Ohio is a stellar state to grow tomatoes in, with the right knowledge and planning. The variable climate includes hot and humid summers and cold winters. The state gets a lot of rain making it prime for tomatoes. The heat and humidity can be excessive to the point that measures should be taken to ensure the tomato’s health.
Tomatoes in Ohio’s Climate
Ohio has a humid continental climate with four distinct seasons. Summers are generally warm and humid, while winters are cold with significant snowfall in some regions. Spring and fall are transitional seasons with moderate temperatures and frequent precipitation.
The climate in Ohio can have both positive and negative impacts on tomato growth. The hot and humid summers can be beneficial for promoting plant growth and fruit development. However, high humidity levels can also lead to issues with fungal diseases such as blight. Make sure to space your plants out in an area with a gentle breeze.
The cold winters and occasional frosts can damage tomato plants, but using protective measures such as mulch and row covers can help mitigate the effects of cold weather. With humidity comes pest and fungal infections, make sure to inspect your plants often and use an organic fungicide. Overall, with proper care and attention, it is possible to have a bountiful tomato harvest in Ohio despite the variable climate.
When to start tomatoes indoors in Ohio
If you want to get an early start on cultivating tomatoes, begin growing the seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the final spring frost in your area, regardless of the tomato variety you’re growing. The dates you should aim to start your tomato seeds indoors by hardiness zone are:
Additional Resource: Find Your Ohio Hardiness Zone
You may want to get them going even earlier than that and plant them in a large pot ahead of producing them outdoors, just to give them even more of a head start. To start tomato seeds indoors:
- Select a planting container. Choose a container at least 6-8 inches deep, with holes in the bottom for drainage.
- Fill with a seed starter potting soil.
- Plant 2-3 tomato seeds ⅛ inch deep in the soil and cover.
- Water the soil until it is moist but not soggy.
- Place the container in a warm, sunny spot indoors and keep the soil moist.
- When the seedlings reach 2-3 inches tall, thin them out so there is only one seedling per container.
Tomato varieties that do well in Ohio
Growing early-harvest tomatoes is essential in Ohio, due to the shortened growing season. Some varieties of tomatoes are ready to harvest in under 60 days, which is ideal in the short growing season of Ohio. I recommend one of the following varieties:
- ‘Aunt Gertie’s Gold’ Tomato – 75-80 Days to Harvest
- ‘Sun Gold’ Tomato – 55 Days to Harvest
- ‘Opalka’ Tomato – 90 Days to Harvest
- ‘Stupice’ Tomato – 52 Days to Harvest
- ‘Fourth of July’ Tomato – 49 Days to Harvest
- ‘Sweet Million’ Tomato – 45 Days to Harvest
- ‘Oregon Spring’ Tomato – 50 Days to Harvest
- ‘Celebrity’ Tomato – 70 Days to Harvest
- ‘Yellow Pear’ Tomato – 60 Days to Harvest
- ‘Gardener’s Delight Tomato – 52 Days to Harvests
Hardening off your tomatoes
Hardening off tomatoes that you’ve started indoors before planting outdoors is essential to ensure they can thrive in the outdoor environment. When tomatoes are started indoors, they become accustomed to the warm and more stable environment. When planted outdoors, they are exposed to more extreme temperatures, wind, and sun. Hardening off tomatoes helps them slowly adjust to their new environment by exposing them to these elements for an extended period.
The process of hardening off tomatoes begins by slowly introducing them to the outdoors. Start by placing them in a sheltered spot, such as a porch or a partially shaded area, for a few hours each day. Over a week, gradually increase the amount of time they are kept outdoors and the amount of sun they are exposed to. After a week of hardening off, the tomatoes should be ready to move to their final outdoor planting location.
When to plant tomatoes in Ohio
It’s generally safe to plant tomatoes outdoors when there is no risk of frost or freezing temperatures. In most climates, this means waiting until at least late spring or early summer. In Ohio, your final freeze date by hardiness zone will typically be:
Additional Resource: Find Your Ohio Hardiness Zone
When to harvest tomatoes in Ohio
When tomatoes have turned a deep red (or the ripe color of their particular variety) and have no green spots visible, they are ripe and ready to be picked. If there are still green patches on the tomato, it has not yet ripened and should remain on the vine. The ideal way to pick ripe tomatoes is to cup the tomato in your hand and give it a gentle twist- it should come off the vine with ease. When in doubt, you can leave it on the vine an extra couple of days, or harvest the entire branch of tomatoes and allow it to ripen on the vine on your window sill.
