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Botanical Name
Solanum lycopersicum
Plant Type
Vegetable
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Soil pH
Acidic
Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Yellow
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Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Tomatoes
Are you growing luscious garden tomatoes this year? Learn all about how to grow tomatoes, different varieties, and planting dates with the Almanac’s Tomato GrowingGuide.
About TomatoPlants
Tomato plants are tender, warm-season cropsthat love the sun and cannot bear frost.It’s important not to put plants in the ground too early. In most regions, the soil is not warm enough to plant tomatoes outdoors until late spring and early summer, except in zone 10, where they are a fall and winter crop. See when to start tomatoes for your location.
Tomatoes take 60 days to more than 100 days to harvest, depending on the variety (see more about varieties below).Due to their relatively long growing season requirements (and late planting date), most gardeners plant small “starter plants” or transplants instead of seeds after the weather has warmed up in spring. Many gardeners purchase their transplants at a garden center or nursery, but you can certainly grow your own from seedindoors.
Here are a few guidelines for buyingtransplants:
- Choose young tomato plants from a reputablenursery.
- Good starter plants are short and stocky with dark green color and straight, sturdy stems about the size of a pencil orthicker.
- They should not have yellowing leaves, spots, stress damage, or flowers or fruits already inprogress.
Read Next
Starting Seeds Indoors: How and When to Start Seeds
Understanding When to Plant Vegetables
Vegetable Gardening for Beginners: The Complete Guide
Planting
Select a site with full sun! In northern regions,8 to 10 hours of direct sunlight are preferred. In southern regions, light afternoon shade (natural or applied, e.g., row covers) will help tomatoes to survive and thrive. Dig the soil to about 1 foot deep and mix in aged manure and/or compost. Give it two weeks to break down beforeplanting.
Also, choose aspace where tomatoes (and members of their family, especially eggplants, peppers, and potatoes) have not grown in the previous couple of years. See tips on crop rotation.
When to PlantTomatoes
Tomatoes are long-season, heat-loving plants that won’t tolerate frost, so wait until the weather has warmed up in the spring. See our Planting Calendar for when to start tomatoes in your location.
If you are starting tomatoes from seed, sowindoors six weeks before the last expected spring frost datein your area. Sow seeds 1/2-inch deep in small trays. Plant seedlings outdoors about two weeks after that date or when temperatures stay in the mid-50 degree range both day and night.See our full guide to starting tomato seeds indoors.
If you have a long enough growing season, it is also possible to direct-seed tomatoes in the garden soil (1/2-inch deep)—but not before the soil is at least55°F. Note that 70°F soil is optimum for maximum germination within fivedays.
Hardening Off Tomatoes
- If you’re buying or growing the start plants, you’ll need to “harden off” the seedlings for a week before transplanting them into the ground. Set them outdoors in the shade for a few hours on the first day. Gradually increase this time each day to include some direct sunlight.Learn more about hardening off seedlings.
How to PlantTomatoes
- Transplant your seedlings (or your nursery-grown plants) into the ground outdoors after all danger of frost has passed and the soil is at least 60°F. See our Planting Calendar for suggested transplantingdates.
- Place tomato stakes or cages in the soil when planting. Staking and caging keep developing fruit off the ground (to avoid disease and pests) and also help the plant to stay upright.Seeinstructions on how to build stakes, cages, and tomato supports.
- Optional: When you transplant tomatoes, add a handful of organic tomato fertilizer or bone meal (a good source of phosphorus)to the planting hole. Do NOT apply high-nitrogen fertilizers such as those recommended for lawns, as this will promote luxurious foliage but can delay flowering andfruiting.
- When planting seedlings, pinch off a few of the lower leaves. Here are two ways to set seedlings in the soil:
- Place each root ball deep enough so that the bottom leaves are just above the surface of the soil. Roots will grow all along the plant’s stem underground. Plant seedlings 2 to 3 feet apart. Crowded plants will not get sufficient sun, and the fruit may notripen.
