When Should Tomato Seeds Be Planted to Be Ready for Spring?

Tomatoes grown indoors provide the taste of summer even in winter and spring.

Early Spring

According to the University of Illinois Extension, some gardeners transplant tomatoes as soon as the ground can be worked for spring crops. If you plant a first-early variety, such as Early Girl or Sub Arctic Plenty, you should have tomatoes by mid-spring. However, as the extension points out, this method requires intensive effort to protect your plants from frost damage, such as using row covers.

Plant Indoors

Colorado State University Cooperative Extension agent Robert Cox recommends growing "windowsill" tomatoes indoors over the winter to have a crop ready for spring. He suggests compact varieties such as Patio and Tiny Tim, which generally require 60 to 70 days to produce fruit. To enjoy tomatoes on the first day of spring, plant seeds indoors in mid-January.

Bottom Line

With the cost and labor involved in protecting tomatoes transplanted early, growing indoors is a low-cost and relatively easy alternative. Furthermore, growing indoors assures that you don't have to wait until late spring to enjoy your first tomato.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Tomato
• Colorado State University Extension: Grow Your Own Tomatoes Indoors This Winter
• Tomato Growers Supply Company: Tomatoes--Small Fruited