Lunar calendar for tomatoes for 2018

Any amateur gardener who is seriously engaged in the cultivation of vegetables is very closely following the lunar calendar, in accordance with which it is necessary to carry out cultivation work.

In this article we will talk about the order of cultivation of tomatoes in 2018, starting with the sowing of seeds in March and ending with the harvest in the summer.

When to plant tomatoes for seedlings on the lunar calendar in 2018

Usually in private farms in the open ground, and especially in the greenhouse, the seeds are not sown. Of them, pre-grown seedlings, and only then it is planted at a permanent place of cultivation. Moreover, such an agrotechnical method allows a little earlier, in July, to harvest the first crop. The main thing is not to miss the favorable planting days in March, so that the seeds of tomatoes have taken root well and in the future they have sprouted healthy shoots. Let's see when will it need to be done in 2018. From grandmothers we got the tradition to sow tomato seeds on March 8th.In many ways, they were right, but, first of all, nowadays there is a special light for seedlings, which “lengthens” the daylight and allows you to start sowing a little earlier.

And secondly, to determine the date, you need to take into account many different factors:

• plant variety (early or late);
• climate of the area (forecast of the last spring frosts);
• periods of change of the lunar phases;
• Are you planning a picking (it slows down growth by 7-10 days);
• conditions for growing vegetables (open ground or greenhouse).

Considering all these nuances, the planned planting date of the seedlings is determined, and 60 days are “unwound” from it for early varieties or 75 days for late varieties. The result of the calculation will be the sowing date, of course, adjusted for the phases of the moon.

It is necessary to take into account the change of synodic months in agricultural technology in order for the plant to develop in accordance with its natural cycles, that is, to get a rich harvest.

Soaking and sowing seeds

If you plan to plant seedlings in the greenhouse in the first week of June, then the seeds should be sown in the second decade of March. This is a rough count. And the exact planting days, taking into account the region, in March 2018 for tomatoes will be (hereinafter, the breakdown into the southern regions,areas with a temperate climate, for example, Moscow region, and the northern regions):

Sowing, auspicious days	for the southern regions	03/20/2018. 4th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Taurus
	for temperate climate	03/25/2018. 9th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Cancer
	for the northern regions	03/30/2018. 13th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Virgo

But before that, the seeds need to be processed accordingly:

• reject "dummies" and "fines" that float when samples are immersed in a saline solution for 10 minutes;
• warm the selected samples for 2-3 days on the battery in a tissue package, if these are pure varieties (not hybrids) and they were kept in the cold;
• to disinfect seed, for example, after holding it for a quarter of an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or by dressing it with a weak solution of hydrogen peroxide for several minutes;
• be sure to soak the seeds (if they are pure varieties) by packing them in a gauze bag and putting them in warm water for 12 hours, preferably with nutrient-flavored water (sodium or potassium humate or something like that), which must be changed every 4 hours;
• germinate on a moist gauze pad (or of filter paper) at room temperature;
• harden nested embryos for 12 hours in the refrigerator, and then for 12 hours at a temperature of + 18 ± 2 ° С, then repeating the procedure 2-3 times.

Seeds for seedlings are sown in a slightly compacted earthen mixture, it is filled with large boxes with sides of 10 cm in height. Such substrates are sold in any garden store or DIY supermarket, but if you wish, you can make your own hands from equal parts of turf soil, humus and peat, adding a pinch of ash and a drop of phosphate fertilizer. A homemade substrate needs to be heated in the oven for about ten minutes, at a temperature of 180 ± 20 ° C, or in a microwave oven in just a minute in the heating mode.

Before sowing, shallow grooves are plowed into the soil, with a third of a finger grooves, with 2 fingers between rows, and they are already throwing seeds at intervals of 1 finger, and then sprinkling them with the same mixture.

Seedlings are grown warm (+ 18 ... +25 ° C), with good lighting, daily maintaining high soil moisture. At the very beginning, in the first 14 days, to stabilize the temperature and humidity, containers are covered with a transparent lid (glass or plastic) or a film, which are ventilated daily.

The total period of maintenance of seedlings of tomatoes from the moment of spitting of shoots at home is approximately 7 ± 1 weeks, taking into account the lunar calendar. On warm, windless days, they must be taken out into the open space for sunbathing. In addition, the emerged shoots need feeding with a regularity of 1 every two weeks.

