GreenlyWhen to plant tomatoes in New Zealand: 26 October – 29 February
Tomato in New Zealand: plant out into open ground from 26 October to 29 February; the window opens earliest in Hamilton (New Zealand) and closes latest in Palmerston North (10 cities).
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.
Planting window by climate zone
| Zone | Cities | Window |
|---|---|---|
| 270 frost-free days or more | Christchurch, Hamilton (New Zealand), Palmerston North, Invercargill, Nelson, Blenheim | 26 October – 29 February |
| 210–269 frost-free days | Rotorua, Queenstown, Timaru | 4 November – 12 February |
| 150–209 frost-free days | Dunedin | 3 December – 30 January |
| Frost without a regular season | Wellington, Tauranga, Napier, Gisborne | from 22 November |
Tomato: the window in each city
| City | Window | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Napier | from 11 October | Frost without a regular season |
| Gisborne | from 13 October | Frost without a regular season |
| Tauranga | from 25 October | Frost without a regular season |
| Hamilton (New Zealand) | 26 October – 23 February | 270 frost-free days or more |
| Palmerston North | 29 October – 29 February | 270 frost-free days or more |
| Blenheim | 30 October – 8 February | 270 frost-free days or more |
| Christchurch | 30 October – 13 February | 270 frost-free days or more |
| Timaru | 4 November – 12 February | 210–269 frost-free days |
| Nelson | 11 November – 29 February | 270 frost-free days or more |
| Queenstown | 20 November – 28 January | 210–269 frost-free days |
| Wellington | from 22 November | Frost without a regular season |
| Rotorua | 26 November – 3 February | 210–269 frost-free days |
| Invercargill | 28 November – 16 February | 270 frost-free days or more |
| Dunedin | 3 December – 30 January | 150–209 frost-free days |
