The Best Times to Grow Tomatoes

Timing is important when growing tomatoes

Tomatoes are the most popular garden vegetables in America and can grow in a wide range of conditions all over the country. Though they are easy to grow, timing is an important consideration for tomatoes. As with most crops, the best time to grow tomatoes depends largely on where you live.

Time Frame

Spring is generally the best time to plant tomatoes, but the conditions in your garden are far more important than the dates on the calendar. The biggest concern for planting tomatoes is frost. Young tomato plants are highly sensitive to sub-freezing temperatures, and a hard frost can wipe out your crop overnight. Never plant tomatoes until all danger of frost has passed. Of course, this can differ greatly depending on where you live.

Climate Considerations

To give an example of the difference location makes regarding when you plant, the University of Florida recommends planting tomatoes in January or February in Florida, and the University of Rhode Island recommends planting between May 10 and June 15 in Rhode Island. Planting dates for most areas fall somewhere in between. In general, it is usually safe to plant tomatoes a week or two after the last average spring frost date for your region. This information is available through University Extension websites in most states.

Starting Early

You may choose to start your tomatoes from seed rather than buying ready-to-plant seedlings from a nursery. It takes tomatoes six to eight weeks to mature from seeds to transplants, so this allows you to start planting much earlier. Plant seeds in containers, indoors, and keep them warm, moist and well lit. As temperatures warm up outside, you can start taking the seedlings outdoors during the day. When they are 6 to 8 inches tall, they are ready to transplant.

Conditions

Tomatoes need ample sunlight and moist, well-drained loam soil. They grow best in warm conditions, with daytime temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees being ideal. You should plant them 18 to 36 inches apart, and either stake or cage your plants for support. Depending on what variety you choose, they should be ready to harvest 50 to 90 days after you transplant them to your garden.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Tomato
• University of Missouri; Growing Home Garden Tomatoes; David H. Trinklein; 2010
• Virginia Cooperative Extension; Tomatoes; Diane Relf, et al.; 2009
• University of Florida; Tomatoes In The Florida Garden; James M. Stephens
• University of Rhode Island: When to Plant in Rhode Island