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Early Girl tomato

Do you want to have tomatoes ripening by the end of June? It’s time to try growing Early Girl Tomatoes!

The Early Girl Tomato is a medium-sized standard globe-type tomato known for its short time to harvest and reliability in the garden. These cold-tolerant, short-season red hybrid tomatoes are generally the first slicer tomatoes to ripen in the vegetable garden. Early Girl tomatoes are sweet long-time favorites that grow on long, indeterminate vines.

Read on to learn all about Early Girl tomatoes!

Early girl tomatoes

The Early Girl tomato

The Early Girl Tomato was bred in France and acquired by US agricultural seed company PetoSeed in the 1970s. Member of the PetoSeed board of directors (and chairman of Pan American Seed), horticulturalist Joe Howland, had been searching for a short-season tomato he could grow in his unpredictable climate of Reno, Nevada. Howland named the newly-developed tomato “Early Girl” and signed a distribution deal with Burpee Seeds (reference).

Early Girl tomatoes are round, red, globe-type, F1 hybrid tomatoes. Each tomato is about 4-6 ounces, with the odd larger specimen reaching about a half-pound. Early Girl tomatoes are decidedly normal-looking, making them a homegrown upgrade for picky eaters accustomed to grocery store tomatoes. Early girl is a favorite slicer tomato and is one of many great tomato varieties for using on sandwiches.

Early girl tomatoes growing

What sets Early Girl tomato plants apart is their ability to produce tasty fruit with a homegrown tomato flavor in a very short amount of time (and even amidst temperature swings). The first Early Girl tomatoes often ripen within 2 months of planting the seedling outdoors. These hardy plants can tolerate temperatures as low as 40 °F (4 °C), but can also grow in hot and dry arid climates. Early Girl is a sought-after variety in desert zones and inland climates with cold nights and hot sunny days.

Early Girl tomato plants are indeterminate tomatoes (not determinate/bush). The plants produce long vines that grow longer throughout the growing season. The plants keep producing tomatoes all season until the vines are killed by frost. These vining tomato plants require a vertical stake and/or an outer tomato cage to support the vines and fruits.

Early girl tomato seedlings

What do Early Girl tomatoes taste like?

Early Girl tomatoes have a mild, old-fashioned tomato taste with a nice balance of sweetness and acidity. As one might expect from an early-ripening tomato, they do have a hint of a crisp tang to accompany the sweetness. They are not as intensely flavored as some well-known heirloom tomatoes and open-pollinated hybrids, but they have a shorter time on the vine in which to develop that depth of flavor.

All-in-all, Early Girl tomatoes taste great after a long winter with no homegrown tomatoes, even if they are a bit blander than later-season varieties. Early Girl tomatoes, similar to other tomato varieties known for their taste, are great on a fresh tomato sandwich, cubed up into a salad, chopped into fresh salsa, or enjoyed on a summer pizza.

Early girl tomato seedling plants at nursery

Are Early Girl tomatoes heirloom tomatoes?

Early Girl Tomatoes are not heirloom tomatoes – they are modern hybrid tomatoes. The Early Girl tomato variety is a recent introduction that was bred in France in the 1970s. Furthermore, Early Girl plants grow from F1 hybrid seed. Early Girl is not an open-pollinated variety (a requirement of heirloom tomatoes).

Early girl hybrid tomato seeds

How to grow Early Girl tomatoes?

You can start with tomato seeds or seedling plants from the garden center. Seedling plants are the easiest and are the best option for new gardeners and often for those who grow lots of different varieties.

Tomato seeds are generally sown indoors in February-April, depending on the climate. Tomato plants are very sensitive to cold. Don’t put them outdoors until the threat of frost has passed. While hardier than some other cultivars, Early Girl plants can be damaged at temperatures below 40°F (4°C), and will certainly be killed by frost.

Once outdoors, plant your Early Girl plants in nutrient-rich soil that drains water easily. They also need 6-8 hours (minimum) of direct sunlight daily. These are large plants that should be spaced about 2 feet apart. They grow particularly well in raised garden beds and in large containers like wine barrel gardens.

Tie the main stem to a vertical stake and/or surround the plant with a heavy-duty tomato cage/tower. While the tomatoes themselves are often about the size of a golf ball (not too heavy), the vines branch vigorously and do need support to keep the fruits off the ground as the plant grows larger. Fertilize with a high-quality organic vegetable garden fertilizer.

Early girl tomato plant

Are Early Girl tomatoes hard to grow?

The Early Girl Tomato is one of the easiest indeterminate tomatoes to grow. To make the process as easy as possible, purchase seedling tomato plants in the spring instead of starting your own tomatoes from seeds at home. Find a sunny spot and invest in excellent soil and compost. Take care to support the heavy vines as the plant grows and water it consistently. Expect to start harvesting ripe red tomatoes about 2 months after planting your seedling outdoors.

How tall does an Early Girl tomato plant get?

Early Girl Tomato plants can get very tall, reaching 6-10 feet if staked vertically. These long-vining indeterminate plants grow longer as the growing season progresses, and will require a vertical stake and potentially also an outer support tomato cage to lift up branches laden with tomatoes.

Early girl tomatoes ripening

How long for an Early Girl tomato to ripen?

Early Girl Tomatoes are often the very first standard globe-type tomatoes to ripen in the garden, with a maturity date of 52-60 days after the seedling is transplanted out into the garden. Expect to start harvesting Early Girl tomatoes from your garden about 2 months after planting the seedling outdoors.

Mary Jane Duford
Mary Jane Duford

Mary Jane Duford is a quintessential Canadian gardener. An engineer by trade, she tends to an ever-expanding collection of plants. In her world, laughter blooms as freely as her flowers, and every plant is raised with a dash of Canadian grit.

Mary Jane is a certified Master Gardener and also holds a Permaculture Design Certificate. She's also a proud mom of three, teaching her little sprouts the crucial difference between a garden friend and foe.

When she's not playing in the dirt, Mary Jane revels in her love for Taylor Swift, Gilmore Girls, ice hockey, and the surprisingly soothing sounds of bluegrass covers of classic hip-hop songs. She invites you to join her garden party, a place where you can share in the joy of growing and where every day is a new opportunity to find the perfect spot for yet another plant.

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