Early Tomatoes

One of the things my customers always asks me, is if a certain tomato will really ripen in 45 days. I have to be honest with them and say I have no definitive answer. There are so many variables involved in growing a garden. Weather, soil temps, watering, fertilizing, garden location, and the variety.

We have no control over the weather. Some years it is cold and rainy. Plants sit there,  just waiting for warmer weather. (The only good thing is that the plant is working on root development, giving  it a good foundation to grow with). I've also seen light frost in early June.

Living in a cooler part of the US means we need tomatoes that will ripen earlier. Subarctic Plenty was developed for the troops in Greenland so they could have fresh tomatoes. Stupice is a nice tomato with good flavor and it comes from the Czech Republic. Siletz and Jetsetter are both good sized tomatoes for an early variety. Then there’s the Early Girl. It’s ok but there are some I like so much better. Ultimate Opener is earlier and was created by the same people who developed the Early Girl. New Girl is another one to watch.

Remember that  ripening times are  from the time of transplanting into the garden. Most of the early tomatoes are determinate and do well in a LARGE container.

Click on the picture for a little more detail.