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When to Plant Tomatoes in Sacramento Valley
When to Plant Tomatoes in Sacramento Valley. The Sacramento Valley of California has long, hot dry summers, making it a good environment for growing some varieties of tomatoes. However, frost, which can kill young tomatoes, does occur, so wait until after the final spring frost to plant.
The Sacramento Valley of California has long, hot dry summers, making it a good environment for growing some varieties of tomatoes. However, frost, which can kill young tomatoes, does occur, so wait until after the final spring frost to plant.
Sacramento Area Climate Conditions
The Sacramento Valley falls within USDA climate zone 9, where the last spring frost typically falls around the middle of March. When frost occurs, it is usually light and the temperature rarely drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. However, young tomato plants will die if you expose them to temperatures that fall that low.
Wait Until Late March or April
To be on the safe side, and because tomatoes will not begin to produce fruit until nighttime temperatures rise to over 50 degrees Fahrenheit, plant young tomato plants in late March or early April. However, you can begin tomato seeds indoors in a sunny, protected area six to eight weeks before the final spring frost.
Tomato Varieties for Hot Weather
Not all types of tomatoes will thrive in the hot Central Valley summer climate. The Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, California, recommends growing the Roma varieties of tomato because they perform like a "real workhorse" in hot climates. Another tomato that will do well in Sacramento Valley is the solar set, a hybrid developed in Florida that produces 9 oz. fruit even when the mercury soars into the 90s.
