Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a tender perennial grown as an annual vegetable for its showy, edible fruit. Plants reach 36 to 72 inches tall and spread 24 to 36 inches wide, thriving in hardiness zones 10 and 11, though some sources extend to zone 12. The genus encompasses an enormous diversity of forms: standard slicers, cherry and grape varieties, large-fruited heirlooms, and pear-shaped types, each with distinct flavor and texture. Whether you grow determinate bushy types that concentrate their harvest or indeterminate vining types that produce continuously throughout the season, tomatoes reward full sun and consistent moisture with abundant, flavorful fruit.
24
Full Sun
Moderate
10-11
72in H x 36in W
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Moderate
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Tomatoes come in a staggering range of sizes, colors, and growth habits, from compact determinate varieties that fruit all at once to sprawling indeterminates that bear fruit until frost. The flowers may be inconspicuous, but the payoff is undeniable: showy, edible fruit in forms ranging from tiny sweet cherries to meaty slicers to bright novelty colors like yellow and orange. As tender perennials grown as annuals, they respond eagerly to warmth and fertile soil, making them among the most rewarding crops a gardener can cultivate.
Tomatoes are grown for their edible fruit and serve countless culinary purposes. Fresh market tomatoes are sliced for salads and sandwiches, while paste and sauce varieties concentrate their flavor for canned products, soups, and cooked preparations. Cherry and grape tomatoes are eaten fresh as snacks or garnishes. Large-fruited heirlooms and novelty varieties appeal to gardeners seeking distinctive flavors and colors for fresh consumption.
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Start seeds indoors in spring 5 to 6 weeks before your last frost date. Transplant to the garden or large patio containers after the last frost date has passed and soil has warmed.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date when soil temperature is warm. Space plants according to variety size; for standard determinate types, space further apart to allow for bushy growth.
Seeds can be sown directly outdoors in larger patio containers around the last frost date.
Harvest tomatoes when fully ripe for maximum flavor. For fresh eating, pick when fruit is deeply colored and yields slightly to gentle pressure. Cherry and smaller varieties should be fully ripe before harvest. Large-fruited and paste varieties are ready when they show rich color throughout and the shoulders (top of the fruit) have lost any green tinge.
Pruning needs depend on growth habit. Determinate varieties, which are bushier with fruit produced at terminal buds, require minimal intervention. Indeterminate varieties, which grow vine-like with indefinite stem growth, benefit from selective pruning to manage sprawl and improve air circulation, particularly as they mature.
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