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Botanical name: Lycopersicon esculentum

Plant type: Vegetable

USDA Hardiness Zones: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Sun exposure: Full Sun

Soil type: Loamy

Soil pH: Acidic


Tomatoes are America’s favorite garden vegetable. (Yes, we technically eat the fruit of the tomato plant, but it's used as a vegetable in eating and cooking and, thus, usually categorized in vegetables.)

This vine plant is fairly easy to grow and will produce a bumper crop with proper care. Its uses are versatile, however, tomatoes are susceptible to a range of pests and diseases.

Planting

  • If you're planting seeds (versus purchasing transplants), you'll want to start your seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the average last spring frost date. See our post on "Tomatoes From Seed the Easy Way."
  • Select a site with full sun and well-drained soil. For northern regions, is is VERY important that your site receives at least 6 hours of sun. For souther regions, light afternoon shade will help tomatoes survive and thrive.
  • Two weeks before transplanting seedlings outdoors, till soil to about 1 foot and mix in aged manure, compost, or fertilizer.
  • Harden off transplants for a week before moving outdoors.
  • Transplant after last spring frost when the soil is warm. See our Best Planting Dates for Transplants for your region.
  • Establish stakes or cages in the soil at the time of planting. Staking keeps developing fruit off the ground, while caging let’s the plant hold itself upright. Some sort of support system is recommended, but sprawling can also produce fine crops if you have the space, and if the weather cooperates.
  • Plant seedlings two feet apart.
  • Pinch off a few of the lower branches on transplants, and plant the root ball deep enough so that the remaining lowest leaves are just above the surface of the soil.
  • Water well to reduce shock to the roots.

Care

  • Water generously for the first few days.
  • Water well throughout growing season, about 2 inches per week during the summer. Keep watering consistent!
  • Mulch five weeks after transplanting to retain moisture.
  • To help tomatoes through periods of drought, find some flat rocks and place one next to each plant. The rocks pull up water from under the ground and keep it from evaporating into the atmosphere.
  • Fertilize two weeks prior to first picking and again two weeks after first picking.
  • If using stakes, prune plants by pinching off suckers so that only a couple stems are growing per stake.
  • Practice crop rotation from year to year to prevent diseases that may have over wintered.

Pests

Tomatoes are susceptible to insect pests, especially tomato hornworms and whiteflies. Link to our pest & problem pages below.

  • Aphids
  • Flea Beetles
  • Tomato Hornworm
  • Whiteflies
  • Late Blight is a fungal disease that can strike during any part of the growing season. It will cause grey, moldy spots on leaves and fruit which later turn brown. The disease is spread and supported by persistent damp weather. This disease will overwinter, so all infected plants should be destroyed. See our blog on "Avoid Blight With the Right Tomato."
  • Tobacco 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 compost pile).
  • Cracking: When fruit growth is too rapid, the skin will crack. This usually occurs in extreme humidity or rainy periods in conjunction with dry periods. Keep moisture levels constant with consistent watering and mulching.
  • Blossom end rot creates Black, indented area on bottoms of fruit, most likely to affect your first picking. Keep moisture levels constant and try using a calcium solution on leaves and fruit.
  • Blossom Drop: Reduce by protecting the plant from too low or too high temperatures, high relative humidity, and excessive wind. Misshapen fruit can occur due to poor pollination.

Harvest/Storage

  • Leave your tomatoes on the vine as long as possible. If any fall off before they appear ripe, place them in a paper bag with the stem up and store them in a cool, dark place.
  • Never place tomatoes on a sunny windowsill to ripen; they may rot before they are ripe!
  • The perfect tomato for picking will be firm and very red in color, regardless of size, with perhaps some yellow remaining around the stem. A ripe tomato will be only slightly soft.
  • If your tomato plant still has fruit when the first hard frost threatens, pull up the entire plant and hang it upside down in the basement or garage. Pick tomatoes as they redden.
  • Never refrigerate fresh tomatoes. Doing so spoils the flavor and texture that make up that garden tomato taste.
  • To freeze, core fresh unblemished tomatoes and place them whole in freezer bags or containers. Seal, label, and freeze. The skins will slip off when they defrost.

