Skip to content
Vegetable Full Sun Regular water

Tomato

Written by the GrowByCity Editorial Team · Updated April 2026
2 min read

The world's most popular garden vegetable. A warmth-loving plant that does best between 18°C and 27°C, tomato adapts well to tropical and subtropical conditions but cannot tolerate frost. Give it full sun (6-8 hours of direct light daily) and regular watering to keep soil consistently moist, and expect to harvest in roughly 60-85 days. A staple of kitchen gardens and allotments, it rewards even first-time growers with a generous harvest.

Harvest 60-85 days
Temp Range 10°C — 35°C

Quick Answer: How to Grow Tomato

Tomato takes 60-85 days to harvest. It grows best in 18–27°C with full sun and regular watering. Tomato is not frost tolerant — wait until after the last frost to plant. It can be grown in 350 cities worldwide.

Find the best time to plant Tomato in your city →

Growing Requirements

☀️
Sun
Full Sun
💧
Water
Regular
❄️
Frost
Sensitive
📅
Harvest
60-85 days

Temperature Range

18-27°C
-10°C 45°C
Optimal: 18–27°C Tolerates: 10–35°C
Tropical suitable: Yes
Cities growing: 350 of 350

Growing Tips

💡

Expert Tips

Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Needs staking or caging. Wait until soil warms to at least 18°C before transplanting outdoors — cold soil stunts growth and can invite root rot. Aim for about 2.5 cm of water per week, adjusting for rainfall. Organic mulch around the base helps maintain even moisture.

Quick Facts

  • Grows in 350 of 350 cities
  • Available in 7 regions worldwide
  • Temperature range: 10°C to 35°C
  • Optimal growing: 18°C to 27°C
  • Harvest in 60-85 days

Did You Know?

  • 🌱 Tomato loves the heat! It thrives in tropical and subtropical climates year-round.
  • 🌱 Tomato needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth.

Step-by-Step Growing Guide

Tomatoes demand well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0–6.8. Before planting, work in 5–8cm of aged compost and a balanced slow-release fertiliser (10-10-10) at 200g per square metre. Transplant seedlings 60–90cm apart in rows 1m apart, burying the stem up to the lowest leaves to encourage extra root development. Plant at the depth that covers two-thirds of the stem. Water deeply 2–3 times per week, delivering 2.5–3.5cm per week — always at the base, never on foliage. Inconsistent moisture causes blossom end rot and cracking, so mulch with 8cm of straw to hold soil moisture and regulate temperature. Begin with a balanced fertiliser at transplant, switch to a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus feed (5-10-10) once first flowers appear, then apply a liquid potassium-rich fertiliser every two weeks as fruit swells. Pinch out lateral suckers on indeterminate varieties to focus energy on fewer, larger fruit. Stake or cage plants immediately at planting — waiting causes root disturbance. Minimum soil temperature for transplanting is 15°C.

Common Pests & Problems

Blight (Phytophthora infestans) appears as dark, water-soaked lesions on leaves and stems that spread rapidly in cool, wet weather. Remove affected foliage immediately and spray with copper-based fungicide weekly as a preventive. Tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata) is a large green caterpillar that strip leaves overnight — handpick at dusk or release Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray. Blossom end rot is a calcium deficiency triggered by irregular watering rather than a true pest — dark, sunken patches form on the fruit base. Fix by maintaining consistent soil moisture and mulching heavily; foliar calcium sprays offer short-term relief. Rotate tomatoes to a different bed every season to break soil pathogen cycles.

Harvest & Storage

Harvest when fruit reaches full colour for its variety and gives slightly under gentle thumb pressure. Twist and lift upward rather than pulling to avoid tearing the stem. For peak flavour, harvest at room temperature and store on the kitchen bench away from direct sun — never refrigerate below 12°C as cold destroys flavour compounds and creates mealy texture. Tomatoes left on the bench last 5–7 days. For longer storage, pick at the first blush of colour and ripen indoors. Surplus fruit can be roasted and frozen for up to 6 months.

