Tomato

Botanical Name

Lycopersicon esculentum

Hardiness

Tender annual

Height

2 to 6 feet

Width

2 to 6 feet

Flowers

Mid summer to frost: yellow

Fruit

Many different sizes, colors, tastes and textures

Light

Full sun

Soil

Moist, well-drained, organic, warm

Planting & Care

Tomatoes germinate best in soil temperatures of 75 F to 90 F
Sow seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting outside. Plant seeds 1/8 inch deep in flats or containers
Harden off before planting outdoors. Set outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed and the nighttime temperatures are consistently above 45 F.
Space transplants 1 to 2 feet apart for determinate varieties
Indeterminate varieties should be spaced 14 to 20 inches apart when staked and 2 to 3 feet apart when unstaked
Tomatoes perform better when planted deep or trenched. Place in the ground so that the lowest set of leaves is just above the soil surface. Roots will form from along the buried stem.
Place any plant supports at the time of planting to avoid damaging developing roots
Mulch the soil around the plants to retain moisture and to suppress weeds
Tomatoes require adequate, even moisture to flower and fruit properly. Ideally 1 inch of rain a week or supplemental watering may be required to provide consistent moisture.
Extend the season and protect your tomatoes by using floating row covers before plants begin to bloom
Pinch off suckers that emerge from crotches

Problems

Aphids, tomato hornworms, verticillium wilt, blossom-end wilt, fusarium wilt, septoria leafspot, whiteflies, Colorado potato beetle, cutworms, flea beetles, catface

Varieties