Anyone planted tomatoes this early before

davidhelmly

Senior Member
I’ve got the ground ready and I’ve got plants, I was 100% planting this weekend until I saw some lows in the mid 30’s next week. I’m planning on planting a few now and a few more in about another month so if I lost them all it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Any of you guys every tried it?
 

ucfireman

Senior Member
I have planted early before, Never this early but 1st week of April. My experience is summer drops just sit there. Tomatoes, peppers, corn(rots) and cucumbers Squash . Nothing really grows. It might grow roots but not much top growth. But what does it hurt? We may get warm like Feb then your way ahead!
 

JackSprat

Senior Member
Tomatoes, peppers, corn(rots) and cucumbers Squash . Nothing really grows.

This.

You can plant now an plant the second week of April and they will start to bear at the same time.

Tomatoes, pepper need to heat to thrive and grow. With no freeze to kill them, they will just sit in the ground until the ground warms up. It's ground temp that makes the difference. Warm days and cool nights does not warm the ground up.

Planting this early really has no advantage, and has the risk of freeze.

The avg. date of last freeze in most of Georgia is the first week of April.
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
After May 10 here.
 

davidhelmly

Senior Member
I've planted them as early as march 1 but usually have to cover them for the last frost.

What do you use to cover them doom?

I put 8 in the ground today and will plant some more in another month or so and see what happens...

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OmenHonkey

I Want Fancy Words TOO !
I got several plants in the dirt already. Both peppers and Tomatoes. We're planting corn down here now so the ground temp is definitely rising. If a frost is ahead I will do like doom and either cover with a tarp or if you only have a few plants cover them with a 5 gallon bucket.
 

davidhelmly

Senior Member
I got several plants in the dirt already. Both peppers and Tomatoes. We're planting corn down here now so the ground temp is definitely rising. If a frost is ahead I will do like doom and either cover with a tarp or if you only have a few plants cover them with a 5 gallon bucket.

It was mid 30's this morning but really windy so I didn't fear frost but I will cover them tonight with buckets, its suppose to be low 30's and calm.
 

karen936

Head Researcher, McDurdellson Enterprises, Inc.
mine are still in the house growing from seed
 
Late April for me. I can usually get 2 different harvests before fall. I normally plant around 75 tomato plants (Parks Whopper and Brandywine). I plant extra for canning and the hogs.
 

work2play2

Banned again & will band again soon
Late April for me. I can usually get 2 different harvests before fall. I normally plant around 75 tomato plants (Parks Whopper and Brandywine). I plant extra for canning and the hogs.

New to gardening and curious. You plant late April and harvest twice? Can you explain? You get harvest and re plant? Sorry for ignorant question
 

ucfireman

Senior Member
I don't know what he meant. My tomatoes usually put on heavy late spring early summer then take a break during the heat of summer then put on more in late summer early fall. That may be what he meant. Then again he may do 2 plantings, I don't know.
 

JackSprat

Senior Member
My grandfather used to sucker his plants about July 1, start new plants and have a strong fall crop for no cost (which was a big thing with him). Those late tomatoes were the ones that got canned.
 
New to gardening and curious. You plant late April and harvest twice? Can you explain? You get harvest and re plant? Sorry for ignorant question

I'm planting about 40 tomato plants Tuesday. And, I'll plant about 40 more right around July 1st for a second crop. They'll put out until the 1st frost.
 
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