See more on properly storing tomatoes and vegetables.

Recommended Varieties

Tomatoes grow in all sizes, from tiny "currant" to "cherry" to large "beefsteak." There are hundreds of varieties to suit different climates and tastes. Here are a few of our favorites:

  • ‘Amish Paste’: Large paste tomatoes, good slicers.
  • ‘Brandywine’: A beefsteak with perfect acid-sweet combination. Many variants are available.
  • ‘Matt’s Wild Cherry’: Foolproof in any climate, cherries bear abundant fruit in high or low temps and in rain or drought.

For more about tomato varieties, see our post on "Tomato Trials: from blue to grafted; what grew this summer."
 

Recipes

Cooking Notes

Capture the garden-fresh taste of tomatoes all year long! See this helpful post on how to can tomatoes.

Wit & Wisdom

In 1522, Spanish explorers returned home from the New World with tomatoes. Wealthy people believed that the fruits were poisonous. Only the peasants were brave (and hungry) enough to eat them.

Ease a headache by drinking tomato juice blended with fresh basil.

Comments

By tomatoe slut on May 20

I love tomatoes <3

By Anonymous on May 17

i planted a beefsteak plant in a planter since I live in AZ and its always too hot for tomatoes. I can move it from sun to shade to keep it from overheating. The plant has grown like a crazy bush and has 4 small tomatoes. It still has lots of blossoms but some are falling off. I did fertilize it last week and it looks good. I have a few yellow/brownish leaves near the bottom. My mom says I need to pick out the center branches to help the plant but I don't know where or if that's true. I'm afraid that if this plant gets too wild the tomatoes will be small and fall off before they ripen.

By tomatoe slut on May 20

Fag

By Anonymous on May 5

Are store tomato plants GMO plants? Is there a way to tell?

By Anonymous

some of the stems on my plant are starting to break, and inside its moldy what is happening and what can I do?

By Almanac Staff

Sounds as if you have "damping off" due to infected potting mix or too much water or keeping the soil too wet. We are not clear how young the tomatoes are. Seedlings? If so, start over with new seed-starting mix and sterilized containers. Make sure you have drainage. Do not let the seedlings sit in water.

By Anonymous

my tomato bush is starting get covered in white, fuzzy, mold. I don't know how to control it! The plant isn't even wet!

By Almanac Staff

Our guess is that you have powdery mildew on your plants. Wash the leave with water and then spray with Neem oil. You can find neem oil in most garden centers. Follow the directions on the bottle.

By Anonymous

I bought my seedling at a little Japanese market last November. It started to grow very fast and is now very big. But I started to notice white, gray, and brown squiggly lines on a lot of the leaves. I am worried about my plant. When it was really bad, these egg looking things would come out of the end of the lines. Also, my plant is in a pot on the west side of my house and it doesn't get direct sunlight until about 1:00 P.M. Is that enough light? Last thing, I live on Okinawa. (The Japanese island) I have heard you talking about different hardiness zones and how some plants at different locations need more water or sunlight. What should I do?

By Almanac Staff

It sounds like you have a problem with leaf miners. The larvae will tunnel through the leaves and stunt the growth of your plant. Leaf miners are difficult to control without using insecticides. The adult leaf miner flies can be attracted by yellow cards coated with a sticky layer of petroleum jelly. Keep your plants healthy and well watered and they may recover from the infestation. Tomato plants need a lot of sun. If possible move your container to a location where it will get more morning sun.

By Anonymous

They are attracted by yellow cards? What does that mean? Did you mean they can be repelled by yellow cards?

By Almanac Staff

Yes, they are yellow sticky cards. Most insects are attracted to the color yellow. Find the cards at your local garden center or on the Internet.

