Up next in 10
When to Start Tomato Seeds Indoors in Zone 4
4K views
Jan 9, 2025
This guide focuses on successfully growing tomatoes in USDA Hardiness Zone 4, characterized by short growing seasons and cold winters. It details the crucial process of starting tomato seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost, emphasizing proper timing, choosing appropriate varieties, and providing optimal care for seedlings. The guide covers transplanting, ongoing plant care including fertilization and pest control, and techniques for extending the harvest. Ultimately, it aims to equip Zone 4 gardeners with the knowledge to cultivate a thriving tomato crop. https://leafylegends.com/when-to-start-tomato-seeds-indoors-zone-4/
View Video Transcript
0:00
all right buckle up folks we're diving
0:01
deep into something pretty awesome today
0:04
growing tomatoes in zone 4 yeah we're
0:06
talking about those
0:08
delicious juicy homegrown Tomatoes but
0:10
in a climate that's well less than ideal
0:14
I mean zone four right it's practically
0:16
a test of your gardening grit oh
0:17
absolutely short growing season some
0:19
seriously chilly Winters but hey that's
0:23
why we've got this deep dive folks we've
0:25
got a guide all about Zone 4 tomato care
0:27
ready to help you succeed that's right
0:29
and we'll walk you through exactly what
0:31
you need to know so first let's talk
0:33
about what makes Zone 4 so tricky for
0:35
tomatoes yeah like what's the big deal
0:37
well you know how Tomatoes just love
0:38
those long and warm sunny days and that
0:41
nice warm soil yeah it's like they're on
0:43
vacation exactly but zone four it's not
0:47
exactly a trophical paradise is it I
0:49
mean we're talking about average minimum
0:51
temperatures that can drop down to NE 20
0:53
even3 de fhe BR that's cold yeah it is
0:58
and then on top of that the growing SE
1:00
season it's super short right like how
1:02
short are we talking well it depends a
1:04
bit on exactly where you are but yeah
1:06
we're looking at a window of maybe 90 to
1:09
120 days not a whole lot of time to get
1:11
those Tomatoes going nope not at all
1:13
that means that timing is absolutely
1:15
crucial here so it's like a race against
1:17
the frost huh oh yeah you got to get a
1:19
jump start on things if you want those
1:21
tomatoes to have any chance to actually
1:22
produce fruit before the cold sits in
1:24
okay so that means we're starting these
1:26
babies indoors way before that last
1:29
frost date you got it and our guide it
1:31
really stresses that you know starting
1:33
those seeds about 6 to 8 weeks before
1:35
that last frost date hits which in zone
1:38
4 it usually Falls somewhere between May
1:41
15th and May 30th yeah about me delete
1:43
may but you always want to double check
1:46
you know those specific Frost dates for
1:48
your location because microclimates they
1:51
can really mess things up oh for sure
1:52
it's not just tossing some seeds in a
1:54
pot and crossing your fingers right we
1:56
got to create that perfect little tomato
1:58
Nursery inside absolutely remember those
2:00
tropical tourists we were talking about
2:02
well a heat mat that's going to be your
2:03
best friend for Zone 4 oh yeah that
2:06
makes sense it's all about mimicking
2:08
that warm soil that the tomatoes love
2:10
helps those seeds sprout quickly and
2:12
those seedlings they'll grow strong even
2:14
when it's freezing outside the little
2:16
taste of the tropics right there on your
2:17
window sill exactly and then once those
2:19
seedlings are up and growing it's time
2:21
to think about choosing the right
2:23
varieties cuz you know not all tomato
2:26
plants are the same especially in zone
2:27
four right right so how do we pick the
2:30
best ones for this uh challenging
2:32
climate the key here is to look for what
2:35
are called early producers early
2:36
producers which means they mature
2:38
quickly shorter time from seed to fruit
2:40
so speed demons of the Tomato world yeah
2:43
exactly we're talking about varieties
2:45
that can actually produce ripe tomatoes
2:47
in just like 50 to 70 days after you
2:50
transplant them wow okay so any
2:53
favorites what are your go-tos Early
2:55
Girl That's a classic for Zone 4 and it
2:58
totally lives up to its name ready to
3:00
harvest in about 50 days 50 days wow
3:02
that's pretty impressive it is if you
3:05
want something maybe a little larger
3:07
celebrity that's another really reliable
3:09
option matures at about 70 days okay so
3:12
celebrity for size got it and then for
3:15
those of us who love to make our own
3:16
sauces Roma tomatoes they're a go-to and
3:19
they come in right around 75 days those
