When to plant Tomato
Start seeds indoors about 6 weeks before your last frost. Harden off and transplant a week or two after frost danger passes, burying the stem deep for strong roots.
When to plant Tomato by zone
| Zone | Start seeds indoors | Sow or transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April 3 | May 22 | August 5 |
| Zone 4 | March 29 | May 17 | July 31 |
| Zone 5 | March 19 | May 7 | July 21 |
| Zone 6 | March 10 | April 28 | July 12 |
| Zone 7 | February 27 | April 17 | July 1 |
| Zone 8 | February 14 | April 4 | June 18 |
| Zone 9 | January 18 | March 8 | May 22 |
| Zone 10 | December 20 | February 7 | April 23 |
| Zone 11 | November 20 | January 8 | March 24 |
These dates use typical frost dates for each zone. Dibble tunes them to your exact ZIP and lets you adjust frost dates for your own yard.
Companion plants
Good neighbors for Tomato:
Better kept apart:
Family and rotation
Tomato is in the nightshades family. Heavy feeders and disease-prone. Rotate so nightshades don't return to a bed for 3 years. Learn about crop rotation.
Related crops
Pepper
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When to plantQuestions
When should I plant tomato?
It depends on your zone. Tomato is a tender crop, so the timing follows your last spring frost. Look up your zone in the table below for exact start, sow, and harvest dates, or open Dibble and enter your ZIP to get your own calendar.
How long does tomato take to grow?
About 75 days from transplant to the first harvest, with a picking window of roughly 60 days after that.
What grows well with tomato?
Good companions include Basil, Carrot, Onion, Marigold. Keep it away from Potato, Fennel, Cabbage.
Plant at the right time this season
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