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While tomatoes are more cold-hardy than squash and peppers, their health can be severely damaged by the cold nights (and sometimes days!) of a Pacific Northwest spring. Without protection, they should not be planted outdoors until night temperatures stay about 50 degrees. However, you can plant your tomatoes earlier in the spring if you offer them protection from the cold. This gives them the extra time they need to mature and produce fruit in our short Northwest summers.
We recommend protecting your tomato with an insulated plant protector, a blue plastic “tent” of sorts. Fill the tubes of the Season Starter with water, which warms during the day and insulates the plant at night. Once the weather warms and nights stay in the mid-50s, you can gently roll down the starter, releasing the water. It can stay rolled up at the base of the tomato plant all season.
Myth: Tomatoes don’t need any support
A tomato plant needs support as it grows and especially when its branches are carrying loads of heavy tomatoes! A sturdy cage will protect the branches and keep them from breaking. It’s best to put the cage over the tomato plant when it is young. Otherwise, you risk damaging the leaves and branches. Slide the cage into the soil and inside the Season Starter.
Voilà! You now have happy tomato plants ready to provide a bumper crop of delicious home-grown tomatoes!
Learn more about caring for tomatoes and other warm-season vegetables.
Blog updated for 2024!
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Aimée Damman
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