3:21
are great options I've got to add one
3:23
though Sun gold cherry tomatoes oh
3:26
they're just bursting with sweetness and
3:29
they ripen into just 55 days excellent
3:31
choice and those are perfect for
3:33
snacking right off the vine now once
3:35
you've got those seedlings strong and
3:37
healthy got to think about the big move
3:39
transplanting them Outdoors but before
3:42
you run out there with your TR there's
3:43
something super important to keep in
3:45
mind soil temperature you got it
3:47
Tomatoes they're really sensitive to
3:49
cold soil oh yeah they're very picky
3:52
about that we need to be absolutely sure
3:53
that ground has warmed up enough I mean
3:56
enough before we even think about
3:57
putting those tender little seedlings
3:59
out there all right so what's the magic
4:00
number how warm does it have to be at
4:02
least 55° F consistently and I mean
4:05
consistently it can't just be a 1-day
4:07
fluke so make sure that all danger of
4:10
frost is long gone so realistically
4:13
we're probably talking what late May or
4:15
even early June for most of Zone 4 yeah
4:18
probably and while you're waiting for
4:20
that soil to warm up start planning
4:22
where those tomato plants are going to
4:23
go location is key okay so location
4:26
location location what are we looking
4:27
for here what's the ideal tomato Haven
4:30
well just like those sun-loving tourists
4:32
we talked about tomatoes need sunshine
4:34
lots of it choose a spot that gets at
4:37
least like 6 to8 hours of direct
4:39
sunlight every day the sunniest spot in
4:41
your garden got it exactly but don't
4:43
forget about drainage drainage okay
4:45
because tomatoes they hate soggy Roots
4:48
make sure that soil is nice and well
4:50
drained and you can improve drainage by
4:52
adding some compost or well rotted
4:54
manure oh yeah compost and manure it's
4:55
like a gourmet meal for your tomato
4:57
plants they love it all that rich
4:59
organic matter it helps retain moisture
5:02
and also gives them all those essential
5:03
nutrients okay so now planting technique
5:07
is there like a special way to put these
5:11
seedlings into the ground absolutely
5:14
here's a pro tip that might surprise you
5:16
you're going to plant those tomato
5:17
seedlings deeper than they were in their
5:20
pots bury the stem up to the first set
5:23
of leaves wait bury the stem that sounds
5:26
kind of counterintuitive why would we do
5:28
that it might seem a little but trust me
5:30
it works wonders burying that stem it
5:33
encourages the plant to grow a much
5:34
stronger root system so it's like we're
5:36
giving those roots ahe start right by
5:38
planting them deeper exactly and strong
5:40
roots mean they can access more
5:42
nutrients in water which leads to more
5:44
Tomatoes I'm starting to get it speaking
5:46
of giving those tomato plants a helping
5:48
hand though there's one more step before
5:50
they're ready for the wild world of Zone
5:52
4 hardening off hardening off right yeah
5:55
it's basically boot camp for your tomato
5:56
seedlings boot camp okay we have to get
5:58
them used to the Outdoors gradually you
6:00
know the wind the Sun the temperature
6:02
changes all that stuff otherwise they
6:04
might go into shock when you transplant
6:06
them it's like a little taste of the
6:08
real world before we unleash them fully
6:10
exactly it's a nice gentle process that
6:12
helps prevent what we call transplant
6:14
shock and makes a transition to the
6:17
outdoors much smoother okay so walk us
6:19
through this tomato boot camp how do we
6:21
do it right all right so you start by
6:23
just putting those seedlings outside in
6:24
a kind of sheltered spot for like an
6:27
hour or two each day gradually increase
6:29
that exposure over a week or two and you
6:31
want to avoid direct sunlight and strong
6:34
winds at first always bring them back
6:36
inside at night then slowly introduce
6:38
them to more sun and a bit of wind each
6:41
day a slow and steady introduction to
6:43
zone four life huh exactly and once
6:46
those tomato seedlings have graduated
6:48
from boot camp they'll be ready for
6:49
whatever zone four throws at them but of
6:52
course even the toughest tomato plants
6:54
they still need a little TLC to really
6:56
Thrive right we can't just plant them
6:58
and forget about them we need to give
7:00
them the right care to help them reach
7:01
their full tomato potential so what are
7:04
the essential care tips for keeping
7:06
those zone four tomato plants happy and
7:08
productive well we could talk about that
7:10
right now but I think we should take a
7:11
quick break and come back refreshed and
