How to Grow and Care for Early Girl Tomatoes

How to Plant Early Girl Tomato

When to Plant

Despite their name, don’t plant Early Girl tomatoes too early. Like all tomatoes, they are susceptible to cold. Wait until there is no more danger of a late spring frost and nighttime temperatures remain consistently above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to harden the seedlings off before transplanting them in the garden.

Selecting a Planting Site

Tomatoes need lots of sun to thrive, but that’s not the only key criterion when selecting a planting location. Tomatoes should never be planted in the same spot where other members of the nightshade family (potatoes, eggplants, and peppers) were grown in the past two years, ideally longer. Following this key role of crop rotation prevents pests and diseases.

When you have found a suitable sunny spot for your tomatoes, look at the surrounding area. Are there any plants nearby that could cast shade on the tomatoes? If not now, then maybe later in the season as they grow? Also, make sure the soil where you plant tomatoes has excellent drainage.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

Early Girl is an indeterminate tomato that requires ample space and sturdy support, such as a stake or tomato cage, to keep the vines off the ground.

Leave at least 3 to 5 feet between the plants in each direction to allow for good airflow between the plants and easy access.

Depending on the size of the tomato seedling, you can use the deep hole method, which involves burying most of the plant, or the trench method, which involves laying the seedling on its side.

Early Girl Tomato Care

Light

Early Girl thrives on lots of sunshine. Place this plant in an area where it receives at least six hours of full sun daily.

Soil

Rich, nutrient-dense soil is essential for the rapid growth of Early Girl tomato plants. Before planting, amend the soil with organic matter, such as compost. The pH should be on the acidic side, between 6.0 and 6.5, which is within the ideal pH range of most vegetable crops (between 6.0 and 7.0).

Water

Water Early Girl slowly and deeply whenever the top layer of soil feels dry. The plants develop deep roots, which make them suitable for drier conditions, but watering them regularly in the absence of frequent rainfall is indispensable to ensure an abundant harvest of flavorful fruit.

When watering, avoid getting the leaves and stems wet, which helps to prevent fungus and rot.

Container-grown tomatoes will need more frequent watering than those in the ground.

Temperature and Humidity

Temperatures below 55 F are not suitable for growing tomatoes. Warm temperatures between 65 and 75 F are ideal, but the Early Girl tomato can tolerate higher temperatures. High humidity, on the other hand, can cause issues with rot or fungus.

Fertilizer

Feed the plants with a slow-release organic vegetable fertilizer or a special tomato fertilizer. The latter is slightly higher in potassium and contains a higher percentage of calcium and protects the plants against blossom end rot. For exact amounts, follow the label instructions.

When planting, work the required amount of fertilizer into the soil around each seedling. After the plant is established, fertilize every 2 to 3 weeks until harvest. Keep the fertilizer at least 3 inches away from the stem and water it in well each time.

Pollination

Tomatoes are self-pollinating, but for the pollen to be released, the flowers need to be able to rustle with the wind or insects moving around the plants.

Note that Early Girl is a hybrid tomato. The seeds from its tomatoes won’t produce plants with the same traits as the parent plants. To collect tomato seeds for next year, you need to plant open-pollinated tomato varieties.

Harvesting Early Girl Tomato

When the Early Girl tomatoes’ skins turn a deep, vibrant red, they are ready to be harvested.

Remove the tomato from the vine with a gentle twist or use sharp pruners to cut it off. Always leave a small portion of the stem attached to prevent rotting.

How to Grow Early Girl Tomato in Pots

If you want to grow Early Girl in a container, consider the Bush Early Girl variety, a more compact and determinate relative of Early Girl. It won’t grow more than 3 feet tall and has determinate vines, making it more manageable.

Use a pot with a diameter of 18 inches and large drainage holes. Fill it with high-quality, nutrient-rich potting soil and fertilize it like tomato plants in garden soil.

Because potted plants dry out so fast, they need daily watering, up to twice a day in hot summer weather.

Pruning

Pruning encourages healthy growth, stimulates fruit production, and prevents disease and rot. Trim away the bottom branches 6 to 8 inches up the plant to promote airflow and prevent disease. Remove suckers to help the plant focus energy on the main branch and its fruit.

Propagating Early Girl Tomato

Although it is possible to propagate Early Girl tomatoes from the suckers of a mature plant, the timing usually does not work in most climates. By the time the plant grown from a sucker reaches the harvest stage, cold fall weather has set in. Therefore, starting Early Girl tomatoes from seed early in the spring is much better.

You cannot grow Early Girl tomatoes from seeds harvested from the crop vegetables; since they are hybrid seeds, they do not grow true to seed. Seeds will need to be purchased new each year.

How to Grow Early Girl Tomatoes From Seed

Starting your tomatoes from seed indoors is easy and will give you an even earlier harvest. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Based on your average last frost date, count back about six to eight weeks to start the seeds indoors. 
2. Sow seeds 14 inch deep in flats or seedling trays filled with moist potting mix. Lightly cover the seeds with potting mix.
3. Keep the flat at 75 to 85 F during the day and 65 F at night. Place the tray in a window with bright light or under grow lights. Spray the soil with water every day to keep it consistently moist but not soggy.
4. When the first true leaf appears, transplant the seedlings into 4-inch pots filled with potting mix. Keep them moist at all times.
5. When it is safe to move the seedlings outdoors, begin hardening off the plants about a week before planting them in the garden.

Overwintering Early Girl Tomato Plants

The first frost in the fall ends the tomato season. In a warm, frost-free climate, however, the plants may persist into the winter, although they won’t be productive for a second season. This is why they are grown as annuals and discarded after the harvest.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Early Girl is highly resistant to two common, devastating tomato diseases: fusarium wilt and verticillium wilt. Its early fruit production puts it in an advantageous position when it comes to damaging insects and pathogens that appear late in the season, such as late blight, but it is nonetheless susceptible to a host of other tomato diseases and pests, including tomato hornworm.