The tomato calendar, month by month
When to sow, plant out and pick, and how three good sources compare.
RHS sowing times: late February to mid-March for a greenhouse crop, or late March to early April for plants that will grow outside. RHS: How to grow tomatoes Plant tomatoes into their final position in early summer, once temperatures are reliably above 16°C (60°F). RHS: How to grow tomatoes
| Job | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHS: sow for a greenhouse crop (late February to mid-March) RHS: How to grow tomatoes | yes | yes | ||||||||||
| RHS: sow for plants that will grow outside (late March to early April) RHS: How to grow tomatoes | yes | yes | ||||||||||
| RHS: plant out in early summer, once reliably above 16°C RHS: How to grow tomatoes | yes | |||||||||||
| RHS: pick, from midsummer; greenhouse plants well into autumn RHS: How to grow tomatoes RHS: How to grow tomatoes | yes | yes | yes | yes | ||||||||
| Garden Organic: sow indoors (March/April) Garden Organic: Tomatoes growing guide | yes | yes | ||||||||||
| Garden Organic: plant out (late April to early June) Garden Organic: Tomatoes growing guide | yes | yes | yes | |||||||||
| Garden Organic: harvest (July to October) Garden Organic: Tomatoes growing guide | yes | yes | yes | yes |
UMN: plant outdoors after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. University of Minnesota Extension: Growing tomatoes in home gardens UMN: start seeds indoors five to six weeks before planting outside, which in most of Minnesota is mid-April. University of Minnesota Extension: Growing tomatoes in home gardens
RHS, Garden Organic and UMN, side by side
Two UK sources and one from Minnesota, with slightly different numbers. Use whichever suits your climate, and keep notes on what works for you.
| Job | RHS (UK) | Garden Organic (UK) | UMN Extension (US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sowing time | Late February to mid-March (greenhouse); late March to early April (outdoor plants) RHS: How to grow tomatoes | Indoors, March or April Garden Organic: Tomatoes growing guide | Five to six weeks before planting out (mid-April in most of Minnesota) University of Minnesota Extension: Growing tomatoes in home gardens |
| Seed depth and warmth | About 18°C (64°F) to germinate RHS: How to grow tomatoes | 0.1cm deep; germinates in 8–11 days Garden Organic: Tomatoes growing guide Garden Organic: Tomatoes growing guide | A quarter of an inch deep, at 75–85°F on a heating mat University of Minnesota Extension: Growing tomatoes in home gardens |
| Planting out | Early summer, once reliably above 16°C (60°F) RHS: How to grow tomatoes | Late April to early June; when the first flowers open, after hardening off Garden Organic: Tomatoes growing guide Garden Organic: Tomatoes growing guide | After all danger of frost, once the soil has warmed University of Minnesota Extension: Growing tomatoes in home gardens |
| Spacing | 45–60cm (18–24in) apart RHS: How to grow tomatoes | 30–45cm apart (outdoors) Garden Organic: Tomatoes growing guide | Two to three feet each way for vining types; bush types closer University of Minnesota Extension: Growing tomatoes in home gardens |
| Planting depth | Deep, with the first leaves just above the soil RHS: How to grow tomatoes | — | Lay in a trench three to four inches deep, stem buried to just below the lowest leaves University of Minnesota Extension: Growing tomatoes in home gardens |
| Rotation | Not in the same bed in consecutive years RHS: How to grow tomatoes | — | Not where tomatoes or close relatives grew in the past three or four years University of Minnesota Extension: Growing tomatoes in home gardens |
| Watering | Regularly, keeping soil or compost evenly moist RHS: How to grow tomatoes | Too little or irregular watering is linked to blossom end rot Garden Organic: Tomatoes growing guide | One inch a week; avoid overhead sprinklers University of Minnesota Extension: Growing tomatoes in home gardens |
| Harvest | Ripening starts from midsummer RHS: How to grow tomatoes | July to October; about 12–16 weeks (indoors); about 16–20 weeks (outdoors) Garden Organic: Tomatoes growing guide Garden Organic: How to grow card, Tomato, Indoor (PDF) Garden Organic: How to grow card, Tomato, Outdoor (PDF) | Pick all the fruit when frost threatens University of Minnesota Extension: Growing tomatoes in home gardens |
Rules of thumb
- Tomatoes are tender, so get them used to outdoor conditions (hardening off) before planting out. RHS: How to grow tomatoes
- On cordon tomatoes, pinch out the side-shoots that sprout from the joint between each leaf and the main stem. Check each time you water. RHS: How to grow tomatoes
- Feed plants in containers every 10–14 days with a high potassium liquid feed once the first fruits start to swell. RHS: How to grow tomatoes
- Tomato blight attacks the leaves and fruit, causing rotting. It is most common in warm, wet weather. RHS: How to grow tomatoes
- At the end of the season, ripen unripe tomatoes somewhere warm and dark, or in a drawer with a banana. RHS: How to grow tomatoes
Good growing guides don’t always agree: sowing dates, spacings and seed depths vary between the RHS, Garden Organic and the University of Minnesota, partly because they are written for different climates. Each fact here links to who said it, and things that can change, like recommended variety lists, show the date we checked them. Where you garden matters most: wait for warmth and for your own last frost. See when sources disagree for every difference side by side.
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