vegetable

Tomatoes

Start indoors. Match days-to-maturity to the weeks you actually have after last frost.

Sun

Full sun

Spacing

18–24 in

Days

55–85

Zones

3a–11a

How to sow

Start indoors 6 weeks before last frost. Bottom heat until germination. Transplant after nights hold above 50°F. Bury the stem.

Harvest

Pick at first blush if squirrels are a problem. Flavor finishes on the counter.

Mistakes that waste a packet

• Sowing a 90-day heirloom in a 60-day remaining season
• A windowsill instead of a grow light
• Planting out into cold nights

Three packets

• Early Girl

  Short season

  About 54 days. The honest tomato for short summers.

  Get seed at Seeds Now

• Sungold

  Beginner

  Cherry tomatoes forgive mistakes and keep producing.

  Get seed at Botanical Interests

• Cherokee Purple

  Flavor

  The one you grow when the season is long enough to wait.

  Get seed at Seeds Now

Partner links may earn us a commission. We do not warehouse these packets. See indoor start dates for your ZIP.