When to plant tomato in St. Louis
Tomato is frost-tender, so every date keys off St. Louis's last spring frost of Mar 30.
Step 1 · Sow
Start seeds indoors
Feb 27 – Mar 20
Before your last frost, on a warm windowsill or heat mat.
Step 2 · Plant
Transplant outdoors
Apr 29 – May 20
Once frost risk has passed and nights stay mild.
Step 3 · Harvest
Harvest window
Jun 28 – Jul 23
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
60 – 85 d
St. Louis's 218-day season leaves this much room.
Tomato on St. Louis's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
MAR 30
NOV 5
Common questions
When will tomato be ready to harvest in St. Louis?
Expect to harvest from around late June (Jun 28–Jul 23) in St. Louis, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 76%.
When should I start tomato seeds indoors in St. Louis?
Start seeds indoors around late February (Feb 27–Mar 20) in St. Louis, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
When can I transplant tomato outdoors in St. Louis?
Transplant outdoors around late April (Apr 29–May 20) in St. Louis, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 81%.
How long is the growing season in St. Louis?
St. Louis has roughly 218 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow tomato to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow tomato 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost; plant out 2–3 weeks after it. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and St. Louis's frost dates.
Confidence 84/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.