- Alternatively, lay long, leggy transplants on their sides in trenches 3 to 4 inches deep. Bury the stems up to the first set of true leaves. Roots will develop along the buried stem. If you plant this way, consider setting four tomato plants in compass-point positions (north, south, east, and west). This formation enables you to fertilize and water the plants in themiddle.
- Remember to allow enough space for the plants to spreadout.
- Water well to reduce shock to theroots.
Growing Tomatoes inContainers
- Use a large pot or container (at least 20 inches in diameter) with drainage holes in thebottom.
- Use loose, well-draining soil (e.g., at least 12 inches of a good “potting mix” with added organicmaterial).
- A tray of some sort should be placed under the pot to catch any excess water that drains out thebottom.
- Choose determinate types, such as bush or dwarf varieties. Many cherry tomatoes grow well in pots.Taller varieties may need to bestaked.
- Plant one tomato plant per pot and give each at least 6 hours of sun perday.
- Keep soil moist. Containers will dry out more quickly than garden soil, so check daily and provide extra water during heatwaves.
Growing
WateringTomatoes
- Water in the early morning so that plants have sufficient moisture to make it through a hotday.
- Water generously the first few days that the tomato seedlings or transplants are in theground.
- Then water with about 2 inches (about 1.2 gallons) per square foot per week during the growing season. Deep watering encourages a strong rootsystem.
- Avoid overhead watering and afternoon watering. Water at the base/soil level of a plant to avoid splashing water on the leaves (which invitesdisease).
- Mulch 5 weeks after transplanting to retain moisture, keep soil from splashing the lower leaves, and control weeds.Apply 2 to 4 inches of organic mulch, such as straw, hay, or barkchips.
- To help tomatoes through periods of drought, find some flat rocks and place one next to each plant. The rocks prevent water from evaporating from thesoil.
FertilizingTomatoes
- You should have already worked compost into the soil before planting and added some bonemeal to the planting hole whentransplanting.
- Side-dress plants, applying liquid seaweed or fish emulsion or an organic fertilizer every two weeks, starting when tomatoes are about 1 inch in diameter (some folks say golf ball-size). If you are using an organic granular formula such as Espoma Tomato-Tone (4-7-10 or 3-4-6), pull mulch back a few inches and scratch 2 to 3 tablespoons fertilizer around the drip line of the plant. Water in, and replacemulch.
- Continue fertilizing tomatoes about every 3 to 4 weeks untilfrost.
- Note: Avoid fast-release fertilizers and avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers. As stated, too much nitrogen will result in lush foliage but few flowers and little or nofruit.
PruningTomatos
- If growing vining tomatoes, pinch off suckers (new, tiny stems and leaves between branches and the main stem). This aids air circulation and allows more sunlight into the middle of theplant.
- Gently tie the stems to stakes with rags, nylon stockings, twine, or softstring.
- As a plant grows, trim the lower leaves from the bottom 12 inches of thestem.
Check out this post for even more tomato tips.
Recommended Varieties
The first job is deciding what to grow, and with at least 10,000 different varieties of tomato, there’s certainly plenty to choose from, including cherry tomatoes, paste types, varieties with standard round fruits and chunky beefsteaktomatoes.
Whatever you grow, they’ll fall into one of two categories: ‘bush’ tomatoes, sometimes called determinate tomatoes, which grow to around three feet (1m) tall, and ‘vining’ tomatoes, also called indeterminate or ‘cordon’ tomatoes, which continue growing to produce fruits on one longstem.
Only got a hanging basket? Hey, no problem – there are compact tomatoes for this situation,too.
- Determinate tomatoes, better known as bush varieties, grow 2 to 3 feet tall. These varieties tend to provide numerous ripe tomatoes at one time. They do not put on much leaf growth after setting fruit, and tend to fruit for a (relatively) brief period of time.They are generally productive earlier than the vining varieties, and not in the latter part of the growing season. Determinate tomatoes do not require staking or caging. These plants are ideal for containers and small spaces. Most paste tomatoes are determinate, which works well for making sauce and canning. Because they produce at the same time, determinate tomatoes are a good selection for canning.