By Anonymous

great for unwanted pests but bad for well needed bees to polinate our crops, use a natural pesticide like diamosis earth (spell check is broke ) :)

By Anonymous

i love growing tomato plants every since i can remember my father growing them i have been hooked...there really easily to grow long as u provide them with enough sun in the day mostly i like mine getting the morning sun and the after noon shade where its the hardest on them...i give mine water once every 3 days to keep the soil around them moist unless we have had rain then i wont..i love canning tomato's and tomoato juice which is the best for homemade chilli..for bugs i use hot sauce and some salt mixed up to keep them off seems to work just dont spray it on them in the heat of the day wait till its almost sundown and for the breaking stem deals..after mine start getting any taller then 6-8 inches they are staked u with anythting i can find rather it be fishing pol rods that are broke or decent sticks under the trees then as they grow i tie them up in sections..hope this helps ya out but this is my method everyone has some different good luck..ookie ky

By Anonymous

First time grower and I'm excited on how they are growing but they are getting heavy even though we have them staked. Unfortunately while I was tying them up I heard one vine crack. It does have many tomatoes on it that are not grown yet. Please advise. I also find it unusual that out of approx 20 tomatoes on this plant ONLY one ripened. All others are small and green. What can I do to ripen the rest of them? Thank you so much

By Almanac Staff

Usually, the ripening of tomatoes is is related to heat units. Tomatoes need lots of heat to ripen. Vines usually crack due to lack of support. Whether you cage or stake them is personal preference. If you support tomatoes off the ground, they will also produce fruit. If you have tomatoes from that broken vine that are green, pick them and place in a single layer on a counter (NOT in fridge) at room temperature until they turn red. When they are fully ripe, place them in the refrigerator several hours before eating.

By Anonymous

My husband and I are both growing tomatoes, he at our home in the garden, he has over a dozen plants. I have one in a bucket on the front porch of my office. His tomatoes are yellow splotchy, not prolific & not ripening. Mine are abundant, red & delicious. I used the same celebrity plants and I filled my bucket with soil from the same garden. I soak my plant everyday & I know he is slowing down on watering thinking this may improve yield. Any suggestions?

By Almanac Staff

Tomatoes need water regularly. Once the fruit begins to ripen you can cut back on watering to get more flavorful tomatoes, but don’t withhold water so much that the plants become stressed.
Does your husband's tomatoes get enough sun? Maybe his plants are growing too close together and shading each other. The soil in containers is usually warmer than soil in the garden and may also make a difference in how the tomatoes grow.

By Anonymous

My husband planted tomatoes on the southern side of our house, they are over 8 ft tall and bottom leaves are spotting and dying. Tomatoes are ripening before they get great big. What is our problem?

By Almanac Staff

Not sure what type of tomatoes you have. Some varieties don't get very big. Here are a couple of suggestions. Remove the bottom leaves and add some bone meal to the soil around the plants. The south side of your house may be getting too much sun. Try shading the plants during the hottest hours of the day.

By Anonymous

I have a few plants that started yellowing at the base a few weeks ago. Others have followed suit. They all have several tomatoes on them. I've added Osmocote, cotton seed meal, and a fertilizer blend. It doesn't seem to be helping too much. One plant has 16 tomatoes on it. Another, the leaves are now turning brown in various places. There is basil nearby, as well as marigolds. What is causing the yellowing?

By Almanac Staff

Luckily, it doesn't sound like tomato blossom rot.

In this instance, it may just be pests. Try this spray: Stir together 1 quart of water, 1 tsp of liquid dish soap and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Do not dilute before spraying on plants. Useful against aphids and scale insects. Organic controls include alcohol spray (isopropyl alcohol, straight or diluted), soapy emulsion (can be mixed w/alcohol), horticultural oil (read the directions) and pyrethrum spray. Soapy water/alcohol should be reapplied every 2-3 days for 2 weeks.

Thank you for your interest in the Old Farmer's Almanac and our Web site.

By Anonymous

I have a new branch or stalk growing off the main stemm from under the soil. I carefully dug down and it is coming off the original stalk. Should I allow it to keep growing or prune it? I am concerned it may take nutrients away from main plant and it's fruit. It looks like another branch that started beneath the soil. Any suggestions?

By Almanac Staff

A tomato plant with 2 stems is unusual. We suggest removing the smaller stem close to the soil. It is also a good idea to remove lower branches. Rain and wind can cause them to touch the soil where they come in contact with soil born pathogens and fungi.

By Anonymous

First time growing tomatoes. I have a Better Boy in one container and Cherokee Purple in another on the deck. The Better Boy is already about 4 feet long/tall and full of green tomatoes. The Cherokee Purple is just as huge and full of green tomatoes. I pruned small suckers but apparently not as much as could have been done, although I've been doing it every few days. Is it possible to prune more heavily at this stage of growth? At this rate they will take over the whole deck before July! Can't find any info on pruning except in relation to suckers. So, thanks for any advice!

By Almanac Staff

We envy your success with these tomato plants! You are clearly doing a lot of things correctly.
Both Better Boy and Cherokee Purple are indeterminate tomatoes, and both produce an abundant harvest. They may very well take over your deck. Enjoy the bounty! By the way, in a survey for the 2005 Almanac, readers described Better Boy as “God’s perfect fruit, [with] great taste.”
First, if you have not already done this, make sure that the plants are staked or otherwise supported. (This should have been done when the first flower appears.)
It would be desirable to have only one main stem below the first fruit cluster. Avoid too many stems above the first fruit cluster; aim for no more than four. Fewer stems mean larger fruit. (How do you avoid too many stems? Prune them.)
Continue to prune the suckers, especially those below the first fruit, but get as many as you can and do this by hand, not with a knife or other tool. If at all possible, do not prune suckers when the leaves are wet to avoid any risk of disease to the plant.
If the suckers get out of hand and become especially large and leafy, consider removing only the leaf cluster at the top of the sucker. This is less of a shock to the plant.
About a month before the end of the season (but who is thinking about that in June?), do a ruthless pruning, or “topping,” of all of the growing tips so that the remaining fruit can mature properly.
We hope this helps. If you are looking for ways to use your harvest, we have more than 400 recipes for tomatoes at Almanac.com/Cooking.

By Anonymous

I've begun to notice quite a bit of blossom end rot on smaller tomatoes on both plants. I really don't think it's calcium deficiency because I added it to both soils early on. Excessive heat or rapid growth? I've never grown Cherokee Purple before but a lot of the green tomatoes are "white-ish" green?! Is this normal? Unfortunately, I did not stake them because I planted them in containers with a string/net trellis attached not realizing how massive and heavy these plants would be. Is it too late to rig something up? Thank You SOOO much!

By Anonymous

The only time I experienced blossom rot was when I bought my plants from a local green house. I planted them like I did every year in a pot with miracle grow soil.Had 4 plants and NO tomatoes without rot. Everyone I talked to that year had the same thing happen to them.I still believe that it was a disease that had spread through the plant distributor.Another reason to grow from heirloom seed of your own stock.

By Almanac Staff

We addressed this and other common tomato problems in a recent issue of the All-Seasons Garden Guide. Here’s the suggestion:
--Blossom End Rot is often caused by fluctuating soil moisture, such as a dry period followed by lots of rain, and is evidence of calcium deficiency in the fruit. Too much nitrogen, high salt levels in the soil, or root damage can also contribute.
--Symptoms: A dark or water-soaked area on the first few fruits’ blossom end (opposite the stem) that eventually enlarges, turns brown or black, and becomes sunken and flat; leathery skin on fruit. Note: Fruit does not rot unless secondary organisms invade. Tomatoes grow slowly and may ripen prematurely.
--To avoid: Prepare deep, well-drained soil. In low-calcium soil, apply lime. Avoid severe hardening off. Plant in warm soil. Water uniformly and regularly; provide mulch. Cultivate shallowly. Avoid overfertilizing; use nitrogen forms that do not contain ammonia, which inhibits calcium uptake.
--To control: Remove affected fruit.
--As for staking later in the growth cycle—sure. Just try to avoid piercing the plant’s roots. Put the stakes (or whatever) at the edge of the pot. Or, if available, tie the branches of the plant to something nearby, such as the railing of a deck.
--Regarding the whitish color, It’s hard to tell at this distance, but it may not be a problem. Perhaps there is the long-shot possibility that the you have a white tomato variety....that the plant tag was inadvertently changed before you bought it.

Good luck! And remember that every growing season is an experiment...

By Anonymous

I live in N.Texas, and I am a 1st timer, and my plants are nice and green, with a few tomatoes, my tomatoes are about a size of a small orange, they started to turn red however.. when I went to pick them they were mushy... Even some that were still green... What do I need to do..

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