You can safely plant tomatoes in the garden between the last spring frost and this date. For example, I live in USDA Hardiness Zone 4b with an average first frost date of September 25 and the last frost around May 21.
Tomatoes
are probably the most popular summer vegetable for experts and novices alike. Once all danger of frost has passed and nighttime temperatures have risen above 55°F. If you live in the south, tomato seeds can be sown directly in the garden.In colder areas, transplants will be arranged and questions will arise about how to plant tomatoes. We advise you not to plant tomato seeds earlier than six weeks before the last frost date. It's easy to grow your own from seed, and tomatoes can be sown from late February to mid-March if you grow them in a greenhouse. Find more tips on greenhouse cultivation here, or from late March to early April if you're growing them outdoors.
Heat-loving tomato plants, along with peppers, need 8 to 12 weeks from seed to garden. For transplants, the key is to plant early enough for tomatoes to ripen, but not as soon as they succumb to freezing conditions. A medium-sized tomato provides 57% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C, 25% of the RDA of vitamin A and 8% of the RDA of iron, but it has only 35 calories. Harvest tomatoes of other colors (orange, yellow, purple, or another rainbow shade) when they get the right color.
Enter your zip code in the search box on the map website to see the classification of plant zones for your area. For example, Roma tomatoes aren't usually eaten fresh out of control, but they're perfect for sauces and ketchups. Indeterminate tomato vines can be as tall as 6 feet, but simply let them climb to the top and fall down if that doesn't bother you. But for those who live in places with short growing seasons, it is necessary to start growing tomato seeds indoors.
Italian oregano, an easy-growing plant for the garden or pot, comes from the Mediterranean region. Make sure to plant tomatoes in a location that gets at least 6 hours of full sun a day, 8 hours is even better. So my target expiration date here in Western North Carolina is May 1, and my goal is to plant tomato seeds by March 1.In most regions, the soil is not warm enough to plant tomatoes outdoors until late spring and early summer, except in zone 10, where they are a fall and winter crop. Because tomatoes require a warm climate to thrive and don't perform well in cold temperatures, it's imperative to wait until nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
It's a good idea to grow a variety of varieties, including at least one or two disease-resistant types, since, of all vegetables, tomatoes tend to be the most susceptible to disease. If tomatoes need to be planted early, use protection such as row covers or hoods to keep plants nice and warm until warm weather arrives for the season. Use the frost date as a guide and control the weather forecast to make a decision about when to transplant. To help encourage fruiting, especially for potted tomato plants, feed them every 10 to 14 days with a high-potassium liquid fertilizer once the first fruits begin to swell, advises the RHS.
