer for tomatoes according to the instructions and mix thoroughly.

Step 3. Do not forget to deepen the overgrown stems by 10-15 cm. Such planting prevents root growth.

Step 4. Having decided on the planting depth, put the seedlings in the holes on their side and water carefully, several steps. The water should wet the soil well, then the roots of the tomatoes will stretch deep behind it and a more developed root system will form.

Step 5. Sprinkle the hole with earth. The plant should remain on its side so that the lower part of the overgrown stem does not “go” deep into the cold soil.

Step 6. After falling asleep, it is no longer necessary to water the tomatoes so that a soil crust does not form. Gently lift the stem (its lower part remains horizontal in the soil), tie it to a peg.

Step 7. Mulch the soil around the plant with dry peat to retain moisture.

It remains only to water the tomatoes (rarely, but abundantly), feed and wait for the first fruits.