16/10/2026
Ah, the great debate rages on; is it too early to plant tomatoes? A week out from Labour Weekend, and there's still some pretty strong opinions out there π Most of us are pretty 'live and let live' about it, but I do get asked if I should be selling this stuff already, and I've often seen people say we shouldn't be able to sell yet π₯΄
But there's a lot of people still looking for guidance too, so I thought I'd offer a bit on the topic. Better late than never π
So, first up, Labour Weekend has been the traditional time to plant out tomatoes and all that other lovely summer veg. Simply because it's all cold tender stuff, and by Labour Weekend we should be past the chance of frosts, and the ground temp should be warm enough not to stunt growth. Its also a very handy long weekend! So, fantastic, a great time to get planting with very little risk of losing your cold sensitive plants.
But that doesn't mean you can't safely plant outside before Labour Weekend! My first tomatoes went in over a month ago. I have twelve planted now, capsicums, chillis, eggplants and beans, too. I'm lucky to have a decent area that just does not catch a frost.
However, even if I didn't have this safe little cosy haven, I'd still be planting tomatoes as soon as they arrived in store. First and foremost, because I personally need to ride that wave of excited motivation, or I'm at risk of leaving it too late. Last year I planted two tomatoes on arrival, and didn't get around to planting anymore until far too late. First two were brilliant and carried the season. The others I was lucky to get a couple of fruit off π
Second reason I like to plant early, I like the headstart π€·ββοΈ I know my planted toms aren't much bigger than some of the ones you can find in store, but these guys have had a good month to bed in and establish their roots; the powerhouse. If a tomato plant was a rugby team, the root system is the forward pack. Big and strong please πͺ
I think there has been two frosts since I planted my first toms this year. Had I needed to cover 'em, I would've whipped out and thrown a box or something similar over each. And yeah, sometimes we (the early planters) get caught out too, but I guess that's a risk we're willing to take.
I'm not trying to convince anyone to get on the plant early boat, that ship has sailed, for this season at least π this is more like different things work for different people. But hey, tomato time!!!
