Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
📖 About this plant
The most popular home garden vegetable worldwide, tomatoes produce juicy, flavorful fruits in an incredible range of sizes, shapes, and colors from tiny cherry tomatoes to massive beefsteaks. Available in red, pink, yellow, orange, green, purple, black, and striped varieties. Tomatoes are warm-season plants requiring full sun, consistent moisture, and support (staking/caging). Rich in lycopene, vitamin C, and potassium.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun (6-8 hrs)
Every 1-2 days
Moderate (40-60%)
18-30°C
Well-draining, fertile loam rich in organic matter; pH 6.0-6.8. Add calcium to prevent blossom end rot
Balanced NPK fertilizer at planting; side-dress with calcium-rich fertilizer when first fruits set; avoid excessive nitrogen which promotes lush foliage with poor fruit set; potassium important for fruit quality
🌐 Common Names
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- South America (Andes Mountains, Peru, Ecuador); domesticated in Mexico
- 📏 Max height
- Determinate (bush) 30-90 cm; Indeterminate (vining) 150-300+ cm
- 📐 Spread
- 45-90 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Yellow
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Annual
- 📈 Growth rate
- Fast
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Leaves, stems, and green fruits contain solanine and tomatine — toxic if ingested in large quantities (nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness). Ripe red fruits are non-toxic and edible. Green parts are toxic to dogs and cats
- 🌱 Propagation
- Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost; transplant seedlings when they have 2-3 sets of true leaves and nighttime temps stay above 10°C; bury stem up to first leaves — roots will form along buried stem; space 45-90 cm apart depending on type
🛡️ Health & Safety
Leaves, stems, and green fruits contain solanine and tomatine — toxic if ingested in large quantities (nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness). Ripe red fruits are non-toxic and edible. Green parts are toxic to dogs and cats
Common issues
- Blossom end rot from calcium deficiency or uneven watering
- Early blight (Alternaria solani) — brown spots on lower leaves
- Late blight (Phytophthora infestana) — devastating in wet weather
- Hornworm caterpillars defoliating plants
- Cracking fruit from inconsistent moisture
- Fusarium and Verticillium wilt
💡 Care tips
- Stake or cage plants to support heavy fruit clusters
- Prune suckers for larger but fewer tomatoes
- Water at the base to prevent fungal leaf diseases
- Add calcium to prevent blossom end rot
