Growing Tomatoes

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Tomatoes

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Enjoy our tomato-growing page covering planting through plant care through harvesting—and even tomato recipes!

America’s favorite vegetable is fairly easy to grow and will produce a bumper crop with proper care. Its uses are numerous, however, tomato plants are susceptible to pests and diseases so proper plant care is important.

Are tomatoes a fruit or a vegetable?

Though we technically eat the fruit of the tomato plant, it is typically treated as a vegetable in eating and cooking and, thus, commonly categorized as such.

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 southern 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. Learn more about preparing soil for planting.
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 tomato stakes or cages in the soil at the time of planting. Staking keeps developing tomato fruit off the ground, while caging lets 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 the 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 water up 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. Learn how to build stakes and other tomato supports with this video.
Practice crop rotation from year to year to prevent diseases that may have overwintered.
Check out this post for even more tomato tips.

Pests/Diseases

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

Aphids
Flea Beetles
Tomato Hornworm
Whiteflies
Blossom-End Rot
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.”
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 uneven water or uneven moisture due to weather conditions (very rainy periods mixed with dry periods). Keep moisture levels constant with consistent watering and mulching.

See our post about tomato diseases and disorders.

Also, watch our video on troubleshooting tomato problems.

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. If temperatures start to drop and your tomatoes aren’t ripening, watch this video for tips.
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.
You can harvest seeds from some tomato varieties. Learn how here.

See more on properly storing tomatoes and other vegetables.

Recommended Varieties

Tomatoes grow in all sizes, from tiny “currant” to “cherry” to large “beefsteak.” There are hundreds of tomato 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, cherry tomatoes 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“ and this video on choosing tomato varieties.

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.

People have argued for quite a long time about whether tomatoes are fruits or vegetables!

Recipes

Cooking Notes

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.

Planting Times

Reader Comments

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Started too soon!

I started germinating my tomatoes too early and we've had a run of cool weather (I'm in SE NY). So I'm looking at seedlings that are too big for their containers but can't put them out for a week to 10 days and they are showing some signs of stress (some wilting). Is it a bad idea to repot given that they are going out in 10 days or less? I use grow lights....is there another way to relieve that stress instead of repotting?

Thanks

repotting tomato plants

Many people repot tomato plants several times before transplanting outside to help build stong roots. You would be fine to replant them into bigger pots.

blossom rot on my tomatoes

I have a Roma plant which producing a lot of fruit but some of the fruit has developed blossom rot . I remove the affected fruit every day and wonder if the unaffected fruit is safe to eat, I would hate to throw the good fruit away it is a firm,nice shape and red,please tell me it is safe to eat.

blossom rot remains...

We would cut off the blossom rot and use the tomato in whatever way you would, sure.

While you’re enjoying that succulent tomato, plan now to avoid blossom rot again. Read here: https://www.almanac.com/pest/blossom-end-rot

Vegetable?

Tomatoes aren't a vegetable they are a fruit!!!!

Tomato

With all due respect, the tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable.

Golden Pear Tomatoes Going Dormant

Last year (2016) I planted golden pear tomatoes for the very first time. I started them from seeds in mid-march. Early Fall the golden pear tomatoes started producing/well. This year I started them from seeds in house at the end of January with all my other plants. After the last frost, I planted them outside.
I live in Nashville TN, and I container garden. All is going well with my 70 plants (a variety of tomatoes and peppers) with the exception of my golden pears. Two weeks ago my pear tomatoes plants are five feet tall with the first tomatoes starting to ripen and more flowers appearing. Then the heat wave hits. The heat index of 105 degrees hits Nashville. My Golden pears wilt and have started to die. I have cut off all the dead leaves trying to save the plants. My plants are in five gallon container and I water them twice a day. I do not allow them to dry out.
I have heard golden pear tomatoes go dormant in extreme July/August heat. Is this true? If it is true should I pinch all the remaining flowers and tomatoes off and hope the plant will rebound will a fall crop? Do you know of any websites dedicated to these plants? Any help will be appreciated.
Brian

