You can. Not ideal but it can be done. But I'd plant them in early May at the latest.

You'll have some germination problems you wouldn't have if started under shelter - lower and slower germination depending on the soil temp - and will likely have to do some thinning. They'll need some extra protection as they will be much more prone to damp off, cutworms, slugs and other garden pests that love tiny seedlings.

They will be slower growing initially than you'd get from using transplants so if pests or disease or just spring wind/weather damage doesn't get them, in addition to the approx. 6 weeks needed to get them to plant size and another 6 weeks to fruit set and then another 6 weeks to ripening you'd need a minimum of 4 months to get a crop.

When and how much they will produce before frost depends on the varieties used and their DTM. In your zone would you have enough time?

You can avoid all those issues by just starting some of them under shelter in early April and transplanting them to the garden in late May. Or you can use cuttings from existing plants.

Dave

"Or you can use cuttings from existing plants. "

I have got tomatoes to root like no problem! I would like to do that!

I hear that once your first crop(like if I started them inside then tranplsnted outside in the spring) is almost ready, start new ones through june-july for a fall harvest. I guess the best thing to do it even start them in pots then just transplant. I have problem with that, just no room inside for so many seedlings.

Can I really just use cuttings from the first plants? Wow! I never thought of that with indeterminates I grew. I bet it really works well with determinates!

I think I would start indeterminate seedlings and let them produce a continuous crop. Much less fuss and work. One set of plants give all the fruit you want. Determinates are okay, but most will not produce the larger fruit where one slice can cover the entire slice of bread.

There are many indeterminate tomatoes that produce large fruit and are also early to mid season. Some of the new Dwarf tomatoes from the cross-hemispere dwarf project are easily producing 12 and 14 ounce fruit with absolutely great taste. And, best of all, they come in all colors - including stripes and multi-color.

Ted

Wow! I never thought of that with indeterminates I grew. I bet it really works well with determinates!

Cutting from indeterminates work just fine and many routinely use cuttings to extend their season. There are many discussions here about how to do it.

Determinates are a whole other matter with different growth genetics and a totally different circulatory system. They are not generally recommended for cuttings. Once the terminal bud on a determinate plant or a lateral branch cutting blooms/sets fruit the plant/cutting will not grow any more. That is the nature of determinates.

Dave

Yea I looked that up and found the same thing. no cuttings with determinates...