Fruiting Plants Calendar
Planting & Setup
Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and tomatillos are heavy-feeding plants that require warm temperatures and rich soil to perform well. These crops should only be planted once soil temperatures have warmed sufficiently.
Tomatoes benefit from deep planting, careful pruning, and spacing that allows for airflow to reduce disease pressure. Peppers and eggplants prefer consistently warm conditions and steady growth.
Companion planting can help maximize production. We often alternate tomatoes with basil, marigolds, and greens to create a balanced and productive bed.
Season extension tools like row covers can help protect young plants and extend harvests later into the season.
| Crop Name | How To Plant | Spring Planting | Fall Planting | Germinate Indoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggplant | Transplant | 5/15–6/10 | None | Yes (6–8 weeks before) |
| Peppers (Sweet) | Transplant | 5/15–6/10 | None | Yes (6–8 weeks before) |
| Peppers (Hot) | Transplant | 5/15–6/10 | None | Yes (6–8 weeks before) |
| Tomato (Cherry) | Transplant | 5/10–6/10 | None | Yes (6–8 weeks before) |
| Tomato (Roma) | Transplant | 5/10–6/10 | None | Yes (6–8 weeks before) |
| Tomato (Heirloom) | Transplant | 5/10–6/10 | None | Yes (6–8 weeks before) |
| Tomatillo | Transplant | 5/15–6/10 | None | Yes (6–8 weeks before) |
Growing Conditions
| Crop Name | Sunlight | Temperature Tolerances | Ideal Soil Temperature | Seed Depth | Days to Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggplant | Full sun | 50°F–95°F | 70–85°F | 0.25 in. | 70–90 |
| Peppers (Sweet) | Full sun | 50°F–95°F | 70–85°F | 0.25 in. | 60–90 |
| Peppers (Hot) | Full sun | 50°F–100°F | 70–85°F | 0.25 in. | 70–100 |
| Tomato (Cherry) | Full sun | 45°F–95°F | 65–85°F | 0.25 in. | 55–75 |
| Tomato (Roma) | Full sun | 45°F–95°F | 65–85°F | 0.25 in. | 70–90 |
| Tomato (Heirloom) | Full sun | 45°F–95°F | 65–85°F | 0.25 in. | 75–95 |
| Tomatillo | Full sun | 50°F–95°F | 70–85°F | 0.25 in. | 70–90 |
Seeds or seedlings? Plant either seeds or seedlings for all cultivars – eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes.
Placement: Alternate peppers, small marigolds, and basil in a bed. Place kale, lettuce and chard on the south side of the tomatoes if there is room.
Tomatoes: Indeterminate tomatoes need a tall stake since they never stop growing. Determinate tomatoes are smaller and produce all fruit at once. Plant seedlings deep so part of the stem is under soil.
Watering: Don’t water very much, other than at the beginning. Deep water every few days. View a video on tomato pruning. View our blog post on Tomato Growing Tips.
Pests & diseases: Plant disease resistant cultivars. Prune the lower leaves up to 10” to prevent fungal spores from splashing upwards. Dip your tool in alcohol as you prune diseased leaves. View tomato disease prevention post.
Eggplant: Plant disease resistant cultivars. Plant mini-eggplant seedlings in midsummer for a fall crop.
Season extension. A lightweight “floating row cover” might provide 2ºF of frost protection, whereas a heavy-weight row cover might provide as much as 6ºF to 10ºF of frost protection. In the spring, when transplants are small, row cover can often be simply draped over plants without a frame.