tomatoes in hot weather

Although there are some heat-tolerant varieties, tomatoes in general do not like temperatures over 90F. They may drop flowers or have other pollination/fruiting problems. It helps to relieve the stress of the plant by providing some shade during the hottest part of the day, such as with shade cloth. It is good that you have kept up with the watering–they need extra water to help them survive the heat. However, it is very important that the water is draining properly, or it will encourage rot. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer. Picking fruit can also help the plant redirect its energies to maintaining itself. Heat stress can make the plants more susceptible to disease, signs of which can sometimes be wilting. Check for spots on the leaves, discoloration within the stem, etc. If it is not a disease, it is possible that your plant might recover for a fall crop, but it is hard to predict. Good luck!

buds & type

I've read each of the blog/"garden journal" and the tomatoes page concerning care/gardening/soil. It doesn't address my problem of having buds/blossoms, but they don't pollinated. Also, they are only about 2' tall, how I determine whether they are indeterminate or determinate at this stage?

flowers but no fruit

If you have lots of tomato flowers but no fruit, it might be caused by inadequate light, too little water or inconsistent watering, too hot/cold (temps above about 75F night/90 day), or not enough pollinators. Too low humidity can also affect pollination; ideal is 40 to 70 percent. If humidity is too low, misting the plant can help pollen to stick. As to indeterminate/determinate: If you don’t know the name of the variety, take a look at the flower clusters. Determinate varieties form flower clusters at the tips of the shoots (a flower cluster will also eventually form at the top of the plant, at which point plant growth stops). Indeterminate plants form flower clusters along the stem.

Ya done good.

I'm discouraged by all the factors involved in what is claimed as an "easy" plant to grow. However, I think you nailed it. Here in Houston, the temperatures are getting a bit excessive, and yet they are thriving. They get plenty of light, in the morning, and shade envelopes them from a fence starting at about 1p. I believe they are Roma tomatoes. I water each of them about a pint and a half of water each day. So, can I pretty much determine that I will not be getting any fruit from them this year? Any chance they might put out some product before the first frost in late November?

tomato wilt

Tomato plants are wilted. some tomatoes are set on but leaves are wilted. I have tried watering but that doesn't help. There are quite a few walnut trees near, would be affecting them?

Wilted Leaves on Tomato Plants

If watering deeply hasn’t helped, wilted leaves could be a sign of one of primarily two issues: a fungal infection, such as Verticillium or Fusarium wilt, or walnut toxicity. If your tomatoes are less than approximately 75 feet from the walnut trees, then the latter is likely the cause. In either case, there’s not much you can do aside from planting the tomatoes in a different spot next year.

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Tomatoes

would want to do better i growing tomatoes so that i can have big harvesting.

I Wanna buy a tool to measure

I Wanna buy a tool to measure bromine in tomato soil and after many research I found the following. Can you check it and tell if it's a good one ?
Many thanks

Tomato plants not blooming

I planted tomato plants in large buckets and have big beautiful bushes and not one bloom on any of the plants. I live in central Ga. Any suggestions as to why?

tomato flowers

If no flowers form at all, then it could be that the plant received too much nitrogen, which encourages leafy growth at the expense of flowering. Also check whether the plants are getting enough sun; they should receive about 8 to 10 hours of direct sunlight. Hope this helps!

Tomato leaves turn colour

My plants turns colour and the leaves are shrinking. Looks like some disease. I have planted this in pots in my balcony. We are in UAE. Weather here is 13 to 22 degree Celsius. Please give me a solution to get rid of this diseases.
Thank you

Plant care

My brother gave my a tomato plant as a gift to start my own garden but I have never actually planted or cared for any plants so I have no idea what to do now that I actually have one.
The plant he gave me is small (about a foot tall +/-) and he put it in a pot for me. It already has a couple of tomatoes growing but they are still small and green. His instructions were to "just water it," but I'm not sure how reliable his expertise is.
How should I properly care for this plant? My house is a rental so I prefer to keep it potted rather than planting it directly in the yard; is it ok to keep it in the pot? Any information or advice would be great. Thanks!

first tomato

Anna, we’ll try to help you—but you’ve got to help yourself. Books have been written about growing tomatoes, and we’ve condensed decades (nay, centuries!) of advice into this Web site. Here are some pages to explore, note, and return to regularly. As your plant grows, you may need/want to repot it. You might need/want to stake it. You need to give it lots of sunshine and water it regularly. Here is some advice on doing so. Welcome to the garden!

