Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
A warm-season staple producing juicy fruits in many shapes and colors. Requires staking or caging and consistent watering for best yields.
Overview
Companion Planting
Basil
Carrot
Parsley
Marigold
Nasturtium
Chives
Asparagus
Lemon Balm
Borage
Petunia
Calendula
Fennel
Kohlrabi
Cabbage
Dill
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Corn
PotatoToxicity
Leaves, stems, and unripe green fruit contain tomatine and solanine glycoalkaloids; ripe red fruit is non-toxic. Ingestion of green parts may cause gastrointestinal upset, drooling, weakness, dilated pupils, and slow heart rate in pets.
Planting Tips
1 cm of water per m² equals 10 liters. Use the Watering Calculator for exact amounts.
Care Tip: Bury the stem up to the top two or three leaf sets when transplanting to encourage adventitious root growth; remove suckers on indeterminate types to improve airflow and fruit size.
Common Pests
Tomato Hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata)
Symptoms: Large, ragged holes in leaves; entire branches may be stripped of foliage; dark droppings on leaves below.
Treatment: Handpick caterpillars and destroy them; apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray while larvae are small.
Prevention: Inspect plants regularly in mid-to-late summer; till soil after harvest to destroy overwintering pupae; encourage parasitic braconid wasps.
Aphids (Myzus persicae and others)
Symptoms: Curled, yellowed, or distorted new growth; sticky honeydew on leaves often followed by black sooty mold.
Treatment: Dislodge with a strong water spray; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil for heavy infestations.
Prevention: Encourage natural predators such as ladybugs and lacewings; avoid excessive nitrogen fertilization that promotes tender growth.
Whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci)
Symptoms: Yellowing and wilting of leaves; honeydew and sooty mold on foliage; clouds of tiny white insects when plant is disturbed.
Treatment: Spray with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, targeting the undersides of leaves; use yellow sticky traps to monitor populations.
Prevention: Remove infested crop debris promptly; avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen; use reflective mulch to deter landing.
Common Diseases
Early Blight (Alternaria solani)
Symptoms: Dark brown spots with concentric rings (bull's-eye pattern) on older, lower leaves; lesions may have a yellow halo; premature leaf drop.
Treatment: Remove and destroy affected leaves; apply copper-based or chlorothalonil fungicide on a 7-10 day schedule when conditions favor disease.
Prevention: Rotate tomatoes out of the bed for at least two years; mulch to prevent soil splash; use drip irrigation and stake plants for good airflow.
Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans)
Symptoms: Large, irregular, water-soaked lesions on leaves and stems, often with white cottony growth on the underside in humid conditions; fruit develops firm, dark, greasy spots.
Treatment: Remove and destroy infected plants immediately to stop spread; apply preventive fungicides (chlorothalonil or copper) before infection under cool, wet conditions.
Prevention: Buy disease-free transplants; avoid overhead watering; space plants for air circulation; do not compost infected material.
Blossom End Rot (calcium deficiency disorder)
Symptoms: Dark, sunken, leathery patch on the blossom end of developing fruit, most common on the first fruits of the season.
Treatment: Maintain consistent, deep watering and apply mulch to stabilize soil moisture; avoid excessive nitrogen fertilization.
Prevention: Ensure even watering throughout the growing season; amend soil with lime if calcium is low (based on a soil test); avoid damaging roots during cultivation.