Planting Tomatoes in a Greenhouse in May 2025: Technology and Recommendations

Soil preparation

Before planting, it's essential to thoroughly prepare the greenhouse soil for the growing seedlings. This procedure should be carried out in the spring. Failure to do so will likely hinder the tomato plants from producing good fruit, as the plants will often become diseased.

Soil preparation involves removing the top layer of soil. This should be approximately 10 cm. After this, the area should be watered with a copper sulfate solution. Prepare it at a rate of 1 tablespoon per bucket of water. Once the soil has been treated, be sure to ventilate the greenhouse.

Next, site preparation involves digging, adding compost. It's worth noting that fresh manure should not be used as fertilizer.

Once the digging is complete, the greenhouse is closed until the plants are planted. It's important to remember that you can't plant tomatoes in the same greenhouse two years in a row. This is because the soil can accumulate infections that can infect the plants, even if the beds were treated with disinfectants before planting.

Tomatoes should not be planted in a greenhouse after growing eggplants, tomatoes, physalis, and peppers. However, planting tomatoes in a greenhouse is recommended after growing potatoes or cucumbers.

When planning to plant tomatoes in greenhouse soil, remember that this crop requires loamy, slightly acidic or neutral soil. The soil must also be well-aerated.

Form the beds, which are approximately 40 cm high, 1.5 weeks before the expected time to plant the seedlings. Seedlings that are approximately six weeks old can be transplanted into the greenhouse. By this time, the young plants will have developed a mature root system. This information should be used to determine the exact time to plant tomatoes in the greenhouse. This procedure is usually carried out in May. In 2025, May is also the recommended time to plant the seedlings.

Video: Planting Tomatoes in a Greenhouse

This video will show you how to plant tomatoes in a greenhouse.

General planting rules

Since tomatoes will be planted in greenhouse soil, certain aspects of this procedure must be taken into account. The key here is choosing the right day. When choosing the right day, consider the following:

• the day should be cloudy;
• If the day is sunny, you should wait until evening. This will reduce the stress the plants experience from sunlight;
• The soil in the beds should be warmed up to the planting depth.

In addition, when planting seedlings in greenhouse soil, you must adhere to the following rules:

• the roots of plants must be completely placed in the soil;
• the growing point of the seedlings must remain above ground level;
• approximate depth of holes is 15 cm;
• Before planting, add fertilizer to the bottom of the holes. This can be regular compost;
• yellowed and cotyledon leaves must be removed from the bushes;
• After planting, the soil around the plants is compacted and covered with soil;
• Once the bushes are planted, they need to be watered thoroughly. After this, avoid watering for one week. Otherwise, the stems will grow excessively.
• This crop should not be watered too heavily. This procedure is best done in the morning.

It's important to remember that seedlings need to be hardened off before being transferred to the greenhouse. To do this, take them outside for a few hours when the weather is warm.

As a preventative measure, seedlings are sprayed with copper oxychloride. To prepare the solution, dissolve 40 g of copper in a bucket of water. This spraying will protect the plants from late blight.

Planting tomatoes in a greenhouse in May 2025, or at any other time, requires choosing a planting pattern.

Planting diagram

The following schemes can be used for planting tomatoes in greenhouse soil:

• Checkerboard. Here, bushes are planted in two rows. A distance of 30-40 cm is maintained between plants, and 50 cm between rows. This pattern is used for early-ripening, low-growing varieties;
• Checkerboard pattern. This pattern assumes that plants are planted every 60 cm, with a 75 cm gap between rows. This method is suitable for growing tall varieties;
• Double-row. A bed approximately 1.5 meters wide and long is formed. Seedlings are planted at intervals of 30-60 cm.

Which of the above methods is most effective depends on the tomato variety being grown in the greenhouse. Regardless of the method used, it's important to follow the general guidelines for planting.

Distance

Since tomatoes can be planted in a greenhouse using a variety of patterns, the spacing between rows and plants will vary depending on the chosen method. Furthermore, this parameter also depends on the variety chosen. For specific species characteristics, please refer to the instructions on the seed packaging.

It's worth noting that seedlings should not be planted with a spacing of less than 30 cm or more than 80 cm. In the first case, the plants will begin to wilt, while in the second, their fruiting will occur later, and the ripened fruits will be small.

Planting in a greenhouse

To ensure that tomatoes planted in a greenhouse thrive and produce an excellent harvest, follow these rules:

• follow the parameters of the selected planting scheme;
• provide the greenhouse grower with the necessary care after transplanting to a permanent growing location;
• choose the right time to perform the procedure.

The most difficult part of planting is determining the right time. Here are some important points to consider regarding planting timing:

• in a heated greenhouse - from April 29;
• if the greenhouse is not heated, but insulated - from May 5;
• if the greenhouse is not insulated and not heated – from May 20;
• with film coating - from May 25.

At the time of planting, the temperature in the greenhouse should be approximately +25 degrees.

Which greenhouse to choose?

Tomatoes can be planted in various types of greenhouses. They are most commonly grown in plastic or polycarbonate greenhouses. The latter option is more durable, but more expensive.

Each of the two types of greenhouses has its own advantages and disadvantages, which must be taken into account. Otherwise, it's unlikely that the plants planted in them will produce good fruit.

As we can see, when planning to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse, it's important to consider many nuances and adhere to a number of rules. Strict adherence to these rules will ensure excellent yields from your planted tomatoes and a harvest of tasty, large fruits. However, these parameters directly depend on the variety chosen.

Video: "Caring for Tomatoes"

This video will show you how to properly care for tomatoes in a greenhouse.