Popular Varieties

San Marzano is the gold-standard paste tomato — meaty, low-seed flesh with rich flavour, ideal for sauces and slow-cooking. Mortgage Lifter is a large, pink beefsteak (up to 700g) beloved for its mild sweetness and few seeds. Sungold is an indeterminate cherry type producing masses of orange fruit with exceptional candy-sweet flavour — arguably the most popular home garden tomato globally. Black Krim is a Russian heirloom with dark, complex, slightly salty flavour and striking maroon shoulders, excellent for slicing fresh.

Companion Plants for Tomato

Good Companions

These plants grow well alongside Tomato:

Avoid Planting Near

Keep these plants away from Tomato:

Learn more about companion planting.

Where to Grow Tomato

Tomato can be grown in 350 cities across 7 regions worldwide

🌍 Europe (80 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Aarhus, DK medium
Amsterdam, NL medium
Ankara, TR medium
Antalya, TR medium
Athens, GR medium
Barcelona, ES medium
Bari, IT medium
Belgrade, RS medium
Bergen, NO medium
Berlin, DE medium
Bilbao, ES medium
Bologna, IT medium
Bordeaux, FR medium
Bratislava, SK medium
Brussels, BE medium
Bucharest, RO medium
Budapest, HU medium
Catania, IT medium
Cologne, DE medium
Copenhagen, DK medium
Corfu, GR medium
Cork, IE medium
Dublin, IE medium
Dubrovnik, HR medium
Edinburgh, GB medium
Florence, IT medium
Frankfurt, DE medium
Gdansk, PL medium
Genoa, IT medium
Glasgow, GB medium
Gothenburg, SE medium
Hamburg, DE medium
Helsinki, FI medium
Heraklion, GR medium
Istanbul, TR medium
Izmir, TR medium
Krakow, PL medium
Kyiv, UA medium
Limassol, CY medium
Lisbon, PT medium
Ljubljana, SI medium
London, GB medium
Lyon, FR medium
Madrid, ES medium
Malaga, ES medium
Marseille, FR medium
Milan, IT medium
Munich, DE medium
Naples, IT medium
Nice, FR medium
Nicosia, CY medium
Oslo, NO medium
Palermo, IT medium
Paris, FR medium
Porto, PT medium
Poznan, PL medium
Prague, CZ medium
Reykjavik, IS medium
Riga, LV medium
Rome, IT medium
Seville, ES medium
Sofia, BG medium
Split, HR medium
Stockholm, SE medium
Strasbourg, FR medium
Stuttgart, DE medium
Tallinn, EE medium
Thessaloniki, GR medium
Tirana, AL medium
Toulouse, FR medium
Turin, IT medium
Turku, FI medium
Valencia, ES medium
Valletta, MT medium
Verona, IT medium
Vienna, AT medium
Vilnius, LT medium
Warsaw, PL medium
Zagreb, HR medium
Zurich, CH medium

