One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

By reviewing the USDA zone info for Newton you should be able to figure out when it's the best time to plant tomatos.

Planting Calendar for Tomatos

Frost tolerance for tomatos:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

You really shouldn't plant tomatos until after the last frost because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant tomatos in Newton is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant tomatos and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your tomatos may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your tomatos indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Newton. You can expect an average low temperature of 5°F in the coldest months of winter.

Just be sure to remember that USDA zone info for Newton is an average and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Newton there is a last frost after April 15 so always be ready to cover your tomatos if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Newton

Here is the info for USDA Zone 7b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	5°F
Highest Expected Low	10°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 5°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 10°F.

Plants to Grow in Newton

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Newton.