The best time to plant tomatoes depends on your local climate and growing zone. Here are some general guidelines:
- Wait until all danger of frost has passed. Tomatoes are warm-season plants and sensitive to cold and frost.
- Soil temperature should be at least 60°F (16°C), ideally 65 to 70°F (18 to 21°C).
- For starting seeds indoors, begin 6 to 8 weeks before your area's last frost date.
- Transplant seedlings outdoors about 1-2 weeks after the average last frost date.
- In cooler northern regions, plant tomatoes later in spring or early summer; choose varieties with shorter maturity times.
- In warmer southern regions, you can plant earlier in the year and sometimes get a second crop in late summer.
- Tomatoes prefer to be planted when nighttime air temperatures are reliably above 50-55°F (10-15°C).
For example, in USDA zones:
- Zone 3-4: start seeds mid to late April indoors
- Zone 5: end of March to early April for seeds indoors
- Zone 6: early to mid-March
- Zone 7: late February to early March
- Zones 8-10: from late January to mid-February
You should also plan to transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening them off, when they are about 6-10 inches tall and have 2-3 pairs of true leaves. Planting in the late afternoon or early evening can reduce transplant shock. In summary, the ideal planting time is after the last frost when the soil and air are warm enough for tomatoes to thrive. Starting seeds indoors ahead of time helps extend the growing season in cooler climates.
If you tell me your location or USDA hardiness zone, I can provide more precise planting dates.
