Early Girl
Solanum lycopersicum
A longtime early favorite, Early Girl produces heavy yields of full-flavored, 4-6 oz. tomatoes. One of the first varieties to ripen each year. Also prized for its performance as a "dry-farmed" tomato, owing to its extreme tolerance to drought and blossom end rot. Indeterminate.
Harvest
60d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Early Girl in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 tomato →Zone Map
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Early Girl · Zones 10–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | August – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | June – August |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | May – July |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | May – July |
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Water: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 3 feet-6 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: High. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
The fruits are smooth, shiny, glossy, and are classified as berries. The size, shape, and color will vary depending on the variety or cultivar. The color of the fruits may be red, yellow, orange, green, purple, or pink. The fruits may contain over 100 yellow to light brown seeds.
Color: Gold/Yellow, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy, Variegated. Type: Berry. Length: > 3 inches. Width: > 3 inches.
Garden value: Edible, Showy
Harvest time: Fall, Summer
Bloom time: Fall, Summer
Edibility: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
Storage & Preservation
Fresh Early Girl tomatoes keep best at room temperature for 3-5 days when fully ripe. Never refrigerate unless overripe, as cold temperatures destroy flavor compounds and create mealy texture. Store stem-side down on a counter away from direct sunlight.
For preservation, Early Girl's balanced acidity makes it excellent for canning whole or as sauce. The medium size is perfect for canning – they fit well in jars and hold their shape. Freeze whole tomatoes by removing stems and placing in freezer bags; skins slip off easily after thawing.
Dehydrate sliced Early Girl tomatoes in a food dehydrator or low oven (135°F) for 8-12 hours until leathery but still pliable. These concentrated flavors work wonderfully in winter soups and pasta dishes. The variety's good acid content also makes it suitable for fermenting into green tomato relish or salsa.
History & Origin
Early Girl was developed by Burpee Seeds in the 1970s as a response to gardeners' frustration with the long wait for homegrown tomatoes. Traditional early varieties were typically small cherry types, while larger slicing tomatoes required 75-80 days to mature. Burpee's breeders set out to create a hybrid that combined the quick maturation of early varieties with the satisfying size of slicing tomatoes.
The variety was released in 1975 and quickly became one of America's most popular home garden tomatoes. Its success lay in solving a fundamental problem for northern gardeners and those with short growing seasons who wanted substantial tomatoes before summer's end. Early Girl represented a breakthrough in hybrid vigor, demonstrating how modern breeding could deliver both speed and quality.
The name 'Early Girl' reflected both its quick maturation and the 1970s trend of giving vegetables friendly, memorable names that would appeal to home gardeners rather than just commercial growers.
Advantages
- +Attracts: Bees, Pollinators, Predatory Insects
- +Wildlife value: The plant is pollinated by bees, especially bumblebees.
- +Edible: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
- +Fast-growing
Considerations
- -Toxic (Leaves, Stems): Medium severity
- -High maintenance
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids and whiteflies, may improve tomato flavor
Marigold
Deters nematodes and aphids with natural compounds
Carrots
Loosens soil for tomato roots, doesn't compete for space
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps
Chives
Repels aphids and may reduce fungal diseases
Nasturtium
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Borage
Repels tomato hornworms and attracts pollinators
Lettuce
Benefits from tomato shade, efficient use of garden space
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunting
Fennel
Inhibits growth through allelopathic compounds
Brassicas
Compete for nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Corn
Both attract corn earworms and tomato hornworms
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Fusarium Wilt races 1, 2 (High); Verticillium Wilt (High)
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, aphids, cutworms, spider mites
Diseases
Early blight, late blight, bacterial speck, blossom end rot