Planting ahead of time question

[Mram0824]

Hi,

I am new to planting but I was wondering can we plant a month ahead of time tomato seeds outside so by the time when its time to put them in beds they have grown enough is this a good or bad idea?

 

[dickiebird]

Depending on you location it's probably OK to plant your seeds ahead of time.
When I used to start my own plants I would start my seeds, indoors about 3 mos. before I planned on planting in the garden. This gave me a pretty good size plant to transplant into the garden.

THANX RICH

 

[Mram0824]

I am in Houston, Texas thank you for the response.

 

[dickiebird]

For sure you can plant any seeds you want now.

THANX RICH

 

[flowerbug]

with tomatoes you can plant them in pots some time before having to set them out since they will root from any buried stems it can actually even help them do better in your climate with it getting pretty hot it will give them more root system to support the top of the plant. the hard parts with hot weather tomato growing is keeping the plants alive (you might need some shade) and setting fruits, and of course some bugs can be pests (pick off those that you can find). any varieties you can find which are more heat tolerant will also help.

up here in the north, we just set our plants out this past week and got them planted. normally they do pretty well, but there may be times when it gets hot and the plants are not setting much fruit. while it may not be the best treatment of the plants in terms of disease i hose them down enough to cool them off and some will set enough fruits.

we normally grow a certain kind of beefsteak tomato as our main crop because they have done well enough for us, but the past few years the greenhouse guy has been getting different kinds and so we are having to try new ones. we'll see how this year goes...

 

[Ridgerunner]

You are on the Gulf Coast much as I am. Down here tomatoes are pretty much two season veggies, Spring and Fall. Tomatoes typically don't set fruit when the nights stay really hot, like ours do in Summer. So you either plant them really early or late for an early summer or late fall crop.

I looked in my Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide I got from the Louisiana Extension Service (available for free online). Your climate is really close to mine. It gives the month of June as a good time to start tomato seeds for that fall crop. I'd probably wait a week or so to start them, get well into June.

https://www.lsuagcenter.com/~/media/system/d/e/3/e/de3e7516e68dfee4a21a84b38caa4df8/pub1980%20vegetable%20planting%20guide%20rev%2001%2017pdf.pdf

You can start them inside where it is climate controlled or outside where you are subject to the weather. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Indoors you need a lot of light, a way to water them and care for them that does not make a mess in your house, pets and small kids might be a hazard. Outside you have the weather to contend with. Heat, wind, and rain or lack thereof. They may drown in our torrential downpours but they don't like drying out either. By now, bug and other pests populations are growing, pretty well established. I'm not saying don't try it, just mentioning what challenges you might see. It may sound overwhelming but people do it all the time.

Good luck!

 

[Mram0824]

Thank you for the response really helped. I’ve never done the lighting indoors I feel nervous about trying lamps.

You are on the Gulf Coast much as I am. Down here tomatoes are pretty much two season veggies, Spring and Fall. Tomatoes typically don't set fruit when the nights stay really hot, like ours do in Summer. So you either plant them really early or late for an early summer or late fall crop.

I looked in my Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide I got from the Louisiana Extension Service (available for free online). Your climate is really close to mine. It gives the month of June as a good time to start tomato seeds for that fall crop. I'd probably wait a week or so to start them, get well into June.

https://www.lsuagcenter.com/~/media/system/d/e/3/e/de3e7516e68dfee4a21a84b38caa4df8/pub1980%20vegetable%20planting%20guide%20rev%2001%2017pdf.pdf

You can start them inside where it is climate controlled or outside where you are subject to the weather. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Indoors you need a lot of light, a way to water them and care for them that does not make a mess in your house, pets and small kids might be a hazard. Outside you have the weather to contend with. Heat, wind, and rain or lack thereof. They may drown in our torrential downpours but they don't like drying out either. By now, bug and other pests populations are growing, pretty well established. I'm not saying don't try it, just mentioning what challenges you might see. It may sound overwhelming but people do it all the time.

Good luck!

 

[Mram0824]

Thank you for the response really helpful I was nervous to try but I will try it see what happens.

with tomatoes you can plant them in pots some time before having to set them out since they will root from any buried stems it can actually even help them do better in your climate with it getting pretty hot it will give them more root system to support the top of the plant. the hard parts with hot weather tomato growing is keeping the plants alive (you might need some shade) and setting fruits, and of course some bugs can be pests (pick off those that you can find). any varieties you can find which are more heat tolerant will also help.

up here in the north, we just set our plants out this past week and got them planted. normally they do pretty well, but there may be times when it gets hot and the plants are not setting much fruit. while it may not be the best treatment of the plants in terms of disease i hose them down enough to cool them off and some will set enough fruits.

we normally grow a certain kind of beefsteak tomato as our main crop because they have done well enough for us, but the past few years the greenhouse guy has been getting different kinds and so we are having to try new ones. we'll see how this year goes...

 

[flowerbug]

one thing about being a new gardener, plenty to learn! it's ok, we all had to start somewhere...

 

[ducks4you]

@Mram0824 , you should put your location with your avatar. We do this so that when you post we know where you live. Probably won't remember otherwise.
Although it might be a little bit late to start your tomato seeds, WE have had a chilly and wet spring, so everything is late. I started Romas yesterday in my basement with an LED gro light.
Start your seeds this weekend.
Give them warmth and light indoors.
UP pot them once to let them grow before putting them outside. You want a really good root system so that your tomato plants won't dry out and die in your garden.
Transplant when the stems are at least 1/4 inch in diameter.
Bury them up to their top leaves. The lower leaves will grow into roots.
Mulch them Heavily--save grass clippings bc they work and everybody has them.
Locate, buy, get covers for them ahead of the Fall. You will have a frost before you get a lot of fruit, but row covers, etc. will extend your growing season.