Growing Tomatoes In Arkansas: Everything You Need To Know

You live in Arkansas and wonder what you have to care about when growing tomatoes in Arkansas regarding climatic conditions, watering behavior, lighting and much more?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you everything you need to know about growing tomatoes in Arkansas in the following chapters.

After reading this article, you will not only be able to grow tomatoes in Arkansas in a profound manner but you will also be able to avoid many mistakes other people make.

Hence, you may be able to grow tomatoes at home much better than your neighbors and your friends may also ask you for advice since you may be able to become a real gardening expert in the long run.

Without further ado, let’s get right into it!

Do tomatoes grow well in Arkansas?

Compared to growing tomatoes in Alaska, since summers in Arkansas are pretty hot and sunny, tomatoes grow really well in Arkansas as long as you know what you are doing and also provide the best growing conditions possible to your plants.

How long does it take to grow tomatoes in Arkansas?

Thanks to good climatic conditions, it will usually take you between three and four months to grow tomatoes in Arkansas from seed to harvest.

However, you can get quicker results by growing tomatoes from seedlings which may only take you around two months.

How big do tomato plants grow in Arkansas?

Since tomato plants in Arkansas have pretty solid climatic conditions, they can grow pretty big in the vertical if you care for them well and you should therefore make sure that each plant has enough space (at least 6 feet in the vertical and 3 feet in the horizontal) so your plants get enough space and sunlight to grow in an optimal manner.

Can you expect great yields when growing tomatoes in Arkansas?

If you care for your plants well and also provide decent soil and lighting conditions, you can expect pretty high tomato yields in Arkansas and may not only use those tomatoes for yourself but may also supply your family and friends with tomatoes so they will often be really grateful for your support.

When to grow tomatoes in Arkansas?

The best time to start growing tomatoes in Arkansas is between March and April if you want to start growing tomatoes outdoors since you should wait with doing so until you no longer expect spring frost.

However, if you want to start growing tomatoes indoors, you can do so in February and can transplant your tomato seedlings in April outdoors.

Can you grow tomatoes in Arkansas in winter?

Since temperatures in Arkansas are pretty low in winter, it is impossible to grow tomatoes outdoors during this period of the year.

However, if you want to use a greenhouse, you can still grow tomatoes in Arkansas in winter as long as you use artificial lighting and make sure your plants get everything they need to grow well.

Can you grow tomatoes in Arkansas multiple times per year?

While the main season for growing tomatoes in Arkansas is during spring and summer, you may still grow tomatoes during fall and winter months if you are able to protect them from the cold using a greenhouse so you may be able to harvest multiple tomato yields per year.

What tomato varieties grow best in Arkansas?

When growing tomatoes in Arkansas, you should choose a variety that does well in hot and humid environments. I listed the most popular tomato varieties to grow in Arkansas for you below:

• Early Girl tomatoes
• Brandywine tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Roma tomatoes
• Celebrity tomatoes
• Grape tomatoes
• Cherokee tomatoes
• Plum Dandy tomatoes
• Zebra tomatoes

Is it better to grow tomatoes in Arkansas from seeds or seedlings?

Since summers in Arkansas are pretty long and you will have many warm months in a normal year, there is no need to start growing tomatoes from seedlings.

As long as you are patient enough, you can just start growing tomatoes from seed and enjoy the full growing cycle.

Should you start growing tomatoes in Arkansas indoors?

If you want to grow tomatoes from seeds early in the year when it is still pretty cold outdoors, you should start growing them indoors and transplant your seedlings outdoors when there is no longer frost in your region.

However, you can also directly grow tomatoes outdoors if you wait until April when there is usually no frost in Arkansas anymore.

How to water tomato plants in Arkansas?

Since it is pretty hot in Arkansas, you should water tomato plants on a regular basis.

While regular usually means once a day in the spring months, it can also mean multiple times during hot summer months when your plants will need lots of water not to dry up.

Do you have to protect tomatoes against the sun in Arkansas?

You usually don’t have to protect tomato plants against the sun in Arkansas as long as you choose a variety that is relatively resistant to the heat and many hours of sunlight, especially when your plants are already big enough to deal with those climatic conditions well.

Will wild animals feed on tomatoes in Arkansas?

Depending on what region in Arkansas you live in, deer, rabbits and many other animals may try feeding on your tomatoes and you may therefore want to install a fence or other protective measures so you don’t lose your precious harvest to those hungry intruders.

Pests & plant diseases on tomato plants in Arkansas

Aphids, thrips and cutworms are just some of the unpleasant pests you may have to deal with when growing tomatoes in Arkansas. You may also have to deal with several plant diseases.

Fortunately, there are many easy ways to get rid of tomato pests and plant diseases.

When to harvest tomatoes in Arkansas?

If you start growing tomatoes between March and April, you will usually be able to harvest your tomatoes between Juli and August depending on the climatic region you live in and also on the growing conditions you provide to your plants.

Additional Information for Growing Tomatoes at Home

I hope you enjoyed my article and got lots of helpful tips and tricks on how to grow tomatoes in Arkansas.

If you want to get even more information on growing tomatoes step-by-step, you should also have a look at my tomato grower’s guide.

Moreover, you may also want to check out my growing tomatoes FAQ section where you will get answers to all questions you might still have regarding growing tomatoes at home in general.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato

Own experience.

About the Author

My name is Andreas and I’m really passionate about our environment and also about growing plants. In fact, I have grown several different plants over many years. I love to see my own plants grow and also always try new things to improve my overall conditions at home.

In my blog posts, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can become successful in growing various different plants and improving your home as well, even though you might still be a beginner right now.