Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum • Solanaceae
🌱 Seed Category
Vegetable
🌍 Origin Region
Western South America and Central America
📅 Days to Maturity
60 to 85 days from transplanting depending on the variety, continuous harvest window until the first frost.
🌡️ Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 2 through 11, grown primarily as a warm-season annual everywhere.
About This Seed
Small, kidney-shaped to flat oval seeds with a fuzzy or hairy surface texture and a pale golden to light tan color. The resulting plant is a tender perennial grown as an annual, featuring compound leaves, yellow flowers, and fleshy, juicy edible fruits varying in size and color.
Growing Information
Growing Season
Spring and Summer, start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost, sensitive to frost
Germination
Germinates in 7 to 14 days at optimal soil temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, high germination rate, light not strictly required for germination but benefits post-emergence.
Planting Instructions
Plant 1/4 inch deep, space seeds 2 inches apart or thin to 24 to 36 inches apart in rows spaced 3 feet apart. Prefers well-draining, fertile loamy soil rich in organic matter with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun requiring at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Water consistently with about 1 inch of water per week, moderate drought tolerance once established.
Companion Plants
Basil, marigolds, carrots, and onions are beneficial companions; avoid planting near potatoes, fennel, or brassicas.
Special Characteristics
Pollinator-friendly flowers, high vitamin content, excellent source of lycopene, wide variety of disease-resistant cultivars available.