Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S                  
      T T T            
      P P              

(Best months for growing Tomato in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 61°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 16 - 24 inches apart
  • Harvest in 8-17 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Asparagus, Chervil,Carrot, Celery, Chives, Parsley, Marigold, Basil
  • Avoid growing close to: Rosemary, Potatoes, Fennel, Cucumber

Your comments and tips

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09 Jun 24, dan (USA - Zone 10a climate)
nick, I've read just to stick your finger in about 2 in. and if it's dry, then water. There's also fertilizing to consider. Homestead and Chill is a great website that has articles on Tomato's (deep watering/ shade cloth) and alot more. dan
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05 Jun 24, Melissa (USA - Zone 9b climate)
I started my seeds back in January and transplanted them out mid-march like the diagram said. However, it does show you can plant them in April, but I would be careful because just as they are starting to take off the heat and humidity will be setting in. Depending on the variety most plants will not produce fruit when temperatures are consistently about 90 degrees. Which we are almost there in our zone. Adding shade over them can help! Otherwise, I use the tapping method to aid with pollination :).
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08 May 24, Carla Stacy (USA - Zone 7b climate)
I’m growing tomatoes in a 5 gallon bucket. I have flowers but no fruit. Planted April 19th. Last year same thing lots of flowers but no fruit. What am I doing wrong?
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30 May 24, Ali T (USA - Zone 8b climate)
Do you see any pollinators? Try using a tiny paint brush to mix pollen on each flower.
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27 May 24, Victor (USA - Zone 9b climate)
Just lightly tap the flowers in order to pollinate them and they will form tomatoes.
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19 May 24, s ott (USA - Zone 3b climate)
Try watering with a mixture of epsom salt (1 Tbsp per gal of water). Also, if you,ve seen the banana peel water combination I swear by these two methods. I have the biggest plants and the tomatoes are just loaded on every single plant. It works great for peppers too!
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12 May 24, Texas Grown (USA - Zone 10a climate)
Maybe you don't have enough pollenators. Have flowers around. Make sure you're not spraying something that kills or repels pollinators.
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11 May 24, (USA - Zone 7b climate)
Try a bit of pot ash or potassium.
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21 Mar 24, Louise Shaw (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Can I grow tomatoes all year round and do they reproduce
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05 Apr 24, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Read the notes here for cool mountain areas. Plant spring 8-17 until harvest and then pick for a few months ??? Tomatoes left on the ground will self germinate when the soil temperature is right for germination.
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Showing 11 - 20 of 807 comments
See comments for all plants

You can grow any tomato your heart desires in your zone! Do you like great big beefy slicing tomatoes? Little cherry tomatoes to eat like snacks? Plum tomatoes to make into sauce or sun-dry? All will do great. You may need to use shade cloth in the hottest months to keep them from scorching (I get 40 percent shade cloth from San Diego Seed Company but Amazon has lots of cheaper ones too). If you try to keep them alive through winter, assuming they don't have blight, you can string incandescent Christmas lights around them and cover with fleece if frost threatens. Indeterminate types are basically perennials and will get huge and possibly survive the winter in your zone, so space may be an issue. I usually have ONE big indeterminate sprawler like a Juliet or a Sungold, and let grow as big as it wants on a tower made of cattle panels, and then grow a number of compact bush tomatoes to get some varied crops for slicing, drying, saucing, etc. In your zone you can constantly start new

- Colleen

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