Plant out before the last frost of spring
Tomato seedlings have to be strong enough to survive the outdoors before you plant them out.
By the time you plant your tomatoes, they should be at least six weeks old. It’s better to wait until they’re eight or nine weeks old if possible, so that the seedlings have time to grow a large root system and look healthy and strong before transplanting them outdoors.
The best way to know when your last frost date is, is to consult with a local farmer’s almanac, which will tell you precisely when your last frost date is expected in any given year. The last frost date varies by location (it could occur as early as April 15th in one area of the country and as late as May 15th in another), but it’s usually around mid-April, which makes it easy for accurate planning purposes. If this information is not available for your specific region, use an average last frost date of April 15th or May 1st (the latter if you live in an area with a colder climate).
If tomatoes are started indoors, they are ready in autumn
Tomato seedlings should be planted out when they have reached a height of 30cm (1ft) and the first true leaves have formed. It is also important to wait until all chance of frost has passed. This will differ depending on where you live, but usually occurs between late spring/early summer and early autumn for most zones (6–11).
If you want tomatoes before the cold weather sets in, start your seeds indoors in late winter/early spring and then transplant them outside once the danger of frost has passed. If you want fall tomatoes that ripen before the first frost, plant your seedlings four months before the expected first fall frost date. For example, if you expect the first frost in mid-October then plant your seedlings in mid-June.
Plant tomatoes in the ground as soon as they can stand the heat
If you have a tomato patch, we implore you to follow our advice and move your tomato plants into the ground as soon as they can stand the heat of summer. The soil around them may be cold and damp for a day or two after planting, but that isn’t cause for concern. In fact, it’s better if the soil is cool than if it’s too warm. The reason? Tomato plants need to be hardened off before they’re planted in their own beds outdoors. If they’re left in cold soil too long, they’ll rot even though there haven’t been any rains to cause that bacteria to grow.
A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to hold one finger on top of a seedling sticking out of moist soil and another on top of it when its leaves turn green (depending how hot it is). Once that happens, it’s time to plant your tomatoes outside; although don’t let this happen too close together or else they’ll shade each other out!
Plant tomatoes in hot, sunny areas
Most tomato plants prefer to be planted outside—after all, they are outdoor plants. As a general rule, you should make sure that the soil is nice and warm before deciding on a planting date for your seedlings. You can use a trowel to test the temperature of the soil; if it’s still fairly cool (around 60 degrees Fahrenheit), then wait another week before you plant your tomatoes. If the temperature rises above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, then it’s time to get them into the ground so they can get strong roots quickly.
Tomatoes need at least six hours of direct sunlight each day in order to produce fruit, so make sure that wherever you plant them gets plenty of light! Of course, there are some varieties of tomato (like Green Zebras) that can tolerate more shade than others—but most tomatoes grow best in hot, sunny areas. And remember: tomatoes love heat! They will thrive in temperatures up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher—just make sure to keep them well watered during those blazing summer months.
You’ll also want to ensure that your tomato plants have well-drained soil since their roots do not like getting waterlogged or sitting in standing water for too long periods of time. This is especially important if you live somewhere where there is lots of rain or snowmelt during springtime because these conditions may cause flooding which can lead to rotting plants due to soggy conditions!
Plant tomatoes at least 6 inches apart
Plant tomatoes at least 6 inches apart. As they grow, the stems will need space to stretch out laterally and take root. The distance between plants depends on how large your variety of tomato grows:
- Dwarf varieties can be planted as close as 4 inches apart in a garden bed or 6–8 inches in containers
- Medium-sized tomatoes should be planted 8–12 inches apart
- Staking varieties and beefsteak tomatoes require about 18 inches of space
Use a method that gives tomatoes more room to grow
If you’re going to plant tomato seedlings in your garden, you might as well give the plants the best chance they can get. One way to do that is by using a method that gives them more room to grow. You’ll want to dig holes for each plant, making sure that each one is wide enough for the roots to spread out and deep enough so that the roots will have plenty of room to grow. Once you’re satisfied with your holes, place each plant into its hole and fill it with soil. Water each one thoroughly—but don’t overdo it! The goal is to keep these tomatoes happy and healthy so they’ll grow lots of delicious fruit.
Prepare the soil well before planting
Before you even think about planting your tomato seedlings, it’s important to prep the soil. Add compost and fertilizer to the soil in late winter or early spring before you plant. This will give the nitrogen in the fertilizer time to break down into a form that the plants can use. Loosen the soil well before planting, making sure there aren’t any clumps. If your garden is sandy or rocky, mix it with additional organic matter before planting. You want to end up with a mixture that’s light and fluffy rather than heavy and clay-like. Once you’ve planted your seedlings, work some mulch into the soil around them to keep dirt from splashing on them when water hits their leaves. Keep moist but not wet until they’re big enough to handle dry periods of weather better.
When you prepare your soil, it is easier to have healthy seedlings. Your soil should be loose and well aerated, not compacted or hard. You can loosen clay soil by adding sand and peat moss, or you can buy a bag of potting mix from a garden centre. You can enrich your soil with fertilizer once it has been loosened, but the best way to make sure that your seedlings have the proper nutrients is to add compost to the hole before planting.
Your soil should be moist—but not too wet (you don’t want seedlings sitting in water). It should also be warm; if you plant tomato seeds when the ground is still cold, germination will take longer than normal and some of your seeds may rot before they ever sprout above the surface of the dirt. Finally, your soil should be weed-free and relatively free of debris—if there are rocks or chunks of wood in with the dirt, these may damage young roots as they try to grow downward into the earth.