Vegetable · Growing guide
How to grow tomato
Stake or cage early and pinch suckers for bigger fruit.
The basics
- Sun
- Full sun (6–8 hrs)
- Water
- Even, deep watering; avoid wetting leaves
- Spacing
- 18–24 in
- Season
- Warm season; transplant after last frost
- Harvest
- 60–85 days
- Zones
- All (annual)
- Lifecycle
- Tender perennial grown as an annual
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Good neighbours
- Grows well with
- Basil, marigold, carrots, lettuce
- Keep away from
- Brassicas, fennel, potatoes
What usually goes wrong
The problems that actually turn up on tomato — what you'll see, what to do, and how to avoid it next time.
Septoria leaf spotdisease
- You'll see
- Many small dark spots with gray centers on leaves
- What to do
- Remove affected leaves; mulch; copper spray
- Next time
- Rotate, mulch, water at the base
Tomato yellow leaf curl virusdisease
- You'll see
- Upward-curling, yellowing leaves; stunted plants; little fruit
- What to do
- Remove infected plants; control whiteflies
- Next time
- Resistant varieties, whitefly control, reflective mulch
Early blightdisease
- You'll see
- Brown spots with concentric rings on lower leaves, then yellowing
- What to do
- Remove lower/affected leaves; mulch; copper spray
- Next time
- Mulch, rotate crops, stake for airflow
Late blightdisease
- You'll see
- Greasy gray-green blotches with pale mold edges; rapid collapse
- What to do
- Remove and destroy affected plants quickly — it spreads fast
- Next time
- Resistant varieties, airflow, avoid overhead watering
Sunscalddisorder
- You'll see
- Pale, papery, blistered patch on sun-exposed fruit
- What to do
- Keep leaf cover; use shade cloth in heat waves
- Next time
- Don't over-prune, keep plants healthy
Bacterial leaf spotdisease
- You'll see
- Small dark, water-soaked spots with yellow halos that merge and tatter leaves
- What to do
- Remove affected leaves; copper spray; don't work plants when wet
- Next time
- Use clean seed/transplants, rotate, water at the base
Tomato hornwormpest
- You'll see
- Big green caterpillar; stripped leaves and dark droppings
- What to do
- Hand-pick; spray Bt; leave any with white wasp cocoons
- Next time
- Till soil, rotate, scout daily
Blossom end rotdisorder
- You'll see
- Sunken brown-black leathery patch on the bottom of the fruit
- What to do
- Water evenly and deeply; mulch to steady moisture
- Next time
- Consistent moisture, mulch, don't overdo nitrogen
5 varieties worth knowing
“Tomato” is a group, not a plant — the variety decides whether it vines or bushes, when it ripens, and whether the fruit wants to be sauce, a sandwich, or a snack.
San Marzano
The classic Italian paste tomato — dense, low-seed flesh born for sauce.
Roma
Dependable bush paste tomato; a heavy crop that ripens close together.
Sungold
Famously sweet orange cherry that keeps producing until frost.
Cherokee Purple
Beloved dusky heirloom slicer with rich, smoky-sweet flavor.
Better Boy
Forgiving, disease-resistant workhorse — the reliable sandwich slicer.