In spring, many nurseries stock tomato transplants. Most of the gardeners, homeowners, and plant enthusiasts are aware of the right time to plant tomato seeds and move the seedlings outside. However, it's not always easy to meet the planting deadline due to some personal commitments, and you may miss the perfect timing to transplant.
If you plant tomatoes too late in the spring, it may lead to problems in harvesting due to hot temperatures. Whereas, if you plant too late in the fall, your tomatoes may die during cold nights.
What Will Happen if You Transplant Tomatoes Too Late?
Similar to planting too early, sowing them too late isn't healthy either. Tomatoes are a summer crop in many USDA zones. But, if the sown seeds are grown too late, the temperature may get too warm for their delicate leaves to handle.
Additionally, tomatoes require plenty of summer months to grow and ripen the fruit. If you have a few months before the temperature in your area starts to cool down below 50° Fahrenheit regularly, it's better to buy tomato seedlings from nearby nurseries instead of growing them from seeds.
What Happens if You Plant Tomatoes Too Late in the Spring?
Tomatoes grow better when the temperature is between 55° and 85° Fahrenheit. When the spring temperature changes from cold nights to warm days, tomatoes can suffer catfacing. It's a condition that causes cracks and deformation at the end of a fruit's blossom.
If you wait even after the temperature goes above 55° Fahrenheit, hoping for a stable temperature, you may get fewer fruits over the summer.
Once the temperature rises over 85° Fahrenheit, the environment can be too warm for large tomato varieties to grow. However, there are two exceptions, such as for grape and cherry tomatoes, which adjust to this temperature. Also, tomatoes may consistently produce flowers, which can often dry up before turning into a fruit. If they are grown during high temperatures, they will not get their natural red color, decreasing the number of ripe tomatoes.
What Happens if You Plant Tomatoes Too Late in the Fall?
If you plant tomatoes too late in the fall, cool temperatures can lead to severe damage to the plants. In worse situations, if the temperature goes below 55° Fahrenheit, the pollen eventually becomes sterile, causing the blossoms to fall.
Late planting can often result in catfaced tomato, which should be removed immediately from the plant. Getting rid of those tomatoes can save the plant's energy to nourish a deformed fruit.
However, if you still wish to plant in the late fall, it's better to be prepared for it. Begin by planting the seeds indoors in early summer. Then, transplant them once the temperature drops below 85° Fahrenheit and remains the same throughout the transplanting period.
Importantly, consider picking up a quick-growing tomato variety that ripens in about 55 days as you have only 60 days, from the end of August to the beginning of November. This can lead to at least one harvest before the first frost only if you transplant it in August.
What to Do if You Plant Tomatoes in June?
Here are five stages to ensure your June-planted tomatoes thrive.
Identify Frost Dates
Determining the last frost date in spring and the first frost date in fall is important to grow tomatoes. Additionally, if you are planting in June, you are more likely to cross the frost date. However, make sure to check with your area's frost date in autumn. This is important because tomatoes cannot bear cold as they are warm-weather veggies.
Use Transplants Instead of Seeds
If you are not living in a warm climate and are late in planting seeds, begin by planting transplants to ripen the tomatoes fast. It's easier to fetch the transplants from local garden centers.
But if you have time to sow seeds, plant them indoors so that they are protected from pests and inclement weather. It may take 6 to 8 weeks before tomato plants can be transplanted. They usually grow under consistent 50°Fahrenheit temperatures.
Plant Early Varieties
Some varieties have shorter maturity times as they can be harvested earlier if planted at the right time in spring. Here is a list of early plant varieties of tomatoes.
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Cherry tomatoes: Matures in 55-60 days
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Early Girl: Matures in 50-60 days
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Juliet: Matures in 60 days
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Northern Lights: Matures in 55-60 days
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Siletz: Matures in 70-75 days
Provide Better Growing Conditions
Plant the tomatoes in full sun and warm temperatures where they can get 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. Then fertilize them with a specific tomato fertilizer at the time of planting and regularly after planting. Prune the plant for fast ripening of the tomatoes. Lastly, support the plants using tomato cages or stakes to keep the stems upright, preventing tomatoes from growing on the ground.
Protect Tomatoes From Cold Temperatures
Tomatoes cannot bear cold temperatures; hence, cover them using sheets or blankets if there's a prediction of a cold night. Also, if you have green plants, you should protect them from frost and extend the growing period into fall.