🌏 Asia (79 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Ahmedabad, IN medium
Almaty, KZ medium
Bali, ID medium
Bandung, ID medium
Bangalore, IN medium
Bangkok, TH medium
Beijing, CN medium
Busan, KR medium
Cebu, PH medium
Chandigarh, IN medium
Chengdu, CN medium
Chennai, IN medium
Chiang Mai, TH medium
Chittagong, BD medium
Chongqing, CN medium
Coimbatore, IN medium
Colombo, LK medium
Da Nang, VN medium
Dalian, CN medium
Davao, PH medium
Delhi, IN medium
Dhaka, BD medium
Dharan, NP medium
Fukuoka, JP medium
Galle, LK medium
Guangzhou, CN medium
Hangzhou, CN medium
Hanoi, VN medium
Harbin, CN medium
Ho Chi Minh City, VN medium
Hong Kong, HK medium
Hyderabad, IN medium
Incheon, KR medium
Indore, IN medium
Islamabad, PK medium
Jaipur, IN medium
Jakarta, ID medium
Jeju, KR medium
Johor Bahru, MY medium
Karachi, PK medium
Kathmandu, NP medium
Kochi, IN medium
Kolkata, IN medium
Kuala Lumpur, MY medium
Kunming, CN medium
Kyoto, JP medium
Lahore, PK medium
Lucknow, IN medium
Manila, PH medium
Mumbai, IN medium
Nagoya, JP medium
Nanjing, CN medium
Nha Trang, VN medium
Okinawa, JP medium
Osaka, JP medium
Pattaya, TH medium
Penang, MY medium
Phnom Penh, KH medium
Pune, IN medium
Sapporo, JP medium
Seoul, KR medium
Shanghai, CN medium
Shenzhen, CN medium
Siem Reap, KH medium
Singapore, SG medium
Surabaya, ID medium
Surat, IN medium
Taipei, TW medium
Tashkent, UZ medium
Tbilisi, GE medium
Tokyo, JP medium
Ulaanbaatar, MN medium
Varanasi, IN medium
Vientiane, LA medium
Visakhapatnam, IN medium
Wuhan, CN medium
Xi'an, CN medium
Xiamen, CN medium
Yangon, MM medium

🌎 North America (78 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Albuquerque, US medium
Anchorage, US medium
Atlanta, US medium
Austin, US medium
Baltimore, US medium
Baton Rouge, US medium
Boise, US medium
Boston, US medium
Bridgetown, BB medium
Buffalo, US medium
Calgary, CA medium
Cancun, MX medium
Charleston, US medium
Charlotte, US medium
Chattanooga, US medium
Chicago, US medium
Denver, US medium
Des Moines, US medium
Detroit, US medium
Edmonton, CA medium
El Paso, US medium
Fargo, US medium
Fresno, US medium
Guadalajara, MX medium
Halifax, CA medium
Hartford, US medium
Havana, CU medium
Honolulu, US medium
Houston, US medium
Jacksonville, US medium
Kansas City, US medium
Kingston, JM medium
Knoxville, US medium
Las Vegas, US medium
Little Rock, US medium
Los Angeles, US medium
Louisville, US medium
Lubbock, US medium
Madison, US medium
Memphis, US medium
Mexico City, MX medium
Miami, US medium
Milwaukee, US medium
Minneapolis, US medium
Monterrey, MX medium
Montreal, CA medium
Nashville, US medium
New Orleans, US medium
New York, US medium
Oaxaca, MX medium
Oklahoma City, US medium
Omaha, US medium
Ottawa, CA medium
Panama City, PA medium
Phoenix, US medium
Pittsburgh, US medium
Portland, US medium
Puebla, MX medium
Quebec City, CA medium
Raleigh, US medium
Richmond, US medium
Sacramento, US medium
Salt Lake City, US medium
San Diego, US medium
San Francisco, US medium
San Jose, CR medium
Santo Domingo, DO medium
Saskatoon, CA medium
Savannah, US medium
Seattle, US medium
Spokane, US medium
St. Louis, US medium
Tampa, US medium
Toronto, CA medium
Tucson, US medium
Vancouver, CA medium
Victoria, CA medium
Winnipeg, CA medium

🌍 Africa (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abidjan, CI medium
Accra, GH medium
Addis Ababa, ET medium
Algiers, DZ medium
Antananarivo, MG medium
Arusha, TZ medium
Bamako, ML medium
Bloemfontein, ZA medium
Cairo, EG medium
Cape Town, ZA medium
Casablanca, MA medium
Dakar, SN medium
Dar es Salaam, TZ medium
Douala, CM medium
Durban, ZA medium
Entebbe, UG medium
Fez, MA medium
Freetown, SL medium
Harare, ZW medium
Johannesburg, ZA medium
Kampala, UG medium
Kigali, RW medium
Kinshasa, CD medium
Lagos, NG medium
Libreville, GA medium
Lilongwe, MW medium
Lome, TG medium
Luanda, AO medium
Lusaka, ZM medium
Maputo, MZ medium
Marrakech, MA medium
Mombasa, KE medium
Nairobi, KE medium
Ouagadougou, BF medium
Port Louis, MU medium
Pretoria, ZA medium
Tunis, TN medium
Windhoek, NA medium
Zanzibar, TZ medium

