When can I plant tomatoes in zone 8b

Hello,

I just moved from zone 5 to zone 8b when can i plant tomatoes?

I really don't know for sure, but based on your average frost dates (3/20), I would think you would transplant in middle to late March in which case you would need to start seeds in early January. Have not been to Pensacola, since being stationed at the Naval Air Station in 1960. all I remember is the hot and sticky part.

When the soil tempature reaches 50 degrees and the danger of frost has passes you can plant.

Paul

Thanks so much for the imformation....

If you are growing your tomato from seed, you might be able to "cheat" a bit by picking one of the more "cold" tolerant varieties. You'll have to protect the seedling with a clocth (sp?), I use old milk jugs for mine, but you can push them a bit for earlier ripe tomatoes. Of course come June/July and your up to your er, "ears" in tomatoes I don't want to hear no complaints...........LOL

wow cool

be prepared to stake them and stake them and stake them and stake.... I'm in the same zone and tomatoes grow really tall here. The LSU ag center website has a really good chart for planting times for our zone.

If you do plant too early you can easily protect them. We got a late frost last year and I just covered mine with boxes, they did fine. As you've probably noticed by now the cold weather doesn't stick around for long in these parts.

Excellent, it's always fun to see if you can push the envelop a little. :)

I'm pushing it by trying to grow broccoli and brussels sprouts this year. I very much doubt I'll get to eat either but hey... nothing ventured, nothing gained.

One other thing pensacolagardener, it is good to get those plants out early. When August gets here your garden will pretty much stop producing for you. The heat is just too much for it to handle (and for the gardener). Mulch really well too if you want your plants to survive the heat. Many of the plants will start to produce again in September when the heat finally subsides. Peppers and eggplants come to mind. Okra produces well in the heat if you like it. Squash, cucumbers and tomatoes just can't take our summer heat, and will usually putter out on you. I had a watermelon last week :)

Oh heavens no, this is a great time of year to grow broccoli and other cole crops. You don't have to deal with all the insect problems and a bit of a nip makes them sweeter. I just harvested a head this afternoon and I'm in zone 7b. It's a good idea to pick the faster growing varieties for cold season growth, but I've found it easier to deal with and not having to deal with moth's is always nice. A little BT and they're history. I just had to hit the cabbage and spinach with cayenne pepper to discourage the bunnies.

Hmmm... I will look into which are the faster growing varieties. I just figured they would bolt quickly with our weather. We got into the 80's on Sunday and it would not surprise me if we got into 80's at least once more. So far they are doing really well though.

I'm even trying artichoke this year. It's fun to try all these new vegetables every year.

I normally don't have trouble with bolting until it starts getting into the high 80s + and staying that way for days. You have more cool days than hots ones now. Hmmm, have never tried artichokes, not sure they would do well in my zone. But you my kinda plp, I like to try new and unusual veggies. Spotted some yellow, white and purple broccoli I want to try, most look to be about 75 day maturity, so I could probably fudge it a bit.