Whether you garden in the ground, in raised beds, on the patio, or anywhere else, tomatoes are a great addition or re-addition to your plant family. Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing tomatoes.
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Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | Yield Per Plant | Ingestibility | Further Reading
What Family Do Tomatoes Belong To?
Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) belong to the Solanaceae family, also known as the nightshade family.
Some of their relatives include bell peppers, eggplants, and potatoes.
What Size Container Should I Use for Growing Tomatoes?
The minimum container size recommended for most tomatoes is 5 gallons.
However, some micro and mini varieties are specifically bred for small-container gardening. For such varieties, a container that is at least 6 inches deep is sufficient.
Learn more in our Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden article here.
What Are Good Companion Plants for Tomatoes?
Some of tomatoes' best companions are as follows:
- Amaranth
- Asparagus. Asparagus and tomatoes repel some of each other's common pests
- Basil
- Beans like green beans
- Borage
- Calendula
- Carrot
- Celery
- Chard
- Chives
- Cosmos
- Cucumber
- Garlic
- Lemon balm
- Lettuce
- Lovage
- Marigold
- Melons
- Mints like peppermint and spearmint
- Nasturtium
- Onion
- Orach
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Pea
- Rose
- Sage
- Squash
- Thyme
- Toothache plant
- Tulsi
What Are Bad Companion Plants for Tomatoes?
Tomatoes are not compatible with every plant. Some things to avoid planting with tomatoes are as follows:
- Corn
- Dill
- Fennel
- Eggplant
- Broccoli, cauliflower, and other Brassicas
- Potato
- Blueberry
- Blackberry
- Quinoa
- Walnut, especially black walnut
What Soil Conditions Do Tomatoes Need?
Tomatoes prefer well-draining, loamy soil that is slightly acidic.
The optimal soil pH range for growing tomatoes is 6.2 to 6.8.
How Long Do Tomatoes Take to Germinate?
Tomatoes take 5-10 days to germinate at a temperature of 65-85°F.
How Much Sun Do Tomatoes Need?
Most tomatoes need full sun. They are unlikely to fruit in the shade.
The exception to this is cherry tomatoes, which may tolerate dappled shade. In hot areas, certain cherry tomatoes, especially the extra small spoon varieties, may even tolerate part shade. See our Gardening in Dappled Shade article here for more information about sun conditions for cherry tomatoes.
How Much Water Do Tomatoes Need?
Tomatoes need 1-2 inches of water per week.
What Is the Ideal Temperature Range for Growing Tomatoes?
Tomatoes grow fastest in temperatures of 55-85°F.
Additionally, they are most likely to set fruit in the range of 65-80ºF.
This is their ideal temperature range. Although they will grow in temperatures both cooler and warmer than this range, growth could be slower or even stunted.
Most mature tomato plants are hardy to temperatures just above freezing, around 35°F.
On the other hand, most tomato plants will stop growing and setting fruit when the temperature reaches 85-90ºF or above.
Minimum and maximum temperatures will vary by variety. Some tomato varieties are bred for autumn harvests and others for hotter climates.
How Tall Do Tomatoes Get?
The average height of tomato plants is 6-20 feet, depending on the variety.
Are Tomatoes Annual, Biennial, or Perennial?
Tomatoes are perennial, meaning that they live for longer than a couple years, in warm climates that do not have temperatures below 35°F or when brought inside for the winter.
In colder regions, tomatoes are grown outdoors as annuals, meaning that they start and end their life cycle in the same year.
How Do Tomatoes Reproduce?
Tomatoes reproduce by seed.
How Many Tomatoes Are Produced Per Plant?
For tomatoes, how many are produced per plant (also called the yield) largely depends on the type of tomatoes and, at times, the variety.
Determinate tomato plants yield an average of 20 fruits per plant.
Indeterminate tomato plants produce a similar amount initially, but they keep producing after the first round of fruit is harvested. How quickly the next round is ready depends on the health of the plant, growing season length, and growing conditions like sun, water, and temperature.
Can Tomatoes Be Ingested?
Tomato fruits are edible.
Tomatoes do not have any known uses in herbal preparations.
There are no known safety concerns associated with ingesting tomato fruits.
Further Reading
This article is intended as a quick-reference guide for gardeners. Consult your seed packet or seed catalog for variety-specific information.
When you have a bumper crop of tomatoes rolling in, you may not have enough time for long, complicated recipes or many-step preservation procedures. Check out my article on quick, simple uses for tomatoes here!
Tomatoes are featured in these Plant to Plate articles:
- Simple Uses for Tomatoes
- Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden
- What is a Heat Zone?
- What is a USDA Hardiness Zone?
- What is a Plant Family?
- Gardening in Full Sun
- Gardening in Dappled Shade (cherry tomatoes only)
- How Temperature Affects Plant Health