DibbleGrowing tomatoes: from seed to harvest
Start seeds indoors about 7 weeks before you plan to plant out. Harden the seedlings off and transplant once nights stay warm, burying the stem deep for strong roots. In hot, humid climates choose the drier, cooler months, because flowers drop in sticky heat.
Planting dates for tomatoes by zone
| Zone | Start seeds indoors | Sow or transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April 22 | June 10 | August 26 |
| Zone 4 | April 14 | June 2 | August 12 |
| Zone 5 | April 4 | May 23 | July 22 |
| Zone 6 | March 29 | May 17 | July 23 |
| Zone 7 | March 16 | May 4 | July 9 |
| Zone 8 | February 19 | April 9 | June 12 |
| Zone 9 | January 25 | March 15 | May 17 |
| Zone 10 | January 5 | February 23 | May 28 |
| Zone 11 | August 8 | September 26 | March 11 |
Each date is the start of the best window from the same climate engine the Dibble app uses, run at typical places in each zone. Dibble tunes them to your garden's own location 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
When to plantPotato
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When to plant
Questions
When should I plant tomatoes?
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 set where your garden is to get your own calendar.
How long does it take to grow tomatoes?
About 75 days from transplant to the first harvest, with a picking window of roughly 60 days after that.
What grows well with tomatoes?
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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