- Indeterminate tomatoes, better known as vining varieties, produce the largest types of mid- to late-season slicing tomatoes all summer and until the first frost. Because indeterminates experience more leaf growth, their production tends to be spread more evenly throughout the season. Indeterminate tomatoes need staking. They are ideal in large gardeners. Most beefsteak and cherry tomatoes areindeterminate.
Tomatoes come in a wide range of flavors, colors, and sizes, from tiny grape-sized to giant beefsteaks. The choice also depends on how you use this versatile fruit in the kitchen. For example, Roma tomatoes are not usually eaten fresh out of hand but are perfect for sauces andketchup.
Also, tomatoes can be susceptible to pests and diseases. To avoid problems, choose disease-resistant cultivars whenever possible.
Early Varieties (fewer than 70 days to harvest)
Early-maturing cultivars such as Early Girl may be slightly less flavorful but will produce fruit 2 to 3 weeks earlier than mid or late-seasoncultivars.
- ‘Early Cascade’: indeterminate trailing plant, fruit in clusters;disease-resistant
- ‘Early Girl’: indeterminate; meaty fruit; produces through thesummer
Mid-season Varieties (70 to 80 days toharvest)
- ‘Floramerica’: determinate; disease-resistant; firm, deep red flesh, strongplant
- ‘Fantastic’: indeterminate; disease- and crack-resistant; meaty rich flavor, heavyyields
Late-season Varieties (80 days or more toharvest)
- ‘Amish Paste’: indeterminate; heirloom; large plum tomatoes, acorn-shaped fruit; juicy, excellent forsauce.
- ‘Brandywine’: indeterminate; heirloom; beefsteak with perfect acid-sweet combination, many variants areavailable
- ‘Tomato, Roma VF’: determinate; compact roma tomatoes; resistant to wilts. Meaty interiors and few seeds; heavy-yielding; good for paste andcanning.
CherryTomatoes
- ‘Sun Gold’: 57 days to maturity; indeterminate; resistant to Fusarium wilt and tobacco mosaic virus; bright tangerine-orange color on grapelike trusses;intensely sweettaste
- ‘Matt’s Wild Cherry’: indeterminate, disease-resistant (includingblight)
- ‘Yellow Mini (F1)’:57 days to maturity; indeterminate; sweet juicy favor; compared with other cherry tomatoes, Yellow Mini resists the splitting that is caused by too much rain or inconsistent watering; high resistance to tobacco mosaicvirus.
LargeTomatoes
- Beefsteak, Beefmaster, Ponderosa, and Oxheart are noted for their large fruit. However, these larger fruited types often are more susceptible to diseases and skincracking.
Check out this helpful video on how to choose tomatovarieties.
See full script to this video on how to choose tomato varieties.
Harvesting
- Leave garden tomatoes on the vine as long aspossible.
- Harvest tomatoes when they are firm and very red,regardless of size, with perhaps some yellow remaining around the stem. Harvest tomatoes of other colors (orange, yellow, purple, or another rainbow shade) when they turn the correctcolor.
- If temperatures start to drop and your tomatoes aren’t ripening, use one of these methods:
- Pull up the entire plant, brush off dirt, remove foliage, and hang the plant upside down in a basem*nt orgarage.
- Place mature, pale green tomatoes, stem up in a paper bag and loosely seal it. Or wrap them in newspaper and place in a cardboard box. Store in a cool (55°F to 70°F), dark place. Cooler temperatures slow ripening; warmth speeds it. Check weekly and remove soft, spotted, diseased, or ripefruit.
- Never place tomatoes on a sunny windowsill to ripen. They may rot before they areripe!
- Watch this video for tips on how to ripen green tomatoes.
- You can harvest seeds from some tomato varieties. Learn how here.
How to StoreTomatoes
- Never refrigerate fresh garden tomatoes. Doing so spoils the flavor and texture that give them that garden tomatotaste.
- To freeze, core fresh and unblemished tomatoes and place them whole in freezer bags or containers. Seal, label, and freeze. The skins will slip off when theythaw.
See more on properly storing tomatoes and other vegetables.
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Wit and Wisdom
- The tomato has a strange history because it’s of American origin, but it was unknown as a food in this country. Spanish explorers brought the seed to Europe, and then it returned to the NewWorld!
