I live down near Longview, but I'm in a cool microclimate. I don't wintersow intentionally, but I get volunteers in the late Spring from tomatoes that have fallen on the ground. I've only gotten cherry tomatoes, both red and yellow. They come up very late, but by Fall they are almost as big as my transplants. I think you're better off with transplants. They start bearing much earlier.

Thanks. I think I'll grow one wintersowed plant to see what's what and start the rest of them inside.

What is your purpose for such an early start with outdoor tomatoes?

Only those in elaborate shelters would beat the timing/performance of May transplants.

Actually, that's what I don't know. Many people in other areas swear up and down that their wintersowed tomatoes surge forward and catch up with storebought transplants. And (when it works) it eliminates growing lights and hardening off.

I've never intentionally wintersowed tomatoes. The ones that do come up never really produce well compared to those I start indoors. They are healthy but kind of run out of growing season.

eta: I'm up in Whatcom County, so a little cooler up here.

In a warm continental climate like New Jersey, the self-seeded tomatoes do amazingly well, because there is plenty of heat during the growing season. In our region, the plants barely have enough heat to ripen fruit. So I think it's best to start plants indoors here, to make the best use of the limited heat that we get in Summer and early Fall.

Last summer, my neighbor let a volunteer cherry tomato grow to maturity and I had a transplant of the same variety ("Gold Nugget.") I was surprised hers even had time to fruit, but it did bear a crop. Mine bore at least 2 months sooner, and much more fruit overall.

Should have mentioned I'm in Tacoma. Anyway, you should try an experiment. Do both and see for yourself! I agree that it's possible with cherry tomatos but maybe not the way to get the best harvest in THIS part of the country.

I agree with the others. We just don't have enough sun and heat days to ripen tomatoes unless we grow start them in a heated greenhouse, on heat mats or buy transplants. I've gotten a lot of green tomatoes by wintersowing, but very seldom get ripe ones.

Same here, and I'm right on the ocean. I need more of head start than our slow-to-warm springs will give us if I'd like ripe tomatoes ;) The seeds will sprout outdoors, but a few weeks too late to be of much use.