GardenHacker:
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Too Antsy, Too Early

I'm itching to plant - it's been very warm in Western MA for the last week, and my garden looks like a line of giant flat brown rotting caterpillars on my lawn. The raspberries are starting to recover from being transplanted, the carrots I'd planted too late in the season last year are starting to grow under the shadecloth, and my grow-table is full of seedlings that are trying to push my lights aside. But - as I've been reminded - we live in New England, where "If you don't like the weather, wait for a minute." almost always holds true. So, with that in mind, and some kind words from a local ham radio operator that's good with tools, dirt, antennas, and more, I've done some research on the effects of early planting on tomatoes.

Time and time again, I run into "don't transplant too early": "...As a rule, home gardeners are too anxious to grow tomatoes. Quite often they will start tomato seeds much too early indoors and plant transplants out-of-doors too early as well. Early varieties of tomatoes can be planted around mid-May if they are covered with a frost protection device (cap). Main season varieties should be planted no earlier than the third week of May, preferably around May 30. Over the years we have seen many gardeners have poor results due to early planting. ..." Link

Reasons, and a crop for short seasons:"...'Tomatoes require warmer temperatures to produce pollen and pollinate,' says Randy Gardner, a professor at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Fletcher, North Carolina, who specializes in hybridizing tomatoes and other vegetables.

"What makes some of the newly introduced varieties so different? The plants begin producing fruit without bothering to wait for the flowers to pollinate. (This quality, called by the fancy name of "parthenocarpic," also means that these tomatoes are naturally seedless, at least early in the season.) If you live in an area with unusually cool, cloudy weather, you want to look for parthenocarpic tomatoes because you'll get fruit whether the plants pollinate or not, says Jim Myers, professor of vegetable breeding and horticulture at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. One of Myers' most popular new tomatoes is a variety called Legend. 'If you start it early, you can have fruit by the third week of July, and it will set fruit even in greenhouses,' he says. ..." Link

Also:"...Planting too early stresses plants due to cool air and soil temperatures. In addition, tomatoes are very sensitive to frost and will be killed by temperatures below 32° F. ..." Link

And Finally:"...Even if you protect them from frost, they are extremely vulnerable to pathogens in cool, damp conditions. Resist the urge to set out your transplants on a warm sunny day in March or April. It’s bound to get cold again, and those babies will be shivering and soaking up all sorts of bad fungi, viruses and bacteria. I have learned this lesson the hard way. My ultimate advice: find what the last average frost date is in your area, then plant two weeks after that. ..." Link

When When When??? "...Many novices fail at starting tomatoes simply because they start too early. Given the proper care, full-sized tomato transplants can be grown in 6 to 8 weeks. Before planting seeds, you must determine when your plants can be safely placed into the garden. Planting outdoors is best done about 1 or 2 weeks after the average last frost date for your area. ..."

Ok, how do you do it right? "...Introduce the plants to outdoor conditions slowly. This is called "hardening off". If it is not done slowly your plants may be shocked and their growth may temporarily cease. The longer the plants remains indoors, the harder it will be to acclimate them to the outdoors. Avoid full sun and wind when you first move them outside. ..." Link

The gardeners in my area have found that side by side, a tomato plant set out too early will never produce as well as one that's been planted patiently. Hoping my early plantings that are in sheltered pots will survive - so far they're looking about as happy as the plants indoors, though they do have more room.