Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a healthy, easy to grow and delicious plant.

Time to harvest: 40 to 60 days

Tomatoes are a great addition to your home garden - they are simple to grow, extremely versatile in the kitchen and even delicious directly off the vine! This guide details all you need to know to go from planting to harvesting your very own tomatoes, including tools required, proper care and general tips.

Planting

Tomatoes are hot crops, meaning that they grow best in hot temperatures. Therefore, it is best to plant tomatoes in the early summer when the soil temperature is somewhere between 16 and 35C.

It is important that tomatoes are planted in an area with direct sunlight, as they require between 6 to 8 hours of full sunlight every day. Garden soil should be added on top of your regular soil to ensure that the mix is nutrient rich. If you are planting tomatoes in containers, it is recommended that each pot is at least 18 to 24 inches wide. Otherwise, the tomatoes should be planted around two feet apart from each other. The tomatoes should be planted deep in the soil to ensure that the roots anchor strongly to the soil.

Growth Guidelines

For the first few days after planting, water the tomatoes generously. Throughout the next few weeks, water the tomatoes early in the morning, and slowly reduce how much water they receive. On average, tomatoes require 1-2 inches of water per week. Compost and peat moss can be added to the soil to lighten its weight, especially for tomatoes grown in containers and fertilizers and compost can also be added to feed the tomatoes, although both optional.

Harvesting

Tomatoes should be picked once they are completely coloured red and firm. Near ripe tomatoes (almost completely red) should be stored in a warm spot. Ripened tomatoes should be stored in a cool spot, but not in a fridge as it would diminish its taste. Grasp the tomato firmly in one hand and stalk in the other and gently pull to remove the tomato from the plant.