Picking

As was shown by the example of the Moscow region, favorable planting days for tomatoes in 2018 will be March 20, 25, 30 and 31. Dive sprouts should be made on the 10th day of their life, which begins a week after sowing. Thus, the placement of the "young" from the general box on individual tanks should be carried out:

Dive auspicious days	for the southern regions	04/06/2018. 18th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Sagittarius
	for temperate climate	11.04.2018. 25th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Aquarius
	for the northern regions	04/16/20182nd day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Taurus

Individual containers are peat pots, but ordinary 200 ml plastic cups can be used.

Feeding seedlings

10 days after the dive, shoots already need regular feedings. Periodicity - every 2 weeks. Thus, the first feeding should occur:

The first feeding of seedlings, favorable days	for the southern regions	04/16/2018 2nd day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Taurus
	for temperate climate	04/21/2018 7th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Cancer
	for the northern regions	04/26/2018 11th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Virgo

A second feeding should take place:

The second feeding of seedlings, favorable days	for the southern regions	04/30/2018. 15th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in scorpio
	for temperate climate	05.05.2018. 20th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in capricorn
	for the northern regions	05/10/2018. 25th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Pisces

Special fertilizers or a mixture of superphosphate (35 g), potassium sulfate (12 g), urea (4 g), diluted in 10 l of water are used as top-dressing.Before feeding the soil must be moistened.

When planting seedlings in open ground or greenhouse

After 40-50 days (depends on the variety) floral brushes grow on the shoots, and then in 15 days it will be time to plant them on garden or greenhouse beds.

Planting seedlings, favorable days	for the southern regions	May 14, 2018 29th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Taurus
	for temperate climate	05/19/2018 5th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Cancer
	for the northern regions	05.24.2018. 9th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Libra

And to ensure a good yield of tomatoes, they need a light soil that does not suffer from a shortage of humus, with a neutral acid-base balance and oxygen access to the root system.

The beds before planting seedlings need to be prepared in an appropriate way: thoroughly loosen, warm up under a black film and sprinkle with organic matter. In this case, nitrogen in the fertilizer should not be in excess, otherwise the stems will grow more intensely fruits. Planting need to sprout without yellowing and cotyledon leaves, and not too deep. Planting should be done in the absence of sun (in the evening or on an overcast day) and wind, in moderately wet soil. Planting scheme depends on the type of plant.

Weeding for open ground

You need to take care of the beds not only before planting seedlings. It is necessary to cultivate the soil constantly, during the whole time of growth of tomatoes. After all, their productivity depends on it. So tomato beds need to be weeded and loosened regularly.

First weeding, favorable days	for the southern regions	05.24.2018. 9th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Libra
	for temperate climate	05/29/2018. 14th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Sagittarius
	for the northern regions	03.06.2018. 19th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Aquarius

Second weeding, favorable days	for the southern regions	03.06.2018. 19th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Aquarius
	for temperate climate	08.06.2018. 24th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Aries
	for the northern regions	13.06.2018. 29th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Gemini

Weeding, in addition to being an ancient agronomic technique for weed control, also provides the soil with ease and necessary drainage. After all, weeds take away moisture and nutrients from cultivated plants. And they, if they are allowed to grow, create a shadow and conditions for the spread of infections.

Masking

All tomatoes from the axils of the leaves at a certain point in time begin to grow so-called stepchildren.These shoots do not make the bush more prolific; on the contrary, they slow down the ripening of already formed berries. And besides, stepchildren make the bush more lush, which creates an unnecessary shade of planting, and increases the likelihood of its infection. In order to reduce all these risks and eliminate unfavorable factors, stepsoning, that is, removal of unnecessary side shoots, is carried out.

First stepson, favorable days	for the southern regions	05/22/2018. 8th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Virgo
	for temperate climate	05/27/2018. 12th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in scorpio
	for the northern regions	06/01/2018. 17th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in capricorn

Second staving, favorable days	for the southern regions	06/01/2018. 17th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in capricorn
	for temperate climate	06.06.2018. 22nd day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Pisces
	for the northern regions	11.06.2018.27th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Taurus

It is recommended to carry out any work on the cultivation of vegetables on dry, windless days in the first half of them: only in this case any injuries of the plant will heal before the evening, and, consequently, the probability of their infection will be reduced to a minimum.

