Planting Tomato
Tomato is a warm season vegetable in the Solanaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.
Tomato is started indoors 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost date, giving seedlings a head start before they move outside.
Transplant young plants outdoors 1–2 weeks after your last frost, once the danger of frost has passed.
Tomato can be grown by starting indoors and transplanting. Starting indoors gives the longest, most controlled season, while direct sowing is simplest where the season is long enough.
Spacing and Planting Depth
Give Tomato room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.
| Spacing in row | 24 inches |
|---|---|
| Row spacing | 36 inches |
| Plants per sq ft | 0.17 |
| Planting depth | 0.25 inches |
| Sun requirement | Full sun |
Days to Maturity
Tomato reaches maturity in 60–85 days from transplant. Once ready, plants continue producing for approximately 60 days. Expect roughly 10-15 lbs (indeterminate) per plant.
Tomato is ready to harvest after about 73 days. Picking regularly over the roughly 60-day harvest window keeps plants productive and encourages a longer pick. A healthy plant typically yields 10-15 lbs (indeterminate). Harvest before the first fall frost, which will end the plant's productive season.
Conditions and Care
As a warm-season vegetable, Tomato needs warm soil and settled weather to thrive, and is set back or killed by frost. It is frost tender, so wait until all danger of frost has passed before planting out and harvest before the first fall frost.
Tomato needs full sun — give it at least six hours of direct light a day for the best growth and flavor. Sow seed about 0.25 inches deep — small seed is sown shallow and barely covered, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.
Tomato belongs to the Solanaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Tomato is generally grown as a single planting each season rather than succession sown.
Companion Plants
Pairing Tomato with the right neighbors can improve growth and deter pests; a few combinations are best avoided.
Grows well with: Basil, Carrots, Marigold (French), Parsley (Flat-leaf)
Keep away from: Fennel, Cabbage, Potato
Growing Notes
No succession planting — one main planting per season.