WhenToPlantGuide

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When to plant tomatoes

Plant tomatoes 1–3 weeks after the last spring frost. Wait until the soil is at least 60°F. That works out to zone 5b (mid May to late May), zone 7a (late April to early May) and zone 9a (early March to late March).

Tomatoes planting dates by zone

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 2a Start indoors Mar 25 – Apr 8 Plant May 27 – Jun 10 3b Start indoors Mar 22 – Apr 5 Plant May 24 – Jun 7 4a Start indoors Mar 20 – Apr 3 Plant May 22 – Jun 5 4b Start indoors Mar 18 – Apr 1 Plant May 20 – Jun 3 5a Start indoors Mar 16 – Mar 30 Plant May 18 – Jun 1 5b Start indoors Mar 10 – Mar 24 Plant May 12 – May 26 6a Start indoors Mar 5 – Mar 19 Plant May 7 – May 21 6b Start indoors Feb 27 – Mar 13 Plant May 1 – May 15 7a Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 Plant Apr 22 – May 6 7b Start indoors Feb 9 – Feb 23 Plant Apr 13 – Apr 27 8a Start indoors Jan 30 – Feb 13 Plant Apr 3 – Apr 17 8b Start indoors Jan 19 – Feb 2 Plant Mar 23 – Apr 6 9a Start indoors Jan 5 – Jan 19 Plant Mar 9 – Mar 23 9b Start indoors Dec 10 – Dec 24 Plant Feb 11 – Feb 25 10a Start indoors Nov 13 – Nov 27 Plant Jan 15 – Jan 29
■ spring planting · ■ start seeds indoors. Zones from the USDA 2023 map; dates from NOAA frost normals for the weather stations in each zone.
ZonePlant outdoorstomatoes ready from
4a May 22 – Jun 5 Jul 28
4b May 20 – Jun 3 Jul 26
5a May 18 – Jun 1 Jul 24
5b May 12 – May 26 Jul 18
6a May 7 – May 21 Jul 13
6b May 1 – May 15 Jul 7
7a Apr 22 – May 6 Jun 28
7b Apr 13 – Apr 27 Jun 19
8a Apr 3 – Apr 17 Jun 9
8b Mar 23 – Apr 6 May 29
9a Mar 9 – Mar 23 May 15
9b Feb 11 – Feb 25 Apr 19

How to plant tomatoes

Plant astransplants
Soil temperature60°F or warmer
DepthDeep: bury two-thirds of the stem
Spacing18–36 in
LightFull sun (8+ hours)
Time to harvest60–85 days
Start indoors6–8 weeks before the last frost (zone 6a: Mar 5 – Mar 19; zone 8a: Jan 30 – Feb 13)

Tomatoes are killed by frost and sulk in cold soil, so waiting a week or two past the last frost usually gives a faster start than planting early.

Plant transplants deep: roots form along the buried stem.

Nights below 55°F or days above 90°F reduce fruit set, which is why early-summer planting matters in hot regions.

When to harvest tomatoes

Pick when fully colored and slightly soft; the first fruit ripens about 60–85 days after transplanting, depending on variety.

Planting tomatoes in warm climates

In zones 9–10 plant in late winter (February–March) for an early crop, and again in late summer (July–August) for a fall crop before the hottest weather or the first frost.

Exact dates for your town: planting calendar · frost dates by state.

More vegetables to plant

Bell peppers · Potatoes · Pumpkins · Cucumbers · Okra · Zucchini · Watermelon · Green beans