Watering and feeding

Tomatoes of almost all varieties, being already in the open field or in the greenhouse, do not require any careful care. You just need to do everything on time, in accordance with the lunar calendar and do not forget about watering, especially in July, when the weather becomes arid.

However, tomatoes, even the most unpretentious varieties need constant irrigation to avoid drying out the soil. Moisture they should be enough until the harvest. The method of water supply is watering under the roots of bushes or between the rows, but even better - drip irrigation. In addition, in order to prevent a little ash can be added to the water.Sprinkling also increases the likelihood of plant disease with vertex rot.

The frequency of irrigation - every 3 days (subject to dry or wet weather).

First watering after disembarkation, favorable days	for the southern regions	05/21/2018. 7th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Leo
	for temperate climate	05/26/2018 11th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Libra
	for the northern regions	05/31/2018. 6th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Sagittarius

Second watering after disembarkation, favorable days	for the southern regions	06/02/2018. 18th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in capricorn
	for temperate climate	07.06.2018. 23rd day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Pisces
	for the northern regions	12.06.2018. 28th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Gemini

The intensity of irrigation: before the appearance of flowers - half a bucket per square meter, and during flowering - a bucket per square meter.

Watering time - evening. Then the moisture from the open ground will evaporate more slowly, and in the greenhouse condensation on the walls of the room decreases.

In addition, to maintain a stable humidity and temperature in the greenhouse,and also that the resulting condensate does not drip onto the plants, it is necessary to ventilate the room after watering (and also in the heat) at least a couple of hours.

Top-dressing of most varieties of tomatoes should be done at least 3 times during growth, but it is better to do it once every 2 weeks.

First feeding, favorable days	for the southern regions	May 28, 2018 13th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in scorpio
	for temperate climate	06/02/2018. 18th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in capricorn
	for the northern regions	07.06.2018. 23rd day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Pisces

The second feeding, favorable days	for the southern regions	11.06.2018. 27th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Taurus
	for temperate climate	06/16/2018. 4th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Leo
	for the northern regions	06/21/2018 8th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Libra

These vegetables like any fertilizer, the main thing is that there is much less nitrogen in them than other minerals, in particular, phosphorus and potassium, of course, if these elements are not enough in the natural composition of the soil.

The beginning of fertilization - the 10th day after the "relocation" of sprouts on the beds. Re-feeding is done after another 14 days. And so on.

Harvesting

As stated at the outset,if tomatoes are not sown in open ground (or in a greenhouse bed) and planted seedlings, then the first crop will delight in July, or more precisely, 110 days after sowing.

Harvest, auspicious days	for the southern regions	08.07.2018. 25th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Taurus
	for temperate climate	13.07.2018 1st day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Cancer
	for the northern regions	07/18/2018 6th day in the lunar calendar. Moon in Libra

Which type of harvesting to choose, split or the entire crop at once, followed by fruit ripening, depends on the variety of tomatoes, as well as whether the vegetables will be stored for a long time or transported over long distances. In any case, the cleaning should be done in dry weather, in the not hot time of the day, avoiding injury to the fruit.

Unripe tomatoes need to be stored in certain conditions, which are selected depending on how long it is necessary to stretch storage. So, for ripening for 2 months, the crop is laid out in one layer and stored at a temperature of + 12 ± 2 ° C and at a humidity of 80 ± 5%.At higher climatic parameters, the fruits rot, and at lower levels, they become flabby.

Lighting does not affect the process of ripening, but it is necessary to ensure ventilation of the room. In addition, it is necessary to remove reddened berries all the time from the storage, almost every day, otherwise they will "adjust" the entire stock of vegetables.

For quick ripening, pre-calibrated fruits are stacked in two layers and stored at a temperature of + 20 ± 2 ° C. For super-fast ripening, unripe fruits are placed ripe.

If you want to grow a rich harvest, follow all the listed rules of advice and recommendations. And then everyone will be happy: both you and your home, and, perhaps, the vegetables themselves!