- Initially, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous and only grown in the 19th century as an ornamental plant called “The Apple of Paradise” in Germany and “The Apple of Love” inFrance.
- The mistaken idea that tomatoes were poisonous probably arose because the plant belongs to the Nightshade family, of which some species are trulypoisonous.
- In 1781, there is a record of Thomas Jefferson, an experimental farmer, raising tomatoes for hisguests!
- People have argued for quite a long time about whether tomatoes are fruits or vegetables!
- Ease a headache by drinking tomato juice blended with freshbasil.
Pests/Diseases
TomatoProblems
If no flowers form, plants may not be getting enough sun or water. Too little of either can stopflowering.
If plants are producing abundant flowers but no fruit, it could be due to insufficient light, inadequate watering or irregular watering schedule, extreme temperatures (above 75°F during the night and 90°F during the day), or insufficient pollination bybees.
If flowers form but drop off the plant, this is due to high daytime temperatures (over 90°F). Provide shade during the hottest part of the day by using row covers or shadecloth.
Low humidity can also affect pollination. The ideal is 40 to 70 percent. If humidity is low, mist the plant to help pollen tostick.
TomatoPests
Tomatoes are susceptible to insect pests. To avoid overpopulation of insect pests, follow these basictips:
- Monitor tomato plants daily, checking under leaves, checking fruit, and checking near thesoil.
- To dislodge many pests like Aphids, spray plants with a good jet stream from thehose.
- Handpick bigger insects likeTomato Hornworms with gloves on, dropping them into a bucket of soapywater.
- Apply insecticidal soap directly to the insect on the plant. This works for smaller pests, such as aphids and spidermites.
- Apply horticultural oils or sprays diluted in water. Neem oil sprays block an insect’s airholes.
- If you choose as a last resort to use insecticides like Sevin, keep in mind that you may be killing beneficial insects aswell.
When it comes to tomato diseases and other problems, most of the work is in prevention. Here are some tips to avoid tomatodiseases:
- Plant disease-resistant tomato varieties.Tomato disease-resistant codes are listed on seed or seedling packets (example:F = FusariumWilt).
- Rotate crops at least every three years in the same spot. Avoid planting other members of Solanaceous/nightshade family in the same area as well. This includes potato, pepper, andeggplant.
- Ensure well-draining soil. Always mix in compost or organicmatter.
- Water consistently! Do not overwater or underwater. Uneven watering may cause a condition called blossom endrot.
- Destroy infected plants. Unfortunately, you often need to remove and discard infected plants, or the disease will overwinter. Do NOT put them in your compostpile.
- Solarize the soil. If the problem is really bad, you can treat your soil by covering it with plastic during the hottest part of the summer for 6 to 8 weeks; the sun will destroy thebacteria.
TomatoDiseases
- Blossom-End Rotcauses the bottom side of the tomato to develop dark, sunken spots due to a calcium imbalance due to uneven watering. See the link for remedies andprevention.
- Early Blight is a fungal disease that causes leaves to drop.In July, the risks of blight increase, due to the combination of high humidity and warm days and nights. It starts with dark, concentric spots (brown to black), about 1/2-inch in diameter, on the lower leaves and stems. If you catch it early and destroy infected leaves, your plant may survive. The best defense for outdoor tomatoes is good ventilation and stripping off the lower leaves as the fruits develop. This also helps the ripening process, as tomatoes have maximum exposure tosun.
- Late Blight is a fungal disease that causes grey, moldy spots on leaves and fruit, which later turn brown. The disease is spread and supported by persistent damp weather. Unfortunately, once your tomato has late blight, there’s really no solution.See our blog on “Avoid Blight With the Right Tomato.”
- Mosaic Virus creates distorted leaves and causes young growth to be narrow and twisted, and the leaves become mottled with yellow. Unfortunately, infected plants should be destroyed (but don’t put them in your compostpile).
- Fusarium Wilt starts with yellowing and wilting on one side of the plant and moves up the plant as the fungus spreads. Unfortunately, once this disease strikes, the plant needs to bedestroyed.