7:14
ready to dive into the world of watering
7:17
fertilizing and all that good stuff okay
7:19
so our tomato seedlings they've been
7:21
through boot camp they're hardened off
7:23
they're officially zon four ready they
7:25
are ready to rock but the Journey's not
7:27
over right no no no it's just beginning
7:29
you got to make sure they have
7:30
everything they need to actually thrive
7:33
in this crazy climate absolutely so what
7:35
are the key care tips here what's going
7:37
to make or break our tomato success well
7:41
just like us you know tomato plants they
7:43
need water of course but in zone four
7:45
it's not just about keeping them
7:47
hydrated it's about finding that balance
7:49
right yeah yeah that sweet spot where
7:51
the soil is consistently moist but not
7:53
too soggy okay so no soggy bottoms for
7:56
our Tomatoes but how do we actually
7:58
achieve that especially in zone 4 the
8:01
weather can be so unpredictable yeah the
8:03
trick is deep watering deep watering
8:05
okay and you do it less often so aim for
8:08
like one or two good deep soakings every
8:12
week rather than frequent shallow
8:14
watering okay so we're giving those
8:16
roots a good long drink exactly and
8:18
here's a pro tip water at the base of
8:21
the plant try to avoid getting those
8:23
leaves wet oh yeah wet leaves that's bad
8:26
news right yeah wet leaves that's an
8:27
invitation for all kinds of fungal dis
8:29
diseases we don't want any uninvited
8:31
guests crashing Our tomato party no we
8:33
do not okay so deep watering keep those
8:36
leaves
8:37
dry got it now let's talk about feeding
8:40
our plants how do we give them all the
8:42
nutrients they need to actually produce
8:45
those amazing juicy fruits well think
8:47
about it like this once those tomato
8:49
plants start flowering it's like they
8:51
hit the gym they start pumping iron huh
8:53
exactly they need a boost of energy to
8:55
build those fruits and that's where
8:57
fertilizer comes in okay so we're giving
8:59
them them what a protein shake for Peak
9:01
Performance yeah something like that a
9:03
balanced fertilizer is always a good
9:05
option but you can give them an extra
9:07
edge with one that's a bit higher in
9:09
phosphorus and potassium those are the
9:11
nutrients that are really key for fruit
9:12
development and just overall plant
9:14
Health it's like targeted nutrition for
9:17
tomatoes yeah exactly and another Pro
9:19
tip when you apply that fertilizer
9:22
sprinkle it around the plant a few
9:24
inches away from the stem and then
9:26
gently work it into the soil okay so
9:28
we're feeding the soil not the plant
9:30
directly right we don't want to burn
9:31
those delicate little Roots makes sense
9:34
all right let's move on to pruning I
9:36
know this is a topic that can be a
9:37
little intimidating for some gardeners
9:39
but it's really important right
9:41
especially in zone four oh it's super
9:43
important pruning isn't about being mean
9:45
to your plants it's about helping them
9:47
Focus their energy on what really
9:49
matters producing those delicious
9:52
tomatoes and zone four where the growing
9:54
season is so short you know we need to
9:57
be extra strategic so it's about Max
9:59
imizing that growth potential making
10:01
those plants work smarter not harder
10:03
that's a great way to put it but where
10:05
do we even start what parts of the plant
10:06
do we PR okay so for indeterminate
10:09
tomato varieties the ones that just keep
10:11
growing and producing Al's along you're
10:13
going to want to pay attention to those
10:15
suckers suckers now that sounds ominous
10:18
I know right they sound like little
10:19
tomato vampires sucking the life out of
10:22
our plants they're not really vampires
10:24
but they can definitely drain energy
10:26
from the plant suckers are those small
10:29
shoots that grow between the main stem
10:31
and the branches and they might look
10:33
promising like oh more Tomatoes but
10:35
they're basically energy thieves
10:38
diverting resources away from fruit
10:40
production so by removing them we're
10:42
basically like redirecting the plant's
10:44
energy back towards growing those
10:46
beautiful tomatoes exactly you're like
10:47
the manager saying hey you suckers
10:50
you're fired we need all hands on deck
10:52
for tomato production I love that
10:54
analogy okay so how do we actually
10:57
identify these little energy thieves and
11:00
how do we get rid of them all right so
11:01
suckers usually pop up in the armpit of
11:03
the plant where the leaf stem meets the
11:06
main stem okay I'm picturing it they're
11:08
basically smaller versions of the main
11:10