🌎 South America (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Arequipa, PE medium
Asuncion, PY medium
Barranquilla, CO medium
Belem, BR medium
Bogota, CO medium
Brasilia, BR medium
Buenos Aires, AR medium
Cali, CO medium
Campinas, BR medium
Caracas, VE medium
Cartagena, CO medium
Concepcion, CL medium
Cordoba, AR medium
Curitiba, BR medium
Cusco, PE medium
Fortaleza, BR medium
Georgetown, GY medium
Goiania, BR medium
Guayaquil, EC medium
La Paz, BO medium
Lima, PE medium
Manaus, BR medium
Medellin, CO medium
Mendoza, AR medium
Montevideo, UY medium
Paramaribo, SR medium
Port of Spain, TT medium
Porto Alegre, BR medium
Quito, EC medium
Recife, BR medium
Rio de Janeiro, BR medium
Rosario, AR medium
Salvador, BR medium
Santa Cruz, BO medium
Santiago, CL medium
Sao Paulo, BR medium
Sucre, BO medium
Trujillo, PE medium
Valparaiso, CL medium

🌊 Oceania (19 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Adelaide, AU medium
Alice Springs, AU medium
Auckland, NZ medium
Brisbane, AU medium
Cairns, AU medium
Canberra, AU medium
Christchurch, NZ medium
Darwin, AU medium
Dunedin, NZ medium
Gold Coast, AU medium
Hamilton, NZ medium
Hobart, AU medium
Melbourne, AU medium
Noumea, NC medium
Perth, AU medium
Suva, FJ medium
Sydney, AU medium
Townsville, AU medium
Wellington, NZ medium

🕌 Middle East (16 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abu Dhabi, AE medium
Amman, JO medium
Baghdad, IQ medium
Beirut, LB medium
Doha, QA medium
Dubai, AE medium
Erbil, IQ medium
Jeddah, SA medium
Kuwait City, KW medium
Manama, BH medium
Muscat, OM medium
Riyadh, SA medium
Sana'a, YE medium
Tabriz, IR medium
Tehran, IR medium
Tel Aviv, IL medium

When should I plant tomato in my city?

The best time to plant tomato depends on your local climate zone. It thrives in temperatures between 18°C and 27°C. Wait until after the last frost in your area. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact dates.

Can I grow tomato in winter?

Tomato is not frost tolerant and cannot survive winter outdoors in most temperate climates. In tropical areas (USDA Zones 10+), it may grow year-round.

Get Tomato Seeds & Plants

Ready to start growing? Find Tomato seeds and starter plants online.

People Also Search For

how to grow tomatotomato growing tipsbest soil for tomatotomato planting seasontomato companion plantstomato pests and diseases

Similar Growing Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions about Tomato

When should I plant tomato?

The best time to plant tomato depends on your local climate. Tomato grows best in temperatures between 18°C and 27°C (can tolerate 10°C to 35°C). Tomato is not frost tolerant, so wait until after the last frost in your area. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact planting months.

Can tomato grow in tropical climates?

Yes! Tomato can grow in tropical climates. It's successfully grown in tropical cities like Abidjan, Abu Dhabi, Accra. Tomato requires full sun and regular watering.

How long does tomato take to grow?

Tomato typically takes 60-85 days from planting to harvest. It requires full sun and regular watering. Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Needs staking or caging. Wait until soil warms to at least 18°C before transplanting outdoors — cold soil stunts growth and can invite root rot. Aim for about 2.5 cm of water per week, adjusting for rainfall. Organic mulch around the base helps maintain even moisture.

Find the Best Time to Plant Tomato

See the planting calendar for Tomato in these popular cities:

Last updated: March 2026 · Climate data from NOAA, FAO, USDA

See an error? Report it