Tomatoes are popular in gardens because they tend to be easy to grow, but seeding and planting them at the right time is essential.
The arrival of spring brings with it a wave of enthusiasm for home gardeners who look forward to growing their own fruits and vegetables. Among the most popular crops are tomatoes, said to be easy to grow, but also famous for their versatility in the kitchen and their unmistakable taste when freshly harvested. However, one of the most common mistakes beginner gardeners make is planting their tomatoes too early in the season. It is crucial to wait for the right time to sow and plant in the ground to ensure delicious tomatoes all summer long.
While tomatoes are easy to grow, some mistakes can be “serious” and kill the plant before it even hits the ground. Tomatoes are cold-sensitive plants that need warm, stable temperatures to thrive, but also plenty of light (ideally 14 hours per day). Planting tomatoes too early puts young plants at risk of late frosts and unstable temperatures, which can compromise their further growth and development.
To grow well, tomatoes need a lot of light. Planting them in March is a mistake, the length of the day is much shorter, so you still have to wait a little. In general, it is recommended to wait until nighttime temperatures stabilize around 10°C and the soil warms sufficiently before planting your seedlings outdoors. For most areas, this is usually between mid-April and late May. Generally speaking, you have to wait until after the famous Ice Saints to plant tomatoes outside, between mid-May and the end of May.
On the other hand, as early as mid-March is a good time to start tomato sowing, although this largely depends on your local climate and weather conditions. It takes approximately 9 weeks between the sowing date and the planting date for your tomato plants to be strong enough and produce pretty fruits. The ideal time to sow your tomato seeds is two months before planting. So you can start planting your seeds now. After a week, you will already see young stems appear.
Then, wait well before planting your seedlings in the ground outside. Do not rush. Planting seedlings prematurely can cause flowers to drop before fruit even forms. Also, tomatoes can also become distorted, wrinkled or scarred at the blossom if the weather is too cool at night.