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Fresh tomatoes are a juicy end-of-summer delight.
With awide growth rangefrom 60 to 100 days, it can be hard to determine when to plant tomatoes.
Meet the Expert
Adam Weissis the founder of Pike Lane Gardens.
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It’s best to plant tomatoes in two stages, says master gardener Adam Weiss.
In the first stage, the seeds are planted indoors.
In the second stage, theseedlings are transplanted outdoors.
Space the planting stages from five to eight weeks apart.
Seeds vs. Seedlings
Tomato seeds are simply seedsgenerally viable for up to five years.
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There is a specific reason why tomato seeds are started indoors, according to Weiss.
“Tomatoes are a warm-weather vegetable,” he says.
Planting the tomato that way throws off the plant’s growing schedule.
The plant may still produce tomatoes, but not in abundance.
Because your harvest time has been condensed, you’ll get a limited harvest quantity of tomatoes.
Tip
Mostseedlings should usually be wateredonce a day.
Tomatoes must avoid frost.
That recommendation applies only to planting tomatoes in the ground outdoors, not indoors.
“It is much more challenging to plant tomato seeds outdoors directly,” says Weiss.
“There are several weather variables that could either dry or flood the seed before it even germinates.”
A frost date is when air temperatures dip to 32F (freezing) or below.
Yet with tomatoes, the safest way to protect them is to avoid frost conditions altogether.
Tips for Planting and Growing Tomatoes
Sungolds,cherry tomatoes, beefsteaks, or green zebras?
Regardless of thevariety of tomatoyou love planting, Weiss offers these tips for the perfect harvest:
