Growing tomatoes in zone 7 can be a challenging endeavor but can easily be accomplished with the right preparation. Zone 7’s climate can be unpredictable, with occasional late frosts in the spring and early frosts in the fall, which can damage or kill tomato plants. The summers in zone 7 are often hot, which is good to a certain extent but can cause certain tomato diseases such as blight and wilt to spread rapidly. Despite these challenges, growing tomatoes in zone 7 can be rewarding with proper care and planning.
USDA Hardiness Zone 7 Climate
USDA hardiness zone 7 covers a range of areas in the United States with an average minimum temperature range of 0 to 10°F (-18 to -12°C). The climate in this zone is typically characterized by hot summers and cool winters, with occasional temperature fluctuations.
Tomatoes require warm weather to grow and produce fruit, which can be a challenge in areas of zone 7 that experience occasional late frosts in the spring and early frosts in the fall. These frosts can damage or kill tomato plants, so it’s important to plant them at the right time and protect them with row covers or other methods. Even consistently cool or cloudy days can seriously stunt your crop’s growth.
When to start tomatoes indoors in zone 7
If you want to get an early start on cultivating tomatoes, begin growing the seeds indoors 4-6 weeks prior to the final spring frost in your area, regardless of the tomato variety you’re growing. In zone 1, you’ll want to start your tomato plants indoors around February 20th.
You may want to get them going even earlier than that and plant them in a large pot ahead of planting them outdoors, just to give them even more of a head start. To start tomato seeds indoors:
- Select a planting container. Choose a container that is 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 zone 7
Growing early-harvest tomatoes is essential in zone 7, 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 zone 7. I recommend one of the following varieties:
- ‘Aunt Gertie’s Gold’ Tomato – 75-80 Days to Harvest
- ‘Heidi’ Tomato – 90 Days to Harvest
- ‘Opalka’ Tomato – 90 Days to Harvest
- ‘Martino’s Roma’ Tomato – 70-80 Days to Harvest
- ‘Cherokee Purple’ Tomato – 80 Days to Harvest
- ‘Brandywine’ Tomato – 80-100 Days to Harvest
- ‘Tidwell German’ Tomato – 80 Days to Harvest
- ‘Celebrity’ Tomato – 70 Days to Harvest
- ‘Chapman’ Tomato – 80 Days to Harvest
- ‘Gardener’s Delight’ Tomato – 65 Days to Harvests
Hardening off your tomatoes
Hardening off tomatoes that you’ve started indoors before planting outdoors is important to ensure they are able to 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 of time.
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 the course of 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 zone 7
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 zone 7, your final freeze date is around April 3rd, but be mindful of your weather forecast. If it seems like you’re in for a late freeze, wait to plant your tomatoes!
When to harvest tomatoes in zone 7
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.
