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Growing Tomatoes: Complete Guide from Planting to Harvest

Where to buy tomatoes: Burpee Gardening

Tomatoes are America's favorite garden vegetable. (Botanically a fruit, but culinarily a vegetable.) This vigorous vine is relatively easy to grow and produces heavily with proper care, though it faces numerous pests and diseases.

Planting

Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the average last spring frost. See our guide "Tomatoes From Seed the Easy Way."
Choose a full-sun site with well-drained soil. Northern gardens need at least 6 hours of sun; southern gardens benefit from light afternoon shade.
Two weeks before transplanting, till soil 1 foot deep and amend with aged manure, compost, or fertilizer.
Harden off seedlings for a week before moving outdoors.
Transplant after the last frost when soil is warm. Consult regional planting dates.
Install stakes or cages at planting time. Staking keeps fruit off the ground; caging supports upright growth. Some support is recommended, though sprawling works if space and weather allow.
Space seedlings 2 feet apart.
Pinch off lower branches and plant deep so the lowest remaining leaves sit just above soil level.
Water thoroughly to minimize transplant shock.

Care

Water generously for the first few days.
Provide consistent moisture—about 2 inches per week in summer. Consistency is critical!
Mulch 5 weeks after transplanting to retain moisture.
Place flat rocks near each plant during drought—they draw moisture up and reduce evaporation.
Fertilize 2 weeks before first harvest and again 2 weeks after.
If staking, pinch off suckers to maintain 2–3 main stems per stake. Learn to build supports with our video.
Rotate crops annually to prevent soil-borne diseases.
See our post for more tomato-growing tips.

Pests and Diseases

Tomatoes attract insect pests, notably tomato hornworms and whiteflies. See linked pest pages for details.

Aphids
Flea Beetles
Tomato Hornworm
Whiteflies
Blossom-End Rot
Late Blight – fungal disease causing gray, moldy spots that turn brown. Spread by persistent dampness. Overwinters; destroy all infected plants. See "Avoid Blight With the Right Tomato."
Mosaic Virus – distorted, narrow, twisted leaves with yellow mottling. Destroy infected plants (do not compost).
Cracking – rapid fruit growth from uneven watering. Maintain consistent moisture with regular watering and mulch.
Basil repels aphids, whiteflies, hornworms, and mosquitoes from tomatoes.

Harvest and Storage

Leave tomatoes on the vine as long as possible. If they fall early, place stem-up in a paper bag in a cool, dark spot. If frost threatens, see our video for ripening tips.
Never ripen on a sunny windowsill—they may rot.
Perfect picking stage: firm, fully red (some yellow at stem okay), slightly soft.
If frost arrives with fruit still on the plant, uproot the whole plant and hang upside down in a basement or garage. Pick as they redden.
Never refrigerate fresh tomatoes—it ruins flavor and texture.
To freeze: core unblemished tomatoes, place whole in freezer bags, seal, label, freeze. Skins slip off after thawing.
Save seeds from some varieties—learn how.

See more on proper tomato and vegetable storage.

Recommended Varieties

Tomatoes range from tiny "currant" to "cherry" to massive "beefsteak." Hundreds of varieties suit different climates and tastes. Favorites:

'Amish Paste' – large paste tomatoes, good slicers
'Brandywine' – beefsteak with perfect acid-sweet balance; many variants
'Matt's Wild Cherry' – foolproof in any climate; abundant fruit in heat, cold, rain, or drought

For more varieties, see "Tomato Trials: from blue to grafted; what grew this summer" and our video on choosing tomato varieties.