Tomato Gardening Tips For Using Climate Charts

Even with upside down tomato gardens you need to pay attention to the optimum weather conditions and avoid the last frost. With these gardens it is easy to start them indoors. Even though you do not have to worry about diseases and pests that come from the ground, following good tomato gardening tips is still important. This is a copy of an article on the subject I wrote for ezine.

When Should I Plant Tomatoes?- Tomato Gardening Tips Based On USDA Hardiness Planting Zones

by Sue Gnagy Fegan

Growing tomatoes is a popular hobby, and there is lots of tomato gardening tips and advice out there. You must be sure you are reading advice about the climate you live in if you are wondering, "When should I plant tomatoes?" General care and maintenance advice works for anyone, anywhere, but different parts of the country are divided up by the USDA into hardiness planting zones. This information is a valuable detail to know and understand, and will be discussed here.

You have got to be aware of your hardiness planting zone or you can be in trouble. These zones are based on normal winter temperatures. Each zone is organized around the usual winter temperatures that are 10 degrees higher(or lower) than their nearby zones. They use winter temperatures since trees and shrubs must be able to live through winters and annual flowers and vegetables should not be planted until all danger of frost is gone.

The most valuable hardiness zone information on the subject of tomatoes is when that magical date for the last frost is. For instance in the Mid Atlantic states it is early May, but in Upstate New York it will be nearer to June. Tomatoes need warm soil to grow. The tomatoes themselves will not really grow until the overnight temperature is in the 60's, There are some clever tomato gardening tips for beating the system and plant a week or two earlier, but you should not push it much earlier than that.

If you live in a place that either gets no frost or the temperature only goes below freezing in January or early February, you will be able to plant tomatoes from seeds or transplant greenhouse plants whenever you want to! The local gardening store, or nursery will have all sorts of tomato gardening tips for you that are geared for your particular no-frost climate.

Anyone from hardiness zones where it isn't until late April, May or early June can enjoy growing tomatoes from seeds only if you begin them indoors and plant outdoors when that magic no-frost date comes. Otherwise, you will transplant your tomato plants grown in a greenhouse when that date arrives. To find out your hardiness zone, search online or go to the United States National Arboretum Website.

Folks do not always think about the effect that the sun has on a recently transplanted tomato plant. It is another aspect of when I should plant tomatoes to think about. The hot sun can make a new seedling shrivel up in front of your very eyes if you are not careful. Hazy days work the best, or coming up with some kind of temporary shade for a day or two. If you use good tomato watering practices you can prevent them from drooping away, but the sun will still deplete energy needed to send energy to nurturing the developing plant.

To compare hardiness planting zones for deciding, "When I should plant tomatoes?" is most useful for getting the last frost date. Then if you are growing tomatoes from seeds or transplanting nursery plants you will get them in at the right time. This among other useful tomato gardening tips will get you off to a good start.