Can You Harvest Tomatoes After a Frost?

Frost Effects

• Some of your tomato plants may escape severe damage to show only partial damage from a light frost, and a plant with a healthy covering of leaves may offer enough protection to the vulnerable fruits that they may survive a light frost. A heavy frost or killing frost will kill plants and damage fruits unless you offer the plant added protection.

Delaying Damage

• You can surround your tomato plants with layers of insulation to protect the plants from damage. A lighter covering may suffice for light frost; thicker layers will be needed for heavier frosts, but, as the frosts become more severe or when there is a hard freeze, there is not sufficient warmth in the air trapped around the plants to sustain them.

Offering Protection

• Insulation helps retain heat when placed around tomato plants. Frost forms on the surface of the cover instead of on the surfaces of the plants where it can cause damage. Row covers offer 4 to 5 degrees worth of temperature protection, according to the Virginia Cooperative Extension. You also have the option to both cover your plants and provide supplementary heat. Insulating devices must be removed when temperatures warm, making the devices labor intensive, and most devices pose one problem or another for gardeners. Time spent removing and replacing them may not be worth the effort, as tomatoes stop producing in cold weather.

Harvesting Early

• If frost is predicted for your area, you should pick your tomatoes ahead of time and bring the fruits indoors to ripen. If you have the necessary space, you can uproot the whole plant, and bring it inside to hang from the rafters. Bring container-grown tomatoes inside a sheltered location such as a garage to extend their lives, or try growing tomatoes indoors during colder months. Cold frames are unsuitable for warm season crops such as tomatoes but can extend the growing season for cold-tolerant crops.