Whether you are a seasoned gardener or novice, growing vegetables is a fun-filled process that also gives the joy of eating freshly grown vegetables. Once you get the taste of homegrown veggies, eating market-bought ones won’t excite your tastebuds. Tomatoes are one vegetable that most people love to eat, and when it comes to homegrown variety, nothing can beat the freshness and the taste. The primary concern for gardeners is when to grow tomatoes because every vegetable has a set flourishing season. However, if you miss the timeline to grow tomatoes, there are exceptions and alternative times to grow them. In this article we discuss more about how to deal with the missed growing deadline.
What is the Right Time to Plant Tomatoes?
The first thing you should know is tomatoes love warm weather. The right season, the perfect temperature of the area, and the temperature of the soil are the keys to the robust growth of tomatoes. Temperature below 50 F is not at all suitable for growing tomatoes. The ideal growing time is when the night temperature of the area remains above 50 F, as it gives sufficient maturing time to the plant before it starts to give fruit.
The soil temperature shall remain at 60 F, and the best way to check the warmth of the soil is by using a soil thermometer or by putting a finger deep in the soil. If you feel uncomfortable keeping your finger for some time, it’s a signal that the soil is too cold for growing tomatoes.
Are You Late to Plant Tomatoes?
If you have missed the growing window (warm season) of tomatoes and are wondering what to do, there is no need to worry because you can still grow tomatoes, considering the local weather conditions and the type of plant. Each tomato plant comes with a label mentioning the maturity days and if the maturity days are smaller than the first expected frost date in your area, you can go ahead with planting the seeds.
Tip: Select the variety with shorter maturity days if you are late in planting tomatoes
How Late in Summer Can You Plant Tomatoes?
You can plant tomatoes between June and August without any significant problems. Primarily, it depends on the first frost date and the maturity date of the plant. If maturity days are smaller than the number of days left for the first frost days, you can go ahead with planting.
Tips to Consider for Late Tomato Planting
Planting tomatoes late may cause hindrance in the harvest and other issues; however, careful raising hands can increase the chances of a successful harvest. Here, we focus on the tips for successful plant growth.
Select a Disease-resistant Tomato Variety

This tip is not limited to late planters but rather to all gardeners because tomatoes are prone to disease no matter when it is planted, and selecting disease-resistant plant varieties makes the growing process easy.
Select a Shorter Maturity Variety
If you have already missed a couple of growing days or weeks, it’s advisable to opt for an early maturing variety of plants to compensate for the lost time. Normal maturity days are between 60-100 days, so select the variety with lesser maturity days.
Plant Tomatoes Carefully
Careful planting includes proper soil preparation before planting tomatoes. Add compost in the soil to enhance fertility and if you plan to plant it in a pot, add fresh potting soil to maintain nutrients.
Water the Plant Regularly as Per the Requirements
The right amount of watering is one of the most important parts of the planting process. During summers, plants may require more water, and what could be the best way to water them consistently than setting up drip irrigation with a timer? It will save you time and will also rule out the chance of missing the watering schedule.
Add Balanced Fertilizer
Once planting work is done, plants may require fertilizer for balanced and robust growth. Be mindful when adding fertilizer because over or under use of it may badly impact the growth. Fertilize the plant with a balanced quantity of fertilizer.
Harvest With Love and Care

Whether it’s humans, pets, or plants, love and care have unparalleled positive effects, and tomato plants are no different. However, apart from adding emotional support to the plants, physical care is equally important. You should provide support to the plant using tomato cages, a trellis, or posts with wire.
Store Properly
Lastly, storage is of utmost importance because all your hard work is worth it when tomatoes are stored properly to ensure you get fresh and juicy tomatoes to eat. Store the fruit at room temperature, not under 55 F, to retain the flavor and original quality.
Conclusion
If you are late in planting a tomato plant, it won’t affect the harvest much, if you consider the tips listed in this article. With proper selection of the plant variety and growing conditions, you can expect robust growth.