Growing Tomatoes In Michigan: Everything You Need To Know

You want to know whether you can grow great tomato plants in Michigan and also want to get some specific information on what you have to account for if you want to see the best results possible?

Great! This article is for you since I will show you everything you need to know about growing tomatoes in Michigan in the following chapters.

Not only will you learn how to water your tomato plants in Michigan but we will also talk about when to sow the seed, how to protect your tomato plants from pests and much more.

After reading this article, you will be much better able to grow tomatoes in Michigan in a proper manner and may also be able to avoid some common mistakes in this regard.

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

Do tomatoes grow well in Michigan?

While you can grow tomatoes in Michigan in a decent manner if you care well for your plants, you may still have a harder time compared to people growing tomatoes in Georgia or other warmer regions where climatic conditions would just be even better in this regard.

How long does it take to grow tomatoes in Michigan?

It takes most people between 13 and 18 weeks to grow tomatoes from seed to harvest in most parts of Michigan.

However, please note that this greatly depends on the tomato variety you want to grow and also on your individual skill level and you should therefore not get discouraged in case it might take you a little bit longer.

How big do tomato plants grow in Michigan?

Although climatic conditions out there may not be perfect, tomato plants in Michigan can still grow quite big in the vertical and you should therefore provide them with lots of space so your plants can grow in a natural manner and deliver solid results.

Can you expect great yields when growing tomatoes in Michigan?

If you follow the tips and tricks in this article and my grower’s guides, you will likely see pretty decent yields at the end of the growing cycle even if you are not a real expert in gardening yet.

When to grow tomatoes in Michigan?

The best time to start growing tomatoes in Michigan is between April and May when you no longer expect spring frost outdoors anymore.

However, you could also start growing tomatoes indoors, raise seeds to a healthy size and transplant those seedlings later on when it is warmer outdoors so you may be able to harvest your plants earlier compared to the standard process where you would grow tomatoes from seed to harvest entirely outdoors.

Can you grow tomatoes in Michigan in winter?

Growing tomatoes in Michigan winter is not a great idea at all since it would be pretty cold and frosty outdoors and your plants would just decay unless you use a heated greenhouse with artificial lighting.

Even in such a case, you would have to spend lots of money on energy and your results would likely not be as great compared to growing tomatoes outdoors during the main season in summer.

Can you grow tomatoes in Michigan multiple times per year?

Since you will have to deal with pretty long winters in many parts of Michigan and the growing season is rather short, it is not a great idea to grow multiple batches of tomato plants at different times of the year but you may rather want to focus on just one main single yield and do everything to make it a real success by focusing your power on this one main project.

What tomato varieties grow best in Michigan?

If you want to grow tomatoes in Michigan, you should use a tomato variety that is well-adapted to cool weather. Those include:

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

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

Due to pretty long winters, it may be better to grow tomatoes from seedlings instead of seeds in Michigan since you would have a much higher chance that your tomato plants would be ready to harvest before the first winter frost arrives.

Should you start growing tomatoes in Michigan indoors?

If you still want to grow tomatoes in Michigan from seed, you should consider sowing seeds indoors in spring and transplanting tomato seedlings outdoors in May so you may get a head start and may be able to harvest your plants in late summer so you may not have to worry about winter frost arriving too early compared to people growing tomatoes directly outdoors from seed.

How to water tomato plants in Michigan?

While your tomato plants will not need lots of water while they are still young and climatic conditions are rather cool during spring, things change when we get to summer season when it will be much warmer outdoors and your plants will be much bigger and may need water on a daily basis.

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

There is no need to actively protect your tomato plants from the sun in Michigan.

As long as you provide them with a sunny spot and a little bit of shade, your tomato plants will grow perfectly fine and as soon as they become bigger, they will also become more resistant to radiation and heat in a natural manner.

Will wild animals feed on tomatoes in Michigan?

Many people in Michigan complain that groundhogs, voles and other hungry intruders try to feed on their tomato plants.

Consequently, it might be a good idea to install a fence or take other appropriate measures to keep away those folks.

Tomato pests & plant diseases in Michigan

Aphids, nematodes and slugs are just some of the annoying pests you may have to deal with when growing tomato plants in Michigan.

Fortunately, there are easy ways how to treat tomato pests and plant diseases.

When to harvest tomatoes in Michigan?

Most people who start growing tomatoes in Michigan from seed in May outdoors will be able to harvest their tomato plants between September and October.

If you want to see results quicker, you may pre-grow your tomato plants indoors or you may rather want to rely on seedlings from the store.

Additional Information for Growing Tomatoes at Home

Now that you got lots of specific information on how to grow tomatoes in Michigan, you may also want to get some additional information on how to grow tomatoes at home in general.

You will also find additional information in my growing tomatoes FAQ section where I answer the most common questions about growing tomatoes most people out there have.

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.