When to plant tomatoes in Columbia: 16 March – 9 August

In Columbia, tomato: sow for seedlings from 2 January to 18 June; plant into a greenhouse from 23 February to 9 August; plant out into open ground from 16 March to 9 August. For plants and seeds, the places nearby include Gardener's Outpost (garden centre, 2 km) and Southern Vistas, Inc. (garden centre, 4 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Tomato in Columbia: soil, season and weather

In Columbia frost, not soil, sets the date: the top 7 cm of soil warms to 15 °C — the minimum on the tomato card — around 24 February, 13 days before the last frost on 9 March, so planting waits only for the week after that frost.

Last spring frost	9 March
Top 7 cm of soil at 15 °C	24 February, 13 days before the last frost
Into an unheated greenhouse	23 February – 9 August; February outside: 6.4 °C at night, 17.3 °C by day; card 16–27 °C
First autumn frost	29 November, 258 days after the start
Days in the bed to the first harvest (card)	70
First harvest, if planted in this window	25 May – 18 October
Days left for picking	188
Daylight	10:18 on 23 January, 11:58 on 16 March
Watering outdoors when fruiting (card)	every 3 days; the driest month, November, has 7 rainy days

Tomato in Columbia: care after planting

Planted on 16 March: in the first weeks water every 4 days.

Feeding, by the card’s schedule from that day:

16 March — feed: balanced (NPK)
13 April — feed: nitrogen

Pests and diseases of tomato to watch for:

Dates count from the first planting day of the window above; a later planting moves them by as many days.

Weather in Columbia during the tomato season

Days average above the tomato card's 16–27 °C in May–September (28.3–33.2 °C). Nights average below 16 °C in March, April and October, November (8.1–13.9 °C).

Month	Day, °C	Night, °C	Rain, mm	Rainy days	Daylight on the 15th
March	20.6	8.7	91	10	11:56
April	24.7	12.1	94	8	13:01
May	28.3	16.9	118	11	13:55
June	31.6	20.9	89	12	14:24
July	33.2	23.2	121	16	14:13
August	31.6	22.2	120	14	13:27
September	29.6	19.4	105	9	12:25
October	24.5	13.9	68	7	11:22
November	19	8.1	62	7	10:25

ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo

Tomato in nearby cities

Around Columbia, Charleston is 33 days earlier and Asheville 49 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Charlotte	138 km	26 March – 24 July	10 days later
Greenville	159 km	26 March – 2 August	10 days later
Charleston	170 km	11 February – 30 August	33 days earlier
Savannah	214 km	17 February – 3 September	27 days earlier
Athens (United States)	217 km	19 March – 2 August	3 days later
Asheville	226 km	4 May – 13 July	49 days later

Where to buy tomato plants and seeds near Columbia

Buy plants ready to set out from 16 March to 9 August (from 23 February to 9 August for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 2 January to 18 June. Within 15 km of Columbia OpenStreetMap lists 6 garden centres, 2 farm-supply shops and 3 markets (collected 28 October 2026).

Gardener's Outpost — garden centre
Woodrow Street 709, 29205 Columbia · Mon–Sun 10:00–18:00 · 2 km · gardenersoutpost.com
Southern Vistas, Inc. — garden centre
Commerce Drive 2825, 29205 Columbia · 4 km
Seven Oaks Plant Shop — garden centre
Saint Andrews Road 4522, 29210 Columbia · 13 km
Farmers Market Xchange — market
Lady Street 912, Columbia · 1 km

Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.

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