Soil temperature is another good indicator of when it’s the right time to transplant tomatoes. They need some time to gradually warm up to outdoor life and wind. Transplants require a period of hardening off to become accustomed to outdoor conditions-think of it as an icebreaker for plants. Additionally, remember that tomatoes and other seedlings shouldn’t go straight into the ground. Use the frost date as a guide and keep tabs on the weather forecast to inform your decision of when to transplant. Keep in mind that a frost can occur even if it’s warm during the day. Weather conditions can vary from year to year.īecause tomatoes require warm weather to thrive and don’t do well in cool temperatures, it’s imperative to wait until nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Generally, tomatoes can go outside about a week or two after the last frost in an area, but this isn’t a strict rule. RELATED: The Best Fertilizers for Tomatoes Plant tomato seedlings outdoors when overnight temperatures remain above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.ĭon’t rely solely on the average last frost date, however.
Then, count backward from your average last frost date. To figure out the exact seed-starting date, find out your region’s last and first frost dates. One exception is perhaps if you have a greenhouse space to hold your tomatoes early in the spring. And hardening off large transplants can be awkward. One may assume an earlier start means getting an earlier tomato harvest, but it can be difficult to deal with bulky plants when short on indoor space. It’s critical to get the timing right, so resist the urge to start too early. Planting tomatoes indoors helps them get a jump-start on growing until they can be transplanted outside these heat-loving plants need about 6 to 8 weeks indoors. Start tomato seeds indoors approximately 6 weeks before the last frost in your region. Other faster-growing tomato varieties to consider include: Short-season tomatoes tend to be indeterminate varieties, which are plants that continue to set fruit throughout the season. If planting later in the season, pick a tomato variety that takes fewer days to reach maturity and produce a harvest-ultra-compact varieties like Micro Tom may be a good choice. Still, it’s essential to note the variety’s days to maturity. Tomatoes can also be planted late in the growing season. Plant a mix of early, middle, and late-season types, including determinate and indeterminate tomatoes, for a consistent supply of the tasty fruits. The ideal strategy is to grow varieties of tomatoes that mature and produce fruit at different points in the season. Large tomatoes tend to take longer to produce a usable harvest, while cherry and mini tomato varieties mature faster. Most tomatoes take a long time to mature and bear fruit-typically around 100 days.
But for those living in locations with short growing seasons, it’s necessary to start tomato seeds indoors. In warm climates, it’s possible to direct-sow tomatoes outside.
When it comes to starting from seed, tomato plants need enough time to reach maturity before cold fall and winter weather sets in.
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RELATED: Solved! How to Overcome 11 Common Tomato Plant Problems Consider the days to maturity needed for the tomato varieties you plan to plant.
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