When to plant tomato by zone
Solanum lycopersicum is a warm-season crop that is tender to frost. Rule of thumb: start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost; plant out from 1 week after to 3 weeks after the last frost.
Tomato planting dates by zone
Each row uses the median 30%-risk frost dates of the major cities in that zone; rows marked * have no major city and use the median of NOAA stations in that zone instead. Frost dates vary a lot within a zone, so use your city page for local dates. In frost-free climates: Jan 15 – Mar 31; Aug 1 – Sep 15.
| Zone | Median last frost | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1a* | May 29 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | Jun 5 – Jun 19 | — | — |
| 1b* | May 29 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | Jun 5 – Jun 19 | — | — |
| 2a | May 21 | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | May 28 – Jun 11 | — | — |
| 2b* | May 20 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 27 – Jun 10 | — | — |
| 3a* | Jun 4 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | Jun 11 – Jun 25 | — | — |
| 3b* | May 24 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 31 – Jun 14 | — | — |
| 4a | May 12 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 19 – Jun 2 | — | — |
| 4b | May 5 | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | May 12 – May 26 | — | — |
| 5a | May 4 | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | May 11 – May 25 | — | — |
| 5b | May 4 | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | May 11 – May 25 | — | — |
| 6a | May 4 | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | May 11 – May 25 | — | — |
| 6b | Apr 26 | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | May 3 – May 17 | — | — |
| 7a | Apr 22 | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Apr 29 – May 13 | — | — |
| 7b | Apr 10 | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Apr 17 – May 1 | — | — |
| 8a | Apr 1 | Feb 4 – Feb 18 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | — | — |
| 8b | Mar 22 | Jan 25 – Feb 8 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | — | — |
| 9a | Mar 11 | Jan 14 – Jan 28 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | — | — |
| 9b | Feb 12 | Dec 18 – Jan 1 | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | — | — |
| 10a | Jan 26 | Dec 1 – Dec 15 | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | — | — |
| 10b | Jan 27 | Dec 2 – Dec 16 | Feb 3 – Feb 17 | — | — |
| 11a | Rare | Jan 15 – Mar 31; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
| 11b* | Rare | Jan 15 – Mar 31; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
| 12a* | Rare | Jan 15 – Mar 31; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
| 12b | Rare | Jan 15 – Mar 31; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
| 13a* | Rare | Jan 15 – Mar 31; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
| 13b* | Rare | Jan 15 – Mar 31; Aug 1 – Sep 15 | |||
Growing tips
- Set transplants deep — tomatoes root along the buried stem.
- Wait until nights stay above 50°F; cold soil stalls growth more than a late planting does.
- In hot-summer areas, fruit set drops when nights stay above about 75°F, so an early start or a late-summer crop works better.
Exact dates for your city
Popular: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, Jacksonville, Fort Worth, San Jose — or browse all cities by state.
Other crops: Pepper, Lettuce, Green Beans, Sweet Corn, Zucchini & Summer Squash, Cucumber, Carrot, Onion, Potato, Basil, Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Peas, Eggplant, Cabbage, Radish, Strawberry, Beets