🍅 When to Plant Tomatoes
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost
📅 Planting Calendar by USDA Zone
Tomatoes is a warm-season crop — plant it after your last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, and start seeds indoors a few weeks ahead for a head start. Find the exact start-indoors, transplant, and direct-sow dates for your USDA zone in the table below.
Select your zone to highlight your dates. All dates are calculated from each zone's average frost dates — see how we calculate them.
| Zone | Last Frost | Start Indoors | Transplant | Direct Sow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2A | May 30 | Apr 4 | May 30 | Jun 13 |
| Zone 3B | May 15 | Mar 20 | May 15 | May 29 |
| Zone 4A | May 8 | Mar 13 | May 8 | May 22 |
| Zone 4B | May 1 | Mar 6 | May 1 | May 15 |
| Zone 5A | Apr 25 | Feb 28 | Apr 25 | May 9 |
| Zone 5B | Apr 18 | Feb 21 | Apr 18 | May 2 |
| Zone 6A | Apr 21 | Feb 24 | Apr 21 | May 5 |
| Zone 6B | Apr 10 | Feb 13 | Apr 10 | Apr 24 |
| Zone 7A | Apr 5 | Feb 8 | Apr 5 | Apr 19 |
| Zone 7B | Mar 28 | Jan 31 | Mar 28 | Apr 11 |
| Zone 8A | Mar 20 | Jan 23 | Mar 20 | Apr 3 |
| Zone 8B | Mar 12 | Jan 15 | Mar 12 | Mar 26 |
| Zone 9A | Feb 28 | Jan 3 | Feb 28 | Mar 14 |
| Zone 9B | Feb 15 | Dec 21 | Feb 15 | Mar 1 |
| Zone 10A | Feb 1 | Dec 7 | Feb 1 | Feb 15 |
| Zone 10B | Jan 15 | Nov 20 | Jan 15 | Jan 29 |
| Zone 11A | Jan 1 | Nov 6 | Jan 1 | Jan 15 |
Tomatoes are America’s most popular garden vegetable. They thrive in warm soil and need full sun (6-8 hours daily).
Top Growing Tips
- Soil temperature should be at least 60°F before transplanting
- Plant deep — bury 2/3 of the stem for stronger root systems
- Stake or cage indeterminate varieties for best yields
- Consistent watering prevents blossom end rot
- Mulch heavily to retain moisture and suppress weeds
Companion Planting
Good companions: basil, carrots, parsley, marigolds
Avoid planting near: brassicas (cabbage, broccoli), fennel, corn
Harvest Timeline
60-85 days from transplant depending on variety
Growing tomatoes in your region?
These dates come from your zone's frost windows. For the full month-by-month plan — succession sowing, variety picks, and timing tuned to your climate, not just your zone — our regional vegetable-gardening guides cover your area start to finish.
Find your regional growing guide