When Is the Best Time to Plant Tomato Seedlings? A Detailed Guide to the Best Planting Time

Spring tomato seedlings are generally planted in February, autumn-winter crop tomato seedlings are generally planted and raised in July-August, winter-spring crop tomato seedlings are planted in November to early December, and overwintering crop seedlings are planted and raised from mid-to-late September to October. Generally, seeds sprout 3-4 days after sowing, and once two or three true leaves have grown they can be transplanted.

Tomato Sowing Techniques:

1. Soil preparation: Tomato nutrient soil requires a porosity of about 60%, pH 6-7, available phosphorus of more than 100 mg/kg, available potassium of more than 100 mg/kg, and available nitrogen of more than 150 mg/kg, and must be loose, fertile-retaining and water-retaining, then spread evenly over the sowing bed.

2. Seed treatment: For soaking tomato seeds, you can choose hot-water soaking or trisodium phosphate soaking. After soaking, the seeds can be sown directly, but it is best to sprout them before sowing. Seeds that have been sprouted emerge quickly and evenly after sowing, which helps to cultivate strong seedlings.

3. Sowing density: Tomato seeds number about 300 per gram. According to the planting density, generally 20-30 grams of seed are used per 6 mu of field, and 10-15 grams can be sown per square meter of sowing bed. If the seed germination rate is below 85%, the sowing amount should be increased appropriately.

4. Sowing time: The sowing time for tomatoes should be comprehensively considered according to factors such as the growing season, climate conditions and cultivation method. For open-field cultivation in spring, the Beijing area usually sows from mid-February to early March; for open-field cultivation in autumn, areas south of the Yangtze River sow from late July to early August.

5. Sowing method: Tomatoes are usually sown by broadcasting, drilling or dibbling. After sowing, cover with soil immediately. For each square meter of seedling bed, mix 8 grams of 50% carbendazim wettable powder with soil and spread it evenly and thinly over the bed surface to prevent damping-off of seedlings. In winter and spring, the surface of the seedling bed also needs to be covered with plastic film.

The above is a related introduction to when to plant tomato seedlings, and we hope it is helpful to everyone.