Tomato

Sun

Full sun; aim for at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Light afternoon shade can help in very hot climates.

Water

Keep the root zone consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water deeply at soil level; containers may need daily watering in hot weather.

Soil

Fertile, well-drained soil enriched with compost, ideally pH 6.0-6.8. Use fresh container compost or potting mix in pots.

Height

2-10 ft (0.6-3 m), depending on variety and training

Spread

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m), less when trained as a single cordon

Flowers

Small yellow flowers from late spring through summer, continuing into autumn in mild conditions.

Foliage

Green, hairy, irregularly divided leaves with a strong scent when handled.

Growth

Fast in warm weather

Care needed

High

• Plant out after frost risk has passed and nights are consistently above about 10°C (50°F); harden off indoor-grown plants first.
• Install sturdy stakes, cages or strings at planting, and tie tall stems loosely as they grow.
• Water at soil level and mulch once the soil is warm, keeping mulch clear of the stem.
• Feed container plants with tomato fertiliser according to the label once fruit begins to set; avoid excessive nitrogen.
• Allow airflow between plants and remove fallen or diseased leaves promptly.
• In a greenhouse, ventilate on warm days and gently tap flower trusses to help release pollen.

Pruning. For indeterminate cordon varieties, pinch out side shoots in the leaf joints regularly and remove lower leaves as they yellow. Do not routinely remove side shoots from determinate bush varieties; in short-season areas, pinch out cordon growing tips about a month before the expected end of the harvest.

Late winter to early spring

Sow indoors about 6-8 weeks before your expected last frost, providing warmth and strong light.

Spring

Pot seedlings into individual containers once they have true leaves; keep them bright and frost-free.

Late spring

Harden plants off, then plant outside when frost risk has passed and nights are warm; install supports.

Summer

Water consistently, feed after fruit set begins, and tie in or train new growth weekly.

Summer to early autumn

Harvest fruit as it colours and softens slightly; check leaves regularly for pests and blight.

Autumn

Before frost, pick mature green fruit to ripen indoors and clear spent plants; dispose of blight-infected material rather than home-composting it.

• Train cordon varieties along a sunny kitchen-garden trellis to add height without using much bed space.
• Grow compact bush varieties in large patio containers close to the kitchen.
• Use supported rows as the productive backbone of a potager, edged with basil or low-growing flowers.
• Plant cherry tomatoes beside a sunny seating area for easy picking, keeping vigorous growth clear of paths.

Garden styles it suits: Potager (kitchen garden), Edible landscape, Homestead, Cottage garden, Small-space and Family-friendly.

Plant it with: Basil, Lettuce, Chives, French marigold, Calendula and Sweet alyssum.

Wildlife: Flowers provide pollen for bumblebees and other bees capable of buzz pollination, though they offer little or no nectar. Birds and small mammals may eat ripe fruit.

• Late blight: rapidly spreading brown leaf and stem patches, often with brown fruit lesions, favour wet weather. Choose resistant varieties, keep foliage dry and remove infected plants promptly; there is no reliable cure.
• Blossom-end rot: dark, sunken patches at the flower end of fruit usually reflect disrupted calcium uptake from uneven watering. Maintain steady moisture and avoid excess fertiliser; add calcium only if a soil test shows a deficiency.
• Whitefly: small white insects under leaves produce sticky honeydew. Check leaf undersides, use greenhouse biological controls where available, or apply a labelled insecticidal soap with thorough coverage.
• Tomato hornworms: large caterpillars can strip foliage in North America. Hand-pick them; leave caterpillars bearing white parasitoid-wasp cocoons to support natural control.

Ripe fruit is not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. Leaves, stems and other green parts contain glycoalkaloids and are toxic if eaten in sufficient quantity; unripe fruit contains more than ripe fruit. Poisoning can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness and, in severe cases, neurological or heart effects. Keep pets and horses from eating the plants, and seek medical or veterinary advice after significant ingestion.

• Potato (Solanum tuberosum)

  Potato has broader leaflets and usually white, pink or purple flowers rather than yellow ones. Its small green berries are poisonous and must not be mistaken for tomatoes.

• Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum)

  Black nightshade has simple, oval leaves, small white flowers and clusters of pea-sized berries that usually ripen black; tomato has divided leaves and yellow flowers. Do not eat unidentified nightshade fruit.

• Tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica)

  Tomatillo fruit develops inside an inflated, papery husk, and its leaves are simple rather than divided.

The common name tomato comes through Spanish tomate from the Nahuatl word tomatl.

Propagation. Sow seed indoors in warmth, ideally 21-24°C (70-75°F), then grow seedlings in strong light. Side-shoot cuttings root readily in moist potting mix during warm weather. Seed saved from hybrids will not reliably reproduce the parent variety.

Accepted botanical name

Solanum lycopersicum

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Alaska, Hawaii, the lower 48 states, Pacific Basin, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands.

Native range

Peru.

Measured

Soil pH 7 to 7.5. Average height 19 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.