- Powdery Mildewis a fungal disease that leaves white spots or a dusting of white on the leaves. It can be managed. See the link to learnmore.
- Cracking: When fruit growth is too rapid, the skin will crack. This usually occurs due to uneven watering or uneven moisture from weather conditions, such as (very rainy periods mixed with dry periods).Keep moisture levels constant with consistent watering andmulching.
See our article all about Tomato Diseases and Disorders.
Check out this helpful video to see how to fix the top 10 tomato problems!
Recipes
Spinach-Stuffed Tomatoes
Tomato Herb Bread
Skillet Chicken With Fresh Tomatoes
Chicken-Stuffed Tomatoes
Fresh Tomato Tart
Cherry Tomato and Beet Crostini
Fresh Tomato and Zucchini Au Gratin
Cooking Notes
Tomatoes are nutritious and low in calories. One medium-sized tomato provides 57% of the recommended daily allotment (RDA) of vitamin C, 25% of vitamin A, and 8% of iron, yet it has only 35calories.
Capture the garden-fresh taste of tomatoes all year long! See this helpful post on how to can tomatoes.
Many people also love dried tomatoes, so learn how to dry your own tomatoes here.
See our Best Tomato Recipes Ever!
Vegetables
About The Author
Catherine Boeckmann
Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprise that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
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Comments
Add a Comment
What caused leaf curl at new growth on top of my tomato plants?
- Reply
You're missing "Ramapo". A classic Jersey tomato with that great old time flavor that was reintroduced by Rutgers University a few years ago. I've grown them in NH for 3 years now. They're a heavy producer, large size great for slicing. Gardening and growing tomatoes for well over 50 years, Ramapo is the best I have ever run across. Beats anything out there!
- Reply
I have started 3 tomato plants in containers inside my house. They are now 18" in height but have very few branches. Is this normal?
- Reply
Tomatoes are sun and heat lovers. They need at least 8 hours of direct sunlight per day PLUS a surrounding temperature of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit orhigher.
- Reply
The tomatoes may fail to produce more branches while growing tall due to lack of enough sunlight. Adequate sunlight is very useful for it's growth.
- Reply
My big new tomatoes (still green) are getting holes (bugs) can I save them, I don't see any bugs, very frustrating
- Reply
Hi Danielle, We are sorry to hear about the issues with your tomato crop. It must be quite frustrating, especially since you can not see what is causing the holes. Some of the more common pests are the tomato fruitworm and tomato hornworm. Whatever is creating the holes in your tomatoes is likely causing damage and promoting decay to the inside of the fruit as well. It is best to get rid of the severely affected tomatoes and then keep a watchful eye for pests in an attempt to salvage what remains of yourcrop.
- Reply
I sliced open an over ripe tomato and it was filled with sprouted seeds. I scooped them out and put them in an inch of potting soil. I now have a forest of 2 inch tall seedlings. Will they produce the same kind of tomatoes as the tomato they came in?
- Reply
Cheryel,
If it was an heirloom variety it should. If it was a store bought variety it in all probability will not produce anything like what you had, if it produces anything at all. Store bought tomatoes are genetically modified to the point where growers have to buy new plants each year. They do not save seeds as they cannot grow plants from those tomatoes that they grow. I grow heirloom tomatoes simply for the fact that I can save seeds plus I get much better tasting fruit. I took a 2 day seminar in commercial hot house tomato growing and learned of this from the seminar. I don't like genetically modified produce for this, and other reasons. Before I started growing my own tomatoes and had to buy store bought fruit I have had tomato seedlings growing in my compost and tried growing plants just to see what happens and none of them have produced fruit.
I hope this helps.
Mr. Mike
- Reply
Tomatoes are self-fertile, so it’s possible that the tomato plant pollinated itself and produced this tomato, in which case the seeds will essentially be the same as their parent. However, if it was cross-pollinated by other tomatoes, then these seeds will be hybrids and may not be exactly the same. So, there’s really no way to know without growing them, unfortunately! Any changes are likely to be small, so if you want to give these seedlings a shot, it could be a funexperiment.
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