Planting Calendar
Hardiness zones describe average winter cold; they do not schedule a frost-tender annual. Tomatoes go out when local frost risk, forecast, soil warmth, and hardened seedlings agree. We measure conditions, keep a backup plan, and refuse to let one warm Saturday negotiate on behalf of May.
Planting Calendar
When to Plant Tomatoes: Use Frost and Soil, Not Zone
Plant tomato transplants after local frost danger has passed, the short-term forecast is stable, nighttime temperatures are consistently above about 50°F.