branches and the best way to remove them
11:12
is to just pinch them off of your
11:13
fingers when they're still small so a
11:15
general pinch not a full-on chop yeah
11:17
exactly you don't need pruners or
11:19
anything like that okay so we've tackled
11:21
watering fertilizing and pruning but
11:24
there's another challenge you got to be
11:25
prepared for in zone 4 right oh yeah
11:28
pests pest
11:30
I mean those delicious tomatoes are
11:32
basically like a beacon to all kinds of
11:34
creepy crawlies it's true they are
11:36
attempting
11:37
Target but don't worry with a little
11:39
vigilance and some preventative measures
11:42
we can definitely keep those pests under
11:43
control okay so who are The Usual
11:46
Suspects who are we dealing with In the
11:48
Zone 4 tomato crime scene well you've
11:50
got those Tiny But Mighty aphids sucking
11:53
the sap out of your plants Aid's the
11:56
worst and then there are hornworms those
11:57
camouflaged caterpillars that can lunch
11:59
their way through leaves in no time yeah
12:01
those are tricky they blend right in and
12:03
don't forget about white flies those
12:05
tiny winged in insects that can transmit
12:07
diseases okay that's a pretty
12:08
intimidating lineup of bad guys but I'm
12:11
guessing there are ways to fight back
12:12
without resorting to like chemical
12:14
warfare right absolutely we can
12:16
definitely combat these pests using
12:18
organic methods that are safe for us our
12:21
plants and the environment okay good so
12:25
what are our weapons of choice well neem
12:27
oil is a great one it's a natural
12:28
insecticide that can control a wide
12:30
range of pests including aphids white
12:32
flies and even some fungal diseases neem
12:35
oil it's like the all natural superhero
12:37
of the Garden it is and for aphids
12:40
sometimes a strong blast of water from
12:42
the hose can just dislodge them from the
12:44
plants like a mini power wash for those
12:47
pesky insects all right so we've got our
12:49
NE oil our trusty hose and a watchful
12:51
eye anything else we can do to prevent
12:53
those infestations in the first place
12:55
creating a healthy garden ecosystem
12:58
that's key okay okay yeah that makes
12:59
sense you want to encourage beneficial
13:01
insects you know the good guys like
13:03
ladybugs and Lace Wings oh yeah they're
13:06
natural predators to a lot of these
13:08
common pests and you can attract them by
13:11
planting companion plants so it's like
13:12
building a whole tomato army with some
13:14
friendly insect allies exactly and
13:17
remember healthy plants are just better
13:19
able to resist pests and diseases so all
13:21
those things we talked about the
13:22
watering the fertilizing that all goes a
13:25
long way in preventing infestations
13:27
right it's all connected all right we've
13:29
covered a lot of ground here but of
13:31
course the ultimate goal of all this
13:33
hard work is to harvest those beautiful
13:36
ripe Tomatoes yes that's the best part
13:38
so how do we know when they're actually
13:40
ready to pick how do we know when
13:42
they've reached Peak Perfection well the
13:45
first clue is color they'll have that
13:47
full vibrant color whatever that might
13:49
be for the variety you know red orange
13:52
yellow maybe even purple so we're
13:54
looking for that real tomato glow huh
13:56
exactly and the second clue is touch
13:59
they'll feel slightly firm to the touch
14:01
but not rock hard okay so not too soft
14:04
not too hard just right got it and
14:06
here's another tip pick those ripe
14:08
Tomatoes regularly to encourage the
14:10
plant to keep producing the more you
14:12
pick the more they grow pretty much it's
14:14
a beautiful cycle of abundance and
14:16
remember even though Zone 4 has a
14:17
shorter growing season there are ways to
14:20
extend it a bit you can squeeze in a few
14:22
more weeks of tomato goodness now you're
14:25
talking extending the Tomato season I'm
14:27
all years how do we do that well you can
14:29
use season extenders like row covers or
14:31
cold frames they create a kind of warmer
14:34
microclimate around your plants so it's
14:36
like giving your Tomatoes a little mini
14:37
Greenhouse yeah exactly and if you're
14:39
really serious about extending That
14:41
season you could even try a high tunnel
14:42
which is basically a larger more
14:44
permanent version of a Cold Frame wow
14:46
I'm picturing rows and rows of tomatoes
14:49
happily growing even when it's starting
14:51
to get cold outside that's the dream
14:53
it's pretty amazing it is okay we've
14:56
covered a lot from seed starting to
14:58
harvesting even even extending the
14:59
