We started planting our first tomatoes in the field yesterday, March 3rd, and will finish later today. The earliest we’ve ever done it was in late February, and some years it has happened as late as the 20th. We do a total of five plantings between now and mid-June, but this one is always the largest. With luck, the fruit will start to ripen some in late May, starting with cherry tomatoes followed by Early Girls around June 1st and finally with Heirlooms a week or two later. Terra Firma consistently has some of the earliest-ripening outdoor tomatoes in Northern California thanks to our microclimate and our sheer perspicacity.
Some farmers would tell you that planting tomatoes in early March is pure insanity, and there are years that it does feel that way. As the saying goes, this month can either come in like a lion or a lamb, and the “lion” years can mean heavy rain, freezing temps, hail, or all three. Tomatoes don’t like any of that. Just three years ago, we were planting the early tomatoes in a field that still had puddles in it, and we had a frost the night after. While tomatoes can have a rough start and still succeed in life, it can also go the other way, which is what happened that year. Our 2023 tomato crop from that first planting was terrible.
Then there are years like 2025, where we were wondering if we would be able to plant the tomatoes at all — we can’t actually put them in the ground unless it stops raining. But then, miraculously, the rain stopped for just long enough to get the field finished, and then started a few days later. The rain was gentle and steady, which meant we didn’t have to irrigate or worry about a potentially damaging frost. That good luck continued through the entire tomato season, which turned out to be one of our best ever — maybe the best.
This year seems promising: the rain stopped last week and the ground dried out enough to start planting yesterday. The day was warm and sunny but not hot. But starting tomorrow, the plants in the field will be subjected to a three-day dry wind event. Planting on a windy day is a non-starter, but even if we get the plants in the ground and well-irrigated beforehand, the wind can still dessicate and beat them up. We’ll keep a close eye on them and turn the sprinklers on if it appears that is happening.
One factor in the tomatoes’ favor is the warm temperatures in the forecast. It takes small plants about 10-15 days to get established in a field, sending out new roots beyond the small amount of dirt they are grown in in the nursery flats. During that time they have less ability to survive stresses like very cold or very hot temperatures. Luckily, neither appears likely between now and mid-March. With luck, they’ll take off quickly and thrive.
As the tomatoes grow and develop, I’ll keep you all posted on their progress. And speaking of progressing: our strawberry patch looks amazing and the season is approaching quickly. The plants had a shorter winter dormancy than usual thanks to the mild temperatures in December and January, and they started flowering last week just after the one short freeze we had. If we don’t see any more freezing temperatures this month — which would damage any fruit that has pollinated — we may see berries ripening a week or two earlier than our usual April 15th first harvest date. The potential is there for a great start to the season: I don’t recall ever seeing so many blossoms on the berry plants in early March before.
Thanks,
Pablito