If you’re a gardener in Central Florida, knowing when to plant tomatoes is your first step to a great harvest. The optimal planting season guide for our unique climate is a bit different than other parts of the country, but getting the timing right makes all the difference.
Our long, hot summers and mild winters create a perfect environment for tomatoes, but also present specific challenges. Planting at the correct time helps your plants avoid our worst heat and our rare frosts. Let’s look at the best schedule for your garden.
When To Plant Tomatoes In Central Florida – Optimal Planting Season Guide
Central Florida has two primary tomato planting seasons. This is because tomatoes struggle to set fruit when night temperatures stay above 75°F and day temps soar above 90°F. We work around the intense summer heat.
The Two Main Planting Windows
The key to success is targeting the “shoulder” seasons on either side of summer.
- Late Summer to Early Fall (August – September): This is for a fall harvest. You plant as the peak summer heat begins to wane, allowing plants to mature and fruit in the pleasant fall weather.
- Late Winter to Early Spring (January – February): This is for a spring harvest. Plants get established in the cool weather and produce fruit before the punishing summer heat arrives.
Why Not Summer?
Planting tomatoes in May or June is generally not recommended. The extreme heat, humidity, and heavy rainfall stress plants, leading to poor fruit set, increased disease, and pest problems. The plants often just survive instead of thrive.
Detailed Seasonal Breakdown
Fall Planting (August – September)
This is often considered the premier tomato season in Central Florida. The goal is to have plants flowering and setting fruit as the weather cools in October and November.
- Best Start Dates: Aim for mid-August to mid-September. Earlier plantings battle more heat; later ones risk being caught by an early frost.
- Advantages: Fewer pest issues initially, less disease pressure than spring, and fantastic growing conditions during fruiting.
- Challenges: Young seedlings need extra water and maybe shade cloth to handle the late summer sun. Watch for late-season hurricanes.
Spring Planting (January – February)
This season gives you an early summer harvest. You need to choose varieties that mature quickly.
- Best Start Dates: After the last frost date, typically late January through February. Always check a local frost forecast.
- Advantages: Plants establish in cool, dry weather. You get an early harvest before the rainy season kicks in.
- Challenges: You’re racing against the heat. Fungal diseases can become a problem as humidity rises in April and May.
Choosing the Right Tomato Varieties
Not all tomatoes perform equally well here. You need varieties with good heat-set and disease resistance.
- Cherry/Grape Tomatoes: These are almost foolproof. ‘Sweet 100’, ‘Sun Gold’, and ‘Juliet’ are excellent and produce heavily.
- Determinate Varieties (Bush): These produce a large, single harvest and are great for canning. Look for ‘Floramerica’, ‘Celebrity’, and ‘Bella Rosa’.
- Indeterminate Varieties (Vining): These produce fruit all season. Good choices include ‘Better Boy’, ‘Cherokee Purple’ (with care), and ‘Everglades’ (a wild, heat-tolerant tomato).
Always look for codes like VFN on the tag, which indicate resistance to common diseases like Verticillium and Fusarium wilts and Nematodes, which are common in Florida soil.
Step-by-Step Planting Guide
1. Site Preparation
Tomatoes need at least 6-8 hours of full sun. Choose a spot with excellent drainage. Florida’s sandy soil needs amending.
- Work in 3-4 inches of compost or well-rotted manure into the top 8 inches of soil.
- Consider building raised beds for superior drainage and root health.
2. Planting Your Seedlings
It’s best to start with healthy transplants from a local nursery, as they’ll have suitable varieties.
- Dig a hole deeper than the pot, as tomatoes root along their stems.
- Remove the lower leaves and bury the stem up to the first set of remaining leaves.
- Space plants 2-3 feet apart for good air circulation.
- Water deeply immediately after planting to settle the soil.
3. Essential Care After Planting
- Watering: Water deeply 2-3 times per week, depending on rain. Avoid wetting the leaves to prevent disease. Drip irrigation is ideal.
- Mulching: Apply a 2-3 inch layer of pine straw or wheat straw mulch. This keeps roots cool, conserves moisture, and prevents soil-borne diseases from splashing onto leaves.
- Fertilizing: Use a balanced fertilizer at planting. Then, switch to a low-nitrogen, higher-phosphorus fertilizer when flowering begins to promote fruit, not just leaves.
- Staking/Caging: Install cages or stakes at planting time to avoid damaging roots later. This keeps fruit off the ground and improves air flow.
Common Central Florida Tomato Problems & Solutions
Pests
- Tomato Hornworms: Hand-pick these large green caterpillars. They can defoliate a plant quickly.
- Whiteflies & Aphids: Use a strong spray of water or insecticidal soap. Encourage beneficial insects like ladybugs.
- Stink Bugs & Leaf-footed Bugs: These suck sap from fruit, causing yellow spots. Check plants daily and remove by hand.
Diseases
- Fungal Diseases (Blights, Leaf Spot): Prevent with good spacing, mulch, and watering at the soil level. Remove affected leaves promptly. Fungicides may be needed in wet springs.
- Blossom End Rot: A dark, leathery spot on the fruit bottom. It’s caused by calcium uptake issues due to irregular watering. Maintain consistent soil moisture.
- Fruit Cracking: Caused by heavy rain or irrigation after a dry period, which makes the fruit expand to fast. Consistent watering and mulch help prevent this.
What If You Miss the Ideal Window?
Don’t worry. You can still try container gardening with a heat-tolerant cherry tomato variety. Place the container in a spot with afternoon shade during the hottest months. You can also start seeds indoors in late fall for a very early spring transplant.
FAQ: Your Central Florida Tomato Questions
Can I grow tomatoes year-round in Central Florida?
Technically, you can, but summer production will be very poor. It’s best to focus your effort on the fall and spring seasons for a quality harvest.
What is the absolute last date to plant tomatoes in the fall?
Aim to have plants in the ground by October 1st at the latest. This gives them enough time to mature before any potential frost in December or January, which is rare but possible.
Should I prune my tomato plants?
For determinate (bush) types, pruning isn’t necessary. For indeterminate (vining) types, you can prune the “suckers” (shoots that grow between the main stem and a branch) to improve air flow and direct energy to fruit, but it’s not required.
Why are my tomato flowers falling off without making fruit?
This is almost always due to high temperatures. When nights stay above 75°F, pollen becomes sticky and non-viable. The solution is to ensure you planted in the right season and to choose heat-set varieties.
Can I use my own compost from my yard?
Yes, homemade compost is excellent for amending Florida’s sandy soil. Just ensure it’s fully decomposed and has reached a high temperature during composting to kill any weed seeds or pathogens.
Following this optimal planting season guide for Central Florida sets you up for success. By aligning your gardening with our unique climate patterns, you give your tomato plants the best chance to produce a generous and healthy harvest for you to enjoy.