Early Girl
Single source · Reviewed Sep 9, 2026
Values marked like this (estimated) are model estimates, not confirmed from a source.
Hybrid F1 slicer from France, 1975. The short-season standby: first ripe fruit weeks before the big heirlooms. Ready in about 59 days from transplant.
- Hybrid F1
- 59 days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Medium fruit
- Easy (estimated)
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Slicer 4–6 oz (110–170 g) · Globe (estimated)
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Plant height
- 5–7 ft (150–210 cm) (estimated) Tall
- Spacing
- 24 × 35 in (60 × 90 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Polytunnel · Open ground
- Container growing
- Not suited to pots
- Skin
-
- Red
- Interior
-
- Red
Plant size and habit
Tall · Indeterminate
5–7 ft (150–210 cm) (estimated) · Regular leaf
Early Girl is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 5–7 ft (150–210 cm).
Flavor
“The short-season standby: first ripe fruit weeks before the big heirlooms.”
Growing calendar
- Sow indoors
- Transplant out
- Harvest
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost date.
Disease resistance
- V Verticillium wilt
- F1 Fusarium wilt (race 1)
Uses & tags
- Slicing
- Fresh & salads
- Short season
- Cold climate
- Beginner friendly
- Market favorite
Origin
Early Girl was bred in France and introduced to the American market in 1975. Its selling point has never been flavour but timing: it sets fruit early enough to give a harvest in short-season regions where a late beefsteak would not ripen at all. Dry-farmed versions grown in coastal California have since given it a second reputation for concentrated flavour.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
| Shop | Offer | Price | Packet | Stock | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato Growers Supply Company | Seeds | $3.95Checked Sep 16, 2026 | Pack (30 seeds) | Check availability | Buy |
| True Leaf Market | Seeds | $4.09Checked Sep 16, 2026 | 10 Seed Pkg (3x4) | Check availability | Buy |
| Burpee | Seeds | Check price at shop | Packet size not listed | Check availability | Buy |
Links may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices checked Sep 16, 2026; not live.
All photos
-
Early Girl tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover -
A truss of Early Girl tomatoes -
Early Girl tomato plant in a garden bed with ripe fruit on the vine -
A ripe Early Girl tomato held in a gardener's hand -
Freshly picked Early Girl tomatoes -
Early Girl tomato sliced in the kitchen
Questions
How long does Early Girl take to mature?
Early Girl is ready in about 59 days from transplant.
Does Early Girl need staking?
Early Girl is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 5–7 ft (150–210 cm).
Can Early Girl be grown in a container?
Early Girl is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.
Is Early Girl resistant to disease?
Early Girl carries documented resistance to Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt (race 1).
See also
Other slicer varieties people put next to this one.
Grows like this one
Indeterminate, early, full sun. Same support, same calendar.
