How to grow tomatoes (a beginner's guide)

A sunny spot, regular water and a little feeding is most of what tomatoes ask for. Get those three things right and you'll have more fruit than you know what to do with.

Why tomatoes are a great first crop

Home-grown tomatoes taste completely different from supermarket ones — sweeter, more complex, eaten at peak ripeness rather than picked green for transport. They're also one of the most responsive crops: you'll see visible growth almost every day during the season, which makes them genuinely enjoyable to look after. Cherry tomato varieties are especially forgiving and productive for newcomers.

Even a single large pot on a sunny balcony can produce enough tomatoes for regular salads and a sauce or two. If you have a raised bed or vegetable plot, a few plants can produce a serious harvest.

Bush vs cordon (determinate vs indeterminate)

Most tomato varieties fall into one of two growth habits, and knowing which you have tells you how to look after them.

• Bush tomatoes (determinate) grow to a fixed height — typically 60–90 cm — set all their fruit at once, and then stop. They need little or no pruning, are fine without tall support structures, and suit pots and small spaces well. Good for beginners. Examples include 'Tumbling Tom', 'Totem', and many patio varieties.
• Cordon or vine tomatoes (indeterminate) keep growing upwards all season until cold or frost stops them — they can easily reach 1.5–2 m or more. They produce fruit over a long period, but to get the best from them you need to remove side shoots (see Supporting and pruning below) and provide a sturdy cane or string. Classic varieties like 'Gardener's Delight', 'Moneymaker' and most large beefsteak types are cordons.

If in doubt, start with a bush variety. It'll be ready to eat around the same time as cordons with a fraction of the management.

Where to grow tomatoes

Tomatoes need warmth and plenty of direct sunlight — at least six hours a day, and ideally more. Choose the sunniest, most sheltered spot you have.

• Outside in a bed or border: works well in warm climates or a sheltered south-facing spot (north-facing in the Southern Hemisphere). Warm the soil with a cloche or plastic before planting if your season is short.
• Grow bags and large pots: excellent on patios and paved areas. Use the biggest container you can — a 30–40 cm pot or a standard grow bag per plant. See our guide to growing food in small spaces for more container ideas.
• Greenhouse or polytunnel: gives the longest season, best yields and lowest blight risk, but you'll need to water more often since rain can't reach plants.
• Windowsill or grow-light indoors: works for small cherry varieties if you have a very sunny south-facing window. Pollinate flowers by gently shaking the plant or running a soft brush across them.

From seed or transplant — and timing

You can start tomatoes from seed or buy young plants from a garden centre. Both work; it depends on how much time and equipment you have.

From seed gives you a much wider choice of varieties and costs far less per plant. Tomato seeds need warmth (around 18–25°C / 65–77°F) to germinate, so you'll need a warm windowsill, propagator or heated greenhouse. Sow into small pots or modules of moist compost, cover lightly, and keep warm and bright once seedlings emerge.

Timing matters: tomatoes are killed by frost, so you cannot plant them outside until all risk of frost has passed. This varies enormously by region and climate — in cool temperate climates it might be late spring or early summer; in warmer climates you may start much earlier. Sowing from seed is typically done several weeks before your expected last frost date so you have sturdy plants ready to go out. If you're uncertain of your local last frost date, ask at a local garden centre or check a regional growing guide. In the Southern Hemisphere, seasons are reversed.

Buying young plants from a garden centre is simpler — they're usually sold at the right time for your local conditions.

1. Prepare your container or bed. Use a rich, well-draining compost or soil. Tomatoes are hungry plants and reward good soil preparation.
2. Harden off transplants. Before moving plants outside permanently, acclimatise them to outdoor conditions over 7–10 days by placing them outside during the day and bringing them in at night.
3. Plant deeply. Bury the stem up to the lowest leaves — tomatoes form roots along their buried stems, making a stronger plant.
4. Water in well. Give the plant a thorough drink straight after planting, then maintain consistent moisture.
5. Put in a support for cordon types immediately. A tall cane or string tied above the plant avoids disturbing roots later.

Soil, watering and feeding

Consistent watering is the single most important thing you can do for tomatoes. Uneven watering — dry periods followed by heavy watering — causes most of the common fruit problems (see below).

• Watering: aim for evenly moist soil at all times, never waterlogged, never bone dry. In warm weather, pot-grown plants may need watering every day. Sticking your finger into the top few centimetres of compost is the most reliable test — if it feels dry, water. Mulching around outdoor plants helps retain soil moisture.
• Feeding: tomatoes are hungry. Once the first tiny fruits set (or when flowers open), start applying a liquid tomato feed weekly. Tomato feeds are specially formulated with a higher potassium (potash) content that promotes flowering and fruiting rather than leafy growth. Continue feeding right through the season until you remove the plants.
• Soil: use a good-quality peat-free compost in containers. In beds, dig in plenty of well-rotted compost or manure before planting.

Supporting and pruning cordon types

If you're growing a cordon (vine) tomato, you'll need to manage its growth through the season. Bush types largely look after themselves.

• Pinch out side shoots. A side shoot (also called a sucker) is the small shoot that grows in the joint between the main stem and a leaf branch. Left alone, it becomes another full stem, producing lots of leafy growth but less fruit. Pinch them out when small — snap them off with your fingers or cut with clean scissors.
• Support the main stem. Tie the main stem loosely to a cane as it grows, or wind it around a string. Check regularly and add ties before the stem droops.
• Remove the growing tip. In late summer (the timing depends on your climate and season length), pinch out the very top of the main stem. This stops the plant putting energy into new growth it won't have time to ripen, and concentrates it on maturing the fruit already on the plant.

Common problems

• Blight (Phytophthora infestans): a fungal-like disease that causes brown patches on leaves and stems, then spreads rapidly, rotting fruit. It's more common in wet, humid summers. Improve airflow by removing the lowest leaves, water at the base only, and grow resistant varieties if blight is a known problem in your area. Growing under cover (greenhouse or polytunnel) greatly reduces risk.
• Blossom-end rot: a dark, sunken patch on the bottom of the fruit, not a disease but a calcium deficiency caused by irregular watering. Fix: water consistently. Calcium sprays are available but usually the watering habit is the real fix.
• Fruit splitting: skin cracks after uneven watering, especially a dry period followed by sudden rain or heavy watering. Fix: consistent moisture; mulch outdoor plants.
• Pests: aphids, whitefly and tomato moth caterpillars are the main offenders. See our natural pest control guide for specific, chemical-free approaches.
• Blossom drop: flowers fall before setting fruit, often due to cold nights, very high temperatures or very dry air. Ensure good conditions — warmth, humidity and airflow — and mist flowers lightly if growing indoors.

Harvest, ripening and using a glut

Pick tomatoes when they're fully coloured and feel slightly soft when gently squeezed. Don't leave ripe fruit on the plant too long — it can split or attract pests, and removing it encourages the plant to ripen remaining fruit.

At the end of the season, before the first frost, pick all remaining tomatoes including green ones. Green tomatoes ripen well indoors — place them in a single layer at room temperature (not in the fridge), and they'll colour up over days or weeks. Putting a ripe banana alongside them speeds the process slightly due to ethylene gas.

A glut of ripe tomatoes is a wonderful problem to have. You can roast and freeze them in batches for sauce, make passