Growing Tomatoes In West Virginia: Everything You Need To Know

You wonder how it is possible to grow great tomato plants in West Virginia and also want to get some tips and tricks in this regard?

Great! This article is for you since I will show you how to grow tomatoes in West Virginia in a proper manner and what mistakes you should avoid to get great tomato yields.

Not only will you learn how to water your plants in West Virginia but you will also get information on what pests you may have to keep away and much more.

At the end of this article, you will also find helpful resources about growing tomatoes at home in general so you may become a real gardening expert in the long run.

Enough talk, let’s give you the information you came for!

Do tomatoes grow well in West Virginia?

Even though climatic conditions for growing tomatoes in West Virginia may not be as great as in some other warmer and sunnier states in the US, they are still pretty decent and you can therefore grow healthy tomato plants pretty easily even if you are still rather new to gardening.

How long does it take to grow tomatoes in West Virginia?

Most people are able to grow tomatoes from seed to harvest between 14 and 18 weeks.

If you want to see results quicker, you may rather want to grow tomatoes from seedlings which may save you up to two months of growing time.

How big do tomato plants grow in West Virginia?

Tomato plants can grow pretty big and if you care well for your plants, they may reach a size up to 10 feet and it may therefore be a good idea not to grow your tomato plants on a balcony but rather use your garden so your plants will have enough space in the vertical.

Can you expect great yields when growing tomatoes in West Virginia?

If you care well for your plants and also follow the advice in this article and my grower’s guides, you can expect pretty solid tomato yields at the end of the growing season and may even be able to supply your family members and friends with delicious tomatoes for a while.

When to grow tomatoes in West Virginia?

Since you should start sowing tomato seeds in spring when you no longer expect frost outdoors, you may want to start growing your tomato gardening project between April and May in most regions of West Virginia.

Can you grow tomatoes in West Virginia in winter?

Growing tomatoes in West Virginia in winter is not a great idea at all since climatic as well as lighting conditions would just not be suitable and you would therefore have to spend lots of money on energy and it would therefore just not be worth it in most cases.

Can you grow tomatoes in West Virginia multiple times per year?

Instead of trying to grow tomato plants at multiple different times per year, you may be better off just focusing on growing them during main season since you would often just get the best results.

What tomato varieties grow best in West Virginia?

When growing tomatoes in West Virginia, you should choose a variety that does well in moderately warm climatic zones. You will find the most popular ones below:

• Celebrity Tomatoes
• Legend Tomatoes
• Grape Tomatoes
• Roma Tomatoes
• San Marzano Tomatoes
• Beefmaster Tomatoes
• Early Girl Tomatoes
• Big Boy Tomatoes
• Beefsteak Tomatoes

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

While both options are perfectly fine, I would prefer growing tomatoes from seeds instead of seedlings since growing tomato plants from seedlings from the store is always a shortcut and you may just not get the full growing experience.

Should you start growing tomatoes in West Virginia indoors?

If you want to see results as early as possible, you may also want to pre-grow tomato seedlings indoors and transplant them outdoors once you no longer expect frost outdoors so you may be able to harvest your tomato plants earlier than most other people in West Virginia.

How to water tomato plants in West Virginia?

While your plants are still young and it is rather cool outdoors, your tomato plants will not need lots of water.

However, once it gets warmer and your plants get bigger, you have to water them on a regular basis so your plants will not dry up and can grow in a proper manner.

Do you have to protect tomatoes against the sun in West Virginia?

Since radiation and heat are rather limited during the early months of the year in most parts of West Virginia, you don’t have to actively protect your plants from the sun but can rather let them grow until they become more resistant to those things once they get bigger anyway.

Will wild animals feed on tomatoes in West Virginia?

Mice, rabbits and deer are just some of the hungry animals that may want to get their share of your tomato plants.

Consequently, it may make sense to keep those animals away by building a scarecrow or installing a fence.

Tomato pests & plant diseases in West Virginia

There are also many pests like aphids, slugs and stink bugs that may try feeding on your tomato plants in West Virginia.

Fortunately, there are simple but still efficient ways how to deter tomato pests and plant diseases.

When to harvest tomatoes in West Virginia?

By sowing tomato seeds between April and May, you will usually be able to harvest your tomato plants in West Virginia between August and September.

Additional Information for Growing Tomatoes at Home

I hope you got lots of useful information from this article.

If you want to learn even more about growing tomatoes from seed to harvest, you should also have a look at my article related to growing tomatoes at home in general.

If you have further specific questions about growing tomatoes at home, you may also want to have a look at my FAQ section for growing tomatoes where you will find answers to most questions people often have when it comes to growing tomatoes in their garden or on their balcony.

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.