Growing Tomatoes In Montana: Everything You Need To Know

You wonder whether it is possible to grow great tomato plants in Montana and also want to get additional tips and tricks on how to do so in the best possible manner?

While growing tomatoes in Montana at home is possible indeed, you should still get some specific information in this regard in this article so you will be able to avoid the most common mistakes many other people make and can get pretty decent yields at the end of the growing cycle.

Moreover, you may also be able to share this useful knowledge with your family members and friends so also your loved ones can have a great growing experience.

You will also find some additional resources for growing tomatoes at home in general at the end of this article so you can become a real expert in the long run.

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

Do tomatoes grow well in Montana?

Since Montana is a rather cool state, you will have a harder time growing tomatoes in Montana compared to people growing tomatoes in California or other warmer regions.

Nevertheless, you can still grow tomato plants in Montana in a proper manner as long as you follow the advice in this article and are also willing to put in some work.

How long does it take to grow tomatoes in Montana?

Due to rather cool climatic conditions and since your tomato plants may not get as much natural sunlight and heat as in many other regions of the US, it may take you between 4 and 5 months to grow tomatoes from seed to harvest depending on the tomato variety you want to grow and on the growing conditions you provide to your plants.

How big do tomato plants grow in Montana?

Even though climatic conditions may not be perfect, your tomato plants can still grow quite big in most parts of Montana if you care well for them and this means you should give them at least 8 feet of space in the vertical so your plants will not be constrained and can get enough space and sunlight to grow in a proper manner.

Can you expect great yields when growing tomatoes in Montana?

While your yields may not be as great as for people growing tomatoes in Georgia or other warmer and sunnier regions, even beginners can still get pretty great tomato harvests in Montana as long as they provide great soil conditions and also give their plants enough space to grow.

When to grow tomatoes in Montana?

Due to pretty long winters, you should not try growing tomatoes in Montana outdoors before May since your plants would just be exposed to frost and would decay sooner or later.

However, one way to start your growing project earlier in the year would be to pre-grow your tomato plants indoors around March and transplant them outdoors later when you no longer expect frost in your region.

Can you grow tomatoes in Montana in winter?

Since winters in Montana are pretty cold, growing tomatoes during this period of the year is not a great idea since you would have to spend lots of money on energy for a heated greenhouse and this will just not be worth it in most cases.

Can you grow tomatoes in Montana multiple times per year?

Since winters are pretty cold and long, it is not a great idea to grow multiple batches of tomato plants per year.

Instead, you should rather focus on one single batch and optimize your growing project as best as possible so you may be able to get the best yields possible.

What tomato varieties grow best in Montana?

When growing tomato plants in Montana, you should choose varieties that get along with cool weather in a proper manner. Those include:

• Husky Tomatoes
• Legend Tomatoes
• Beefmaster Tomatoes
• Grape Tomatoes
• Golden Nugget Tomatoes
• Spring Tomatoes
• Pixie Tomatoes
• Siletz Tomatoes
• Celebrity Tomatoes

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

Since winters are pretty long and the growing season is rather short, it may make sense to grow tomatoes in Montana from seedlings instead of seeds since it would just be much faster and chances are higher that your tomato plants will be ready before the first winter frost of the season arrives.

Should you start growing tomatoes in Montana indoors?

Since it is pretty cold outdoors during spring in most parts of Montana, pre-growing tomato seedlings indoors definitely makes quite a lot of sense and can also be helpful since you can start your tomato growing project already in March, transplant your seedlings outdoors in May and may be able to harvest your tomatoes during summertime.

How to water tomato plants in Montana?

During the early period of the year when tomato plants are still small and climatic conditions are rather cool, you may not have to water your tomato plants often.

However, once it gets hotter and your plants get bigger, you may have to water them far more often and during hot days even daily or multiple times per day so your plants will not dry up and can grow in the best possible manner.

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

Since the sun in Montana is often not really intense during the early months of the year, you will not have to actively protect your tomato plants from the sun and once they get bigger, they will become more resistant to radiation and heat in a completely natural manner anyway.

Will wild animals feed on tomatoes in Montana?

Wild animals like raccoons, deer or rabbits will frequently try to feed on your tomato plants in Montana.

Hence, make sure to keep away those hungry intruders by installing a fence around your plants.

Tomato pests & plant diseases in Montana

You may also have to keep away nematodes, aphids, slugs and many other unpleasant pests when growing tomatoes in Montana.

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

When to harvest tomatoes in Montana?

If you start growing tomato plants from seed outdoors in May, you will usually be able to harvest your tomatoes in Montana between September and October.

However, if you pre-grow your tomato plants indoors around March and transplant them outdoors later on, you may be able to harvest your plants already in August.

Additional Information for Growing Tomatoes at Home

I hope you have enjoyed this article and got lots of helpful information for growing tomatoes in Montana at home.

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

If there are still some questions left, you may also want to have a look at my growing tomatoes FAQ section where you will find answers to the most common questions most people have when it comes to growing tomatoes.

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.