Planting calendar
When to plant tomatoes in Arizona
Arizona spans USDA hardiness zones 7a-10b. Average last spring frost: 03-15. This calendar gives you the indoor start, transplant, and direct-sow dates for Solanum lycopersicum.
Arizona planting dates for tomatoes
| Phase | Date in Arizona | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Start seeds indoors | January 18 | 8 weeks before last frost |
| Transplant outdoors | March 29 | 2 weeks after last frost |
Why these dates
Tomatoes are warm-season crops that need 6-8 hours of direct sun and soil temperatures above 60F to thrive. Indeterminate varieties need staking or caging. Determinate varieties stay bushier and ripen all at once.
The dates above are anchored to Arizona's average last spring frost date of 03-15, with offsets standard across university Extension publications. For zone-specific local timing, use the frost date lookup tool with your ZIP code.
More on growing tomatoes
The full growing guide for tomatoes - varieties, soil, fertilization, pests, harvest, storage - is here: Tomatoes growing guide.
More Arizona planting information
- Full Arizona planting calendar (all crops + ornamentals)
- Find your exact USDA zone by ZIP
- Look up your average frost dates
- Seed starting timeline calculator