Zone 5: Tomatoes

Well, here's my first post in my new series named Zone 5. What does that name mean you ask? Well, I'm going to be writing about topics specific to my growing zone which is, you guessed it, zone 5.

What's a zone you might ask and why is it important? Well, the USDA splits the US up into zones based on winter low temperatures. Plant breeders and growers test their material to be "hardy" to different zones. So, if you buy a plant that says it's hardy to your zone you have a much better chance of it surviving the winter. Notice I didn't say guarantee, there's no guarantee. You can find your zone here or here.

With that, here's something I've noticed: why do people in zone 5 buy Tomato plants in April? If you check the USDA zone map our last frost is towards the end of May. Guess what, frost KILLS things like tomatoes. Despite that, even if there wasn't a frost, tomato plants won't have noticeable growth until the soil warms up to around 70 degrees. Couple that with the fact that even if the tomato has a flower on it, they won't produce fruit until the air temp is between 70 and 80 degrees.

Moral of the story here: wait until May. Spend your money on perennials or shrubs and get them in the ground. Well, so long as they're hardy in zone 5!