Early Girl tomato

Sun

Full sun, ideally at least 6-8 hours daily; light afternoon shade can help in very hot climates.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist, not waterlogged. Water deeply at soil level; containers may need daily watering in hot weather.

Soil

Fertile, well-drained soil enriched with compost, ideally pH 6.0-6.8. Use fresh, good-quality potting mix in containers.

Height

6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m) with support; sometimes taller in a long growing season

Spread

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) when supported

Flowers

Small yellow flowers from late spring through summer and into autumn while conditions remain warm.

Foliage

Green, hairy, divided leaves with a strong tomato scent when handled.

Growth

Fast during warm weather

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Low allergen
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.8 ft (0.25 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2.1 m)

   full size

Full size in one season.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant out after frost risk has passed and nights are consistently above about 10°C; harden off indoor-grown plants first.
• Install a tall stake, strong cage or cord support at planting, and secure growing stems with soft ties.
• Water at the base before the root zone dries out; avoid repeated cycles of drought and heavy soaking.
• Mulch once the soil has warmed, keeping mulch clear of the stem.
• Feed container plants regularly with tomato fertiliser according to the label; avoid excessive nitrogen.
• Use a container of at least 10 US gallons (38 litres), preferably larger, with good drainage.

Pruning. During summer, remove young side shoots if training to one or two main stems; caged plants can retain more stems. Remove leaves touching the soil, and pinch out growing tips about a month before the expected first frost to favour existing fruit.

Pick fruit when fully red and slightly yielding to gentle pressure, usually starting about 50-60 days after transplanting in warm conditions. Snip or gently twist fruit from the vine, checking every few days; before frost, bring mature green fruit indoors to ripen.

Late winter

Sow indoors about 6-8 weeks before your expected last frost, providing warmth and strong light.

Spring

Prepare a sunny bed with compost, or fill a large container with fresh potting mix.

Late spring

Harden off and plant after frost risk has passed and nights are reliably mild; install supports.

Summer

Tie in stems, manage side shoots, water consistently and feed as needed.

Summer

Harvest ripe tomatoes frequently and inspect foliage for pests and disease.

Early autumn

In frost-prone areas, stop new shoot growth and remove late flowers unlikely to produce ripe fruit.

Autumn

Gather remaining mature fruit before frost, remove spent plants and clean supports.

• Train vertically along the sunny edge of a vegetable bed to keep fruit accessible.
• Grow in a large patio container with a sturdy cage for a productive small-space feature.
• Use repeated stakes or cord-trained plants to give a potager height and structure.
• Underplant with early lettuce or low herbs, leaving enough space for airflow and picking.

Garden styles it suits: Potager (kitchen garden), Edible landscape, Homestead, Cottage garden, Small-space and Family-friendly.

Plant it with: Basil, Chives, Lettuce, French marigold and Sweet alyssum.

Wildlife: Flowers provide pollen for bumblebees and other visiting bees, although tomatoes are self-fertile. Birds and small mammals may eat ripe fruit.

• Blossom-end rot: dark, sunken patches develop at the blossom end of fruit. Keep moisture steady and protect roots; adding calcium rarely helps unless the soil is actually deficient.
• Blight and leaf spots: leaves develop spreading brown or black patches. Keep foliage dry, improve airflow and remove affected leaves; promptly remove plants with suspected late blight and seek local advice.
• Whitefly and aphids: inspect leaf undersides and shoot tips. Dislodge small infestations with water or use insecticidal soap labelled for edible crops, following harvest restrictions.
• Poor fruit set: prolonged cold or extreme heat can prevent flowers setting fruit. Maintain even watering, gently tap greenhouse flower trusses and provide ventilation or temporary shade during severe heat.

Ripe fruit is not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. Leaves, stems and unripe green fruit contain glycoalkaloids and should not be eaten or fed to animals; substantial ingestion can cause digestive upset, weakness and other poisoning signs. Contact a veterinarian or poison service after significant ingestion.

• Bush Early Girl tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Bush Early Girl')

  A separate, compact determinate hybrid that stops extending its main shoots after setting flower clusters, unlike standard Early Girl's continuing vine growth.

The name Early Girl refers to the cultivar's relatively early harvest.

Propagation. Grow from purchased F1 hybrid seed, or buy young plants. Saved seed will not reliably produce true Early Girl plants; healthy side shoots can be rooted as cuttings to copy a plant within the growing season.

Accepted botanical name

Solanum lycopersicum

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Alaska, Hawaii, the lower 48 states, Pacific Basin, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands.

Native range

Peru.

Measured

Soil pH 7 to 7.5. Average height 19 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.