season but before I wrap up I want to
15:02
touch on something I think is really
15:03
important especially for new Zone 4
15:05
gardeners yeah the mental game because
15:09
gardening in zone 4 it can be a little
15:12
bit of a roller coaster ride you know
15:14
you're dealing with a shorter season
15:16
unpredictable weather you might even
15:18
have some setbacks along the way oh yeah
15:19
you got to be tough so my advice to all
15:21
the Zone 4 tomato enthusiasts out there
15:24
is to be patient be persistent and don't
15:26
be afraid to experiment and don't be
15:29
afraid to ask for help there are tons of
15:32
resources out there local gardening
15:34
clubs online forums a whole community of
15:36
people who are ready to help you succeed
15:38
that's what I love about gardening it's
15:39
a constant learning process absolutely
15:42
and you know even if you don't have a
15:43
huge backyard or a fancy Greenhouse you
15:46
can still grow amazing tomatoes in zone
15:48
4 a few plants in containers on a sunny
15:51
patio a raised bed in a small garden
15:54
it's all doable and just imagine biting
15:56
into that first juicy Sun rpen tomato
15:59
that you grew yourself right there in
16:01
your Zone 4 Garden oh there's nothing
16:03
like it so are you feeling inspired to
16:06
give Zone 4 tomato growing a try what do
16:08
you think we hope so because with a
16:11
little planning a bit of effort and a
16:12
whole lot of passion you too can
16:15
experience the joy of harvesting your
16:16
own homegrown Tomatoes even in a
16:18
challenging climate and now before we
16:20
sign off we have a question for you yeah
16:22
we want to hear from you thinking back
16:24
on everything we talked about today
16:26
what's the one thing that really stood
16:27
out to you what's the nugget of wisdom
16:29
you're going to take away from this deep
16:31
dive let us know and remember no matter
16:33
where you are in your gardening Journey
16:35
whether you're a seasoned Pro or a total
16:37
beginner we're here to support you every
16:40
step of the way happy gardening you know
16:44
as we're wrapping up this deep dive into
16:46
zone four tomatoes I keep thinking about
16:48
how much of this is about like mindset
16:51
you know it's almost like we're not just
16:53
gardening we're waging this strategic
16:54
campaign against the elements it's so
16:57
true you really have to have that
16:58
resilience as a zone four Gardener that
17:00
willingness to adapt and just try things
17:03
out it's like when you finally have that
17:05
aha moment when you realize that even
17:07
with this shorter growing season you can
17:09
still kind of outsmart those limitations
17:11
you know like with those season
17:12
extenders we talked about suddenly fall
17:14
becomes bonus tomato time it's funny
17:16
what I find fascinating is how much zone
17:18
four gardening forces you to really
17:21
understand the why behind each technique
17:24
like you know planting those Tomatoes
17:26
deep is not just some random trick it's
17:28
about making that root system just
17:29
explode it's almost like you're tapping
17:32
into the plant's own Survival Instincts
17:34
giving it those tools to thrive even
17:36
when things aren't perfect you know
17:38
exactly and I think that connects to a
17:40
bigger idea here the resourcefulness of
17:43
zone four gardeners you're not just
17:45
following some cookie cutter plan you're
17:48
constantly problem solving adapting
17:50
those techniques to your own little
17:52
microc climate right so it's less about
17:54
following like a strict set of rules and
17:56
more about understanding those core
17:58
principles
17:59
then you can apply them creatively to
18:01
your own situation that's what makes
18:03
this guide so valuable it really gives
18:05
you that deeper understanding you're not
18:06
just learning what to do you're learning
18:09
why it works and then you can adjust
18:11
things as you need to and that brings us
18:13
back to you the listener just imagine
18:15
holding that first perfectly Ripe Tomato
18:17
the one you grew Against All Odds right
18:19
there in your zone four Garden I mean
18:21
that's more than just a tasty treat
18:23
right it's like the symbol of your own
18:24
perseverance absolutely it's a reminder
18:27
that even in tough and environments with
18:29
some knowhow and a whole lot of passion
18:32
you can make amazing things happen so
18:34
well said and on that note we hope
18:36
you've enjoyed this deep dive into Zone
18:38
4 Tomatoes folks we hope you feel ready
18:40
to tackle this Challenge and grow some
18:42
incredible Tomatoes of your own happy
18:44
gardening
#Cooking & Recipes
#Food