When to plant tomatoes
Tomatoes are frost-tender: plant them out only after your last spring frost. Wait until nights stay above 50°F; cold soil stalls tomatoes even without frost.
- Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the last spring frost.
- Transplant outside 1–3 weeks after the last spring frost.
About 70 days from planting to harvest.
Get exact dates for your garden
Planting dates by hardiness zone
| Zone | Typical last frost | Start indoors | Transplant | Fall crop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2a | May 24 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 31 – Jun 14 | — |
| 3b | May 17 | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 24 – Jun 7 | — |
| 4a | May 12 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 19 – Jun 2 | — |
| 4b | May 8 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | May 15 – May 29 | — |
| 5a | May 3 | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 10 – May 24 | — |
| 5b | May 1 | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | May 8 – May 22 | — |
| 6a | Apr 29 | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | May 6 – May 20 | — |
| 6b | Apr 22 | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Apr 29 – May 13 | — |
| 7a | Apr 16 | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 23 – May 7 | — |
| 7b | Apr 5 | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | — |
| 8a | Mar 29 | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | — |
| 8b | Mar 16 | Jan 19 – Feb 2 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | — |
| 9a | Mar 3 | Jan 6 – Jan 20 | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | — |
| 9b | Feb 20 | Dec 26 – Jan 9 | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | — |
| 10a | Mar 2 | Jan 5 – Jan 19 | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | — |
Zone rows use the median frost dates of all ZIP codes in that zone. Zones measure winter cold, not season length, so two places in the same zone can have frost dates weeks apart — use your ZIP code for real dates.
When to plant tomatoes in major cities
| City | Median last frost | Start indoors | Transplant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | Mar 13 | Jan 16 – Jan 30 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 |
| Portland, OR | Feb 25 | Dec 31 – Jan 14 | Mar 4 – Mar 18 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | Apr 25 | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | May 2 – May 16 |
| Denver, CO | Apr 30 | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | May 7 – May 21 |
| Minneapolis, MN | Apr 23 | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 30 – May 14 |
| Chicago, IL | Apr 10 | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Apr 17 – May 1 |
| Detroit, MI | Apr 27 | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | May 4 – May 18 |
| Kansas City, MO | Apr 4 | Feb 7 – Feb 21 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 |
| Columbus, OH | Apr 20 | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | Apr 27 – May 11 |
| Boston, MA | Apr 4 | Feb 7 – Feb 21 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 |
| New York, NY | Mar 30 | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | Apr 6 – Apr 20 |
| Philadelphia, PA | Mar 30 | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | Apr 6 – Apr 20 |
| Washington, DC | Mar 29 | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | Apr 5 – Apr 19 |
| Charlotte, NC | Mar 30 | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | Apr 6 – Apr 20 |
| Nashville, TN | Apr 1 | Feb 4 – Feb 18 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 |
| Atlanta, GA | Mar 25 | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | Apr 1 – Apr 15 |
| Dallas, TX | Mar 2 | Jan 5 – Jan 19 | Mar 9 – Mar 23 |
Growing tomatoes: quick facts
| Frost tolerance | Tender: killed by frost; plant after the last frost |
|---|---|
| Soil temperature | at least 50°F to germinate; 70–85°F is ideal |
| Planting depth | ¼ in |
| Spacing | 24–36 in |
| Germination | 6–14 days |
| Days to harvest | about 70 days from planting out |
Typical figures from university extension planting guides. Seed packets give the best numbers for a specific variety.