GreenlyWhen to plant tomatoes in Cuenca: from 16 December
In Cuenca, tomato: sow for seedlings from 4 October; plant into a greenhouse from 25 November; plant out into open ground from 16 December. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window. For plants and seeds, the places nearby include Ecuaquimica (garden centre, 2 km); addresses and opening hours are below.
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Tomato in Cuenca: soil, season and weather
In Cuenca frost, not soil, sets the date: the top 7 cm of soil warms to 15 °C — the minimum on the tomato card — around 7 October, 63 days before the last frost on 9 December, so planting waits only for the week after that frost. Cuenca has no autumn frost in the median year, so frost does not end the season.
| Last spring frost | 9 December |
|---|---|
| Top 7 cm of soil at 15 °C | 7 October, 63 days before the last frost |
| Into an unheated greenhouse | from 25 November; November outside: 7.6 °C at night, 18.4 °C by day; card 16–27 °C |
| Days in the bed to the first harvest (card) | 70 |
| First harvest, if planted in this window | from 24 February |
| Daylight | 12:12 on 25 October, 12:17 on 16 December |
| Watering outdoors when fruiting (card) | every 3 days; the driest month, May, has 28 rainy days |
The same dates in Cuenca hold for Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Zucchini, Pumpkin and Watermelon.
Tomato in Cuenca: care after planting
Planted on 16 December: in the first weeks water every 4 days.
Feeding, by the card’s schedule from that day:
- 16 December — feed: balanced (NPK)
- 13 January — feed: nitrogen
Pests and diseases of tomato to watch for:
- Bacterial canker of tomato
- Tomato leaf mould
- Late Blight
- Bacterial spot
- Fruit cracking
- Bacterial wilt (brown rot of potato)
Dates count from the first planting day of the window above; a later planting moves them by as many days.
Weather in Cuenca during the tomato season
No month of the season averages above the tomato card's 16–27 °C by day; the warmest, December, averages 18 °C. Nights average below 16 °C in every month of the season, from 8.2 °C to 8.8 °C.
| Month | Day, °C | Night, °C | Rain, mm | Rainy days | Daylight on the 15th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 18 | 8.2 | 174 | 26 | 12:17 |
| January | 17.6 | 8.3 | 160 | 26 | 12:16 |
| February | 17.8 | 8.8 | 188 | 25 | 12:12 |
| March | 17.6 | 8.6 | 186 | 27 | 12:08 |
| April | 17.3 | 8.5 | 180 | 28 | 12:03 |
| May | 17 | 8.3 | 158 | 28 | 11:59 |
ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo
Tomato in nearby cities
All the nearest cities on our list plant tomato earlier than Cuenca; the closest date is in La Paz, 49 days earlier.
| City | Distance | Date | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayacucho | 1,256 km | 26 August – 8 February | 112 days earlier |
| Cusco | 1,412 km | 3 September – 23 February | 104 days earlier |
| Puno | 1,743 km | 13 October – 3 January | 64 days earlier |
| La Paz | 1,922 km | 28 October – 29 December | 49 days earlier |
| Oruro | 2,120 km | 3 October – 8 January | 74 days earlier |
| Cochabamba | 2,135 km | 21 August – 1 March | 117 days earlier |
Where to buy tomato plants and seeds near Cuenca
Buy plants ready to set out from 16 December (from 25 November for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 4 October. Within 15 km of Cuenca OpenStreetMap lists 5 garden centres, 6 farm-supply shops, 21 markets and 5 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026).
- Ecuaquimica — garden centre
Avenida España 1409 · 2 km · ecuaquimica.com.ec - Mercado agroecológico (Biocentro) — market
Rodrigo de Triana, 010205 Cuenca · Miercoles, Sabado y Domingo 6:00 - 12:00 · 4 km - Mercado 3 de Noviembre — market
Mariscal Lamar 12-86 · 1 km - Mercado 27 de Febrero — market
Adolfo Torres, Cuenca · 2 km
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
- How to grow tomato
- All frost dates and weather of Cuenca
- Shops and markets: Cuenca
- Selling a surplus in Ecuador
- Moon planting calendar for November 2026
- How we calculate the dates
Questions
When to plant tomatoes in Cuenca?
In Cuenca, tomato: sow for seedlings from 4 October; plant into a greenhouse from 25 November; plant out into open ground from 16 December. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window.
When to sow tomatoes for seedlings in Cuenca?
Sow for seedlings from 4 October.
