Vegetable (fruiting annual)
Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
The most-grown vegetable in home gardens, and the one most improved by consistent water and a cage or stake set at planting time.
| Light | Full sun, 6-8+ hours direct |
|---|---|
| Water | Deep, consistent; 2.5-5 cm per week |
| Spacing | 45-60 cm, more for indeterminate vines |
| Zones | Grown as an annual everywhere; perennial in zones 10-11 |
| Harvest | 60-85 days from transplant, fruit slightly soft and fully coloured |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
What tomatoes actually need
Tomatoes are heat- and light-hungry fruiting plants. Skimp on either and you get a leafy plant with little fruit. They also punish irregular watering more than almost any other vegetable — the classic symptom is blossom end rot, a calcium-uptake failure caused by inconsistent moisture, not a lack of calcium in the soil.
Indeterminate vs determinate
- Indeterminate varieties keep growing and fruiting until frost; they need staking and benefit from pruning suckers.
- Determinate varieties stop at a set height and ripen most of their fruit in a shorter window, useful for canning.
Common problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Blossom end rot | Inconsistent watering | Mulch and water on a schedule |
| Yellowing lower leaves | Early blight or nitrogen loss | Remove affected leaves, feed lightly |
| Flowers dropping without fruit | Heat above 32°C or below 10°C at night | Wait it out; shade cloth in heatwaves |