Growing Tomatoes In Massachusetts: Everything You Need To Know

You want to know whether it is possible to grow tomatoes in Massachusetts in your garden or on your balcony in a proper manner?

Of course it is! However, you still need some details on certain topics that allow you to adapt your decisions to specific climatic conditions, pest exposure and many other things.

After reading this article, you will have a much better idea of how to grow tomatoes in Massachusetts in the best possible manner and can also avoid many mistakes other people make.

Moreover, you may also be able to give some useful information in this regard to your loved ones.

At the end of this article, you will also find some additional resources on how to grow tomatoes in general so you may become a real expert in this field.

Enough talk, let’s get to why you came here!

Do tomatoes grow well in Massachusetts?

Since Massachusetts provides rather cool climatic conditions, growing tomatoes in Massachusetts is not as easy as for people growing tomatoes in Arizona or other much warmer regions.

However, you can still grow decent tomato plants in Massachusetts as long as you care well for your plants and are also willing to do some extra work.

How long does it take to grow tomatoes in Massachusetts?

It usually takes most people between 14 and 18 weeks to grow tomatoes in Massachusetts from seed to harvest.

However, it may also take you longer depending on the tomato variety you want to grow and also on your individual skill level and climatic conditions in the respective year.

How big do tomato plants grow in Massachusetts?

Even though climatic conditions may not be optimal to grow tomatoes in Massachusetts, you should still know that your plants can get quite big and you should give them at least 7 feet in the vertical so your plants will not be space-constraint and can produce crops in an optimal manner.

Can you expect great yields when growing tomatoes in Massachusetts?

While you may not get the same great yields compared to people growing tomatoes in California or other warmer regions, you may still get pretty decent results even as a beginner as long as you follow the advice and also have a look at additional resources at the end of this article.

When to grow tomatoes in Massachusetts?

When growing tomatoes in Massachusetts outdoors, you should wait with it until you no longer expect spring frost in your region which is usually around May.

If you want to start growing your tomato plants earlier, you may rather want to pre-grow them indoors and transplant them outdoors once it gets warmer outdoors.

Can you grow tomatoes in Massachusetts in winter?

Since winters in Massachusetts can be pretty cold, it is not a great idea to grow tomatoes in Massachusetts in winter unless you have a solid heated greenhouse with plenty of artificial lighting and are also willing to spend lots of money on energy.

Can you grow tomatoes in Massachusetts multiple times per year?

Since winters in Massachusetts are rather long and also arrive relatively early, you may rather want to focus on one main tomato harvest per year instead of trying to grow multiple batches of tomatoes.

What tomato varieties grow best in Massachusetts?

When growing tomatoes in Massachusetts, you should choose varieties that can deal with cool climatic conditions in a proper manner. Those include:

• Glacier Tomatoes
• Manitoba Tomatoes
• Golden Nugget Tomatoes
• Husky Tomatoes
• Grape Tomatoes
• Legend Tomatoes
• Early Girl Tomatoes
• Zebra Tomatoes
• Siletz Tomatoes

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

Since winters can be pretty long and your tomato plants may not get ready to harvest before frost arrives in fall if you grow tomatoes from seed in Massachusetts, you may be better off relying on seedlings instead.

Should you start growing tomatoes in Massachusetts indoors?

If you really want to start growing tomatoes from seeds, you may want to start sowing your seeds indoors around March or April and transplant your tomato seedlings outdoors after one or two months when it will be warm enough outdoors.

How to water tomato plants in Massachusetts?

Even though you may not have to water your tomato plants more than a few times per week while they are still young and it is rather cool and rainy outdoors, times change and during hot summer days when your plants will already be quite big, you may have to water your plants once a day or even multiple times per day.

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

Since radiation and heat are often rather limited in the early months of the year in most parts of Massachusetts, you also don’t have to actively protect your tomato plants from the sun and can rather let them grow since your plants will become more resistant once they get bigger anyway.

Will wild animals feed on tomatoes in Massachusetts?

Rabbits, deer or groundhogs will just be some of the wild animals that may cause a problem for your tomato plants in Massachusetts and you may therefore want to install a fence or take some other measures to keep away those hungry intruders from your plants.

Tomato pests & plant diseases in Massachusetts

You should also know that aphids, nematodes and many other pests may try to get their share of your tomato plants and harvest.

Consequently, make sure to get some information on how to treat tomato pests and plant diseases so you can control those pests in a proper manner.

When to harvest tomatoes in Massachusetts?

When starting to grow tomatoes outdoors around May from seed, you will usually be able to harvest your plants between September and October.

However, by pre-growing tomato seedlings indoors, you may be able to harvest the first tomatoes already in August.

Additional Information for Growing Tomatoes at Home

I hope you got lots of helpful information out of this article so you will be able to grow tomatoes in Massachusetts at home in a perfectly fine manner.

If you also want to get better at growing tomatoes at home in general, you should also check out my tomato grower’s guide.

Moreover, you may also want to have a look at my growing tomatoes FAQ section where you will get answers to many questions that often come up in the tomato growing process.

Sources

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

Own research.

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.