• http://www.almanac.com/content/container-gardening-vegetables

• http://www.almanac.com/blog/gardening-blog/tomato-tips

• http://www.almanac.com/video/how-water-vegetables-better-taste

Since you do not indicate the type of tomato, perhaps it’s cherry/grape: http://www.almanac.com/blog/gardening/gardening/growing-cherry-tomatoes

There is a lot more information on this Web site, Anna. You can search (beneath the soc media icons above by dropping your cursor on the “magnifying glass”) for “tomato,” “tomatoes in containers,” and the like and peruse the pages at your leisure.

Veggies easily grown in first garden.c

I live in central Arkansas. Im just now planting my garden. Any suggestions on what to plant.

Care of heirloom tomatoes

I am trying to develop a guide and schedule for the treatment of my tomatoes through the growing season.A plan to help prevent disease and keep plants healthier so they can fight off disease.Best uses of fertilization and type, treatment to help keep plants healthy and prevent disease.Just best ideas for keeping plants healthy.

Reply

This partly depends on your location. In the north, make sure the plant does not get shade. In the south make sure the plant gets late afternoon shade. If you add compost and organic manure to your soil, keep a consistent watering schedule and monthly spray down the plants (in the Morning Only)(this gets rid of aphids), you will most often need no fertilizer or pesticides.

what would happen

i have some tomato seeds growing i am asking this because i just started gardening this year and im a young gardener but will you tomato's die if they dont have support?

growing tomato plants.

Hello, again, Jacob, Tomatoes do not die without support but they are more susceptible to rot and pests.

growing tomatos in same area year after year

What can I do to increase my tomato production, I have to grow 8-10 hybrid tomatos in the same 10' X 20' area year after year? This year the 3rd year, there were plenty vines and growth, but very few tomatos small tomatos.

small tomatoes

Check the soil nutrients. It sounds like you might have too much nitrogen, which can result in lots of leaves and vines, but discourages fruiting. If you think that this might be the case, then choose a fertilizer high in phosphorus and low in nitrogen. (To be sure, test the soil to assess what nutrients your plants will need.) Apply fertilizer at time of planting and then when the first fruit sets; after that, side dress once every 7 to 10 days. Good luck!

new tomatoes plants

Hi
Three weeks we used our home made compost from last year used of fresh vegetables and eggs shells. We spread in a corner of the plot preparing for spring flowers and!! all tomatoes seed have sprout! it is full of beautiful and strong plans of tomatoes. What can we do with them?. At the moment I am transplanting them to individual pots, just in case they do for next year. Can you advice me about this?.

late tomatoes

If you have tomato transplants when autumn is almost here, then your choices may depend on your climate. In colder climates, it might be best to bring the tomatoes indoors, if you can set them up in an area where the temperature is warm (daytime between 65 and 85F; nighttime cooler, but not below 55F), and there is lots of sunlight (between 12 and 16 hours; a south-facing window with supplemental grow lights might work). Plant them in 5-gallon containers or larger. Fertilize (after first 2 weeks) and water regularly. If you have indeterminate tomatoes, you’ll need to provide support, as they tend to sprawl; these are best, however, for growing over winter, as they will provide a crop over a longer period than determinates. When flowers form, be sure to tap the branches, to encourage pollen to distribute to other flowers. If you do not have room indoors, you can try to extend the season by placing the tomatoes in plastic tunnels or another season-extension system.

Leaves of tomato plants

Plants are 10 foot tall and bottom 2 or 3 foot of plant are dried up and are dark brown or black. What's going on!? Thank you.