- Hybrid F1
- Slicer
- 59 days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Red
Early Girl
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.
Single source · Updated Sep 9, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Slicer 4–6 oz (110–170 g) · Globe (estimated)
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Days to harvest
- 59 days from transplant · Early
- 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
- Difficulty
- Easy (estimated) 1/5
- 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
59 days from transplant Early
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 (estimated) weeks before your last frost date. Look up your last frost date by ZIP code →
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
Prices rechecked dailyLinks may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices checked Nov 1, 2026.
All photos
Questions
How do you grow a Early Girl plant?
A Early Girl plant grows 5–7 ft (150–210 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 24 in (60 cm) apart in rows 35 in (90 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 7–14 days (estimated). It needs full sun.
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).
