When to Plant Tomatoes in Louisiana

The maturity date of tomato plants, the type of tomato plant you plant and the area of Louisiana where you are located are the determining factors for the timing of tomato planting in Louisiana. The basic growing season in Louisiana for growing tomatoes is between March and November.

Spring Planting

Tomatoes can be planted from March 1 until May 1 in Louisiana. In areas around New Orleans, you can start planting tomatoes after the last frost, which is around March 1. In areas around Alexandria, you will start planting tomatoes around March 15 and in Shreveport and the surrounding area, you can start planting tomato plants about April 1, which is the latest planting date in the state.

Fall Planting

Tomatoes can be planted from July 1 until August 15 in Louisiana for a fall harvest. Areas around New Orleans can plant the last crop of tomatoes on August 15. Areas around Alexandria need to plant tomatoes by July 15 and Shreveport and the surrounding area must have tomatoes planted by July 1.

Tomato Types

There are two types of tomatoes: indeterminate and determinate. The indeterminate tomato plant matures and continues to bear fruit until the first frost. The determinate tomato plant matures, bears fruit once and dies. Planting determinate tomato plants in fall will give you a full crop before frost. Indeterminate tomatoes planted for a fall harvest may not have a large harvest before frost. In spring, you can plant indeterminate and determinate tomatoes for a full harvest.

Tomato Varieties

Vine types of tomatoes or indeterminate tomato plants to plant in Louisiana include Pink Girl, Sun Gold, Husky Gold, Better Boy and Big Beef. Bush-type tomato plants, which are determinate tomato plants, include Mountain Crest, Mountain Spring, Bella Rosa and Celebrity. Heat-tolerant tomato varieties include Talladega, Solar Fire, Sun Chaser and Phoenix. Other varieties well-suited for Louisiana gardens are Sun Gold Cherry, Smarty Grape, Mountain Bella, Sweet Million and Small Fry.

References

• LSUAgCenter.com: Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide
• University of Illinois Extension: Watch Your Garden Grow --Tomato