Garden Care Guide

Tomato Care

Solanum lycopersicum

The most widely grown vegetable in home gardens. It loves heat and sun and does not tolerate frost. Indeterminate (unlimited-growth) varieties need support and removal of side shoots; regular, even watering determines fruit quality.

Frost-tender (protect from frost) · 0 °C / 32 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

February
  • General care: For seedlings, sow the seeds 0.5 cm deep in seed trays; germination requires 20-25 °C. Grow on the emerged seedlings in a bright place at 15-20 °C.
March
  • General care: For seedlings, sow the seeds 0.5 cm deep in seed trays; germination requires 20-25 °C. Grow on the emerged seedlings in a bright place at 15-20 °C.
April
  • General care: Harden off the seedlings 7-10 days before planting by moving them outdoors during the day.
May
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water twice a week at the base once the top 2-3 cm of soil has dried.
  • Fertilizing: Mix well-rotted manure or compost into the planting hole.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Plant seedlings once night temperatures stay above 10 °C; leave 80-100 cm between rows and 40-50 cm within the row. You can plant the seedling deep, up to its first leaves; the buried stem will root. Set up the stake or cage support at planting time.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
  • Frost risk: Cover newly planted seedlings on nights when a late frost is expected; the plant dies at 0 °C and growth stops below 10 °C.
June
  • Watering: Water deeply at the base of the plant 3-4 times a week, in the early morning; do not wet the leaves. The soil should be moist down to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • Fertilizing: Once fruit set begins, apply a potassium-rich fertilizer every 2-3 weeks; too much nitrogen promotes leaves and reduces fruit.
  • Pruning: Remove side shoots (suckers) growing from the leaf axils by hand while they are small (on pole varieties). Clear the lower leaves that touch the soil; disease spreads from water splashing up from the soil.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Spread 5 cm of straw or mulch over the root zone; it balances soil moisture and reduces fruit cracking and blossom end rot.
  • Pests & diseases: Watch for tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta), which mines the leaves and bores into the fruit; a pheromone trap gives early warning.
  • Pests & diseases: After humid, cool nights, look for yellowish or brown, oily-looking spots on the leaves and mold on the undersides (downy mildew; on tomato and potato, late blight); remove diseased leaves immediately and do not water in a way that wets the leaves.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the undersides of the leaves for whitefly clusters. A yellow sticky trap is the easiest way to monitor density.
July
  • Watering: Water deeply at the base of the plant 3-4 times a week, in the early morning; do not wet the leaves. The soil should be moist down to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • Fertilizing: Once fruit set begins, apply a potassium-rich fertilizer every 2-3 weeks; too much nitrogen promotes leaves and reduces fruit.
  • Pruning: Remove side shoots (suckers) growing from the leaf axils by hand while they are small (on pole varieties). Clear the lower leaves that touch the soil; disease spreads from water splashing up from the soil.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest: Pick the fruits with their stems when they have reached full color. Irregular watering causes fruit cracking and a sunken black spot on the bottom of the fruit (blossom end rot).
  • Pests & diseases: Watch for tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta), which mines the leaves and bores into the fruit; a pheromone trap gives early warning.
  • Pests & diseases: After humid, cool nights, look for yellowish or brown, oily-looking spots on the leaves and mold on the undersides (downy mildew; on tomato and potato, late blight); remove diseased leaves immediately and do not water in a way that wets the leaves.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the undersides of the leaves for whitefly clusters. A yellow sticky trap is the easiest way to monitor density.
August
  • Watering: Water deeply at the base of the plant 3-4 times a week, in the early morning; do not wet the leaves. The soil should be moist down to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • Fertilizing: Once fruit set begins, apply a potassium-rich fertilizer every 2-3 weeks; too much nitrogen promotes leaves and reduces fruit.
  • Pruning: In mid-August, top the main stem; flowers that open after this will not ripen before the season ends.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest: Pick the fruits with their stems when they have reached full color. Irregular watering causes fruit cracking and a sunken black spot on the bottom of the fruit (blossom end rot).
  • Pests & diseases: Watch for tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta), which mines the leaves and bores into the fruit; a pheromone trap gives early warning.
  • Pests & diseases: After humid, cool nights, look for yellowish or brown, oily-looking spots on the leaves and mold on the undersides (downy mildew; on tomato and potato, late blight); remove diseased leaves immediately and do not water in a way that wets the leaves.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the undersides of the leaves for whitefly clusters. A yellow sticky trap is the easiest way to monitor density.
September
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water twice a week at the base once the top 2-3 cm of soil has dried.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest: Pick the fruits with their stems when they have reached full color. Irregular watering causes fruit cracking and a sunken black spot on the bottom of the fruit (blossom end rot).
  • Pests & diseases: After humid, cool nights, look for yellowish or brown, oily-looking spots on the leaves and mold on the undersides (downy mildew; on tomato and potato, late blight); remove diseased leaves immediately and do not water in a way that wets the leaves.
October
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water twice a week at the base once the top 2-3 cm of soil has dried.
  • General care: Harvest: Pick the fruits with their stems when they have reached full color. Irregular watering causes fruit cracking and a sunken black spot on the bottom of the fruit (blossom end rot).
  • General care: At the end of the season, pull out the plants; do not put them in the compost, as they may carry disease. Do not plant tomato, pepper, eggplant or potato in the same spot for 3-4 years.
  • Frost risk: Pick the green fruits before the first autumn frost and ripen them indoors at room temperature.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

Want reminders for every plant in your garden? Our garden-care app with monthly task lists and frost alerts is currently available in Turkish; the English version is on the way.

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