Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Early Girl in USDA Zone 7
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Early Girl · Zones 3–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | March – April | June – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 4 | March – April | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 5 | March – April | May – June | — | June – September |
| Zone 6 | February – March | May – June | — | June – October |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | June – October |
| Zone 8 | January – March | April – May | — | May – November |
| Zone 9 | December – March | March – May | — | May – November |
| Zone 10 | November – March | February – May | — | April – December |
Complete Growing Guide
Start your Early Girl seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Use a quality seed starting mix and maintain soil temperature at 70-75°F for optimal germination. Plant seeds ¼ inch deep and keep consistently moist but not waterlogged.
Prepare your garden bed with compost or well-aged manure, working it 8-10 inches deep. Early Girl thrives in slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH 6.0-7.0). Choose your sunniest location, as insufficient light will delay the early harvest this variety is prized for.
Transplant seedlings only after soil temperature consistently reaches 60°F and nighttime temperatures stay above 50°F. In zones 5-6, this typically means late May. Harden off seedlings for 7-10 days before transplanting. Space plants 24-30 inches apart with rows 3-4 feet apart.
Install tomato cages or stakes at planting time – Early Girl is an indeterminate variety that will reach 4-6 feet tall. Use 6-foot stakes for best support. Side dress with compost or balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) three weeks after transplanting, then monthly throughout the season.
Mulch around plants with 2-3 inches of straw or shredded leaves to retain moisture and prevent soil-borne diseases. Water deeply 1-2 times per week rather than frequent shallow watering to encourage deep root growth and prevent blossom end rot.
Prune suckers (shoots growing between main stem and branches) weekly to focus energy on fruit production. Remove lower branches that touch the soil to improve air circulation and reduce disease risk.
Avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen after fruit set begins, as this promotes leafy growth at the expense of fruit production. Watch for early blight on lower leaves during humid weather and remove affected foliage immediately.
Harvesting
Early Girl tomatoes are ready to harvest when they develop full red color but still feel slightly firm to the touch. The fruit should give slightly when gently squeezed but not feel soft or mushy. Look for a uniform red color with no green shoulders – this indicates full ripeness and best flavor development.
Harvest in the morning after dew has dried but before the heat of the day for best flavor and longest storage life. Twist and pull the fruit gently, or use clean pruning shears to cut the stem just above the fruit. The tomato should separate easily from the vine when fully ripe.
Early Girl tomatoes can be harvested at the first blush of color (when pink begins to show) and will continue ripening off the vine. This method extends your harvest window and prevents overripe fruit from attracting pests. Store partially ripe tomatoes at room temperature away from direct sunlight to complete ripening.
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
- +Delivers full-sized slicing tomatoes in just 50 days from transplant, weeks ahead of most varieties
- +Continues producing throughout the season, not just one early flush
- +Excellent crack resistance even during periods of irregular watering
- +Strong disease resistance to fusarium and verticillium wilt reduces crop loss
- +Performs reliably in both northern short seasons and southern spring plantings
- +Perfect balance of sweet and tart flavor with good acidity for cooking
- +Compact enough for large containers while still producing substantial yields
Considerations
- -Susceptible to blossom end rot if calcium is low or watering inconsistent
- -Indeterminate growth requires consistent staking and pruning maintenance
- -Early blight can be problematic in humid climates despite other disease resistance
- -As a hybrid, seeds cannot be saved for next year's planting
- -Fruit size smaller than beefsteak varieties, typically 4-6 ounces
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
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Good resistance to verticillium wilt and fusarium wilt
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, aphids, cutworms, spider mites
Diseases
Early blight, late blight, bacterial speck, blossom end rot