How to Grow Early Girl Tomato Plants

Grow Early Girl Tomato, for Early Tomatoes

The Early Girl tomato is a very popular hybrid variety. These good-tasting tomatoes are among the earliest to ripen. To tell the truth, early girl tomato plants are among this author’s favorite varieties. Furthermore, they ripen sooner than some cherry tomato varieties. So, plan on growing at least a few early girl tomatoes this year.

These tomato plants are good candidates for areas with a short, frost-free period. Like other tomatoes, they are not cold hardy.

We recommend an indoor start for an even earlier harvest.

Early Girl Tomato Description

Early Girl Hybrid tomato plants are indeterminate vines. The plants have resistance to Fusarium Wilt and Verticillium Wilt.

The early ripening, medium-sized fruit grows 4 to 8 ounces. The tomatoes are bright red. The flavor is excellent. This plant provides you with that first homegrown tomato taste.

This cultivar was created in France, and originally distributed by Peto Seed Co. Monsanto is the patent holder.

These seeds were first sold in the U.S. in the mid-1970s.

Early Girl was named to complement the “Big Boy” variety.

Days to Maturity: 55-70 days from setting transplants in the garden. Aside from cherry tomatoes, this variety is among the earlies to harvest.

How to Start Tomato Seeds

Tomato plants are usually started indoors. Planting tomato seeds is an exciting time. It is one of the very first gardening projects of the year. After a long winter, you are itching to get your hands back into some “dirt”.

Begin starting tomato seeds indoors in small containers, eight to ten weeks before the last frost date for your area. Sow tomato seeds about 1/8″ inch deep, using seed starting soil. Seeds will sprout in 10-14 days, depending upon soil temperature. Sprouting tomato seeds is quicker and more productive when using a heated germination mat.

As soon as the seedlings emerge, they need full sunlight to grow sturdy. Lack of sunlight causes the plants to grow “leggy”. Use grow lights to supplement the amount of available sunlight.

Tip: To help your plants grow sturdy, place a small fan on low nearby. Or, lightly brush the tops of the plants with your hands a couple of times each day.

How to Grow Early Girl Tomato Plants

Follow these links for detailed instructions on how to grow tomato plants:

How to Grow Tomatoes – From planting seeds to harvesting fruit, we’ve gotcha covered.
Staking Tomato Plants – Large plants and huge tomatoes require a sturdy tomato cage or staking to help avoid plant disease and keep fruit off the ground.
Pruning Tomatoes – In fact, pruning helps avoid plant disease.
Plant Problems and Disease – Above all, remember the old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Tomato Cages and Staking Plants

Tomato Cages and Staking – Maximize your crop, and minimize disease and insect damage, by staking or caging tomato plants. Above all, beefsteak tomato plants will benefit. They will reward you with more tomatoes. The fruit will be cleaner, as they will not be sitting on the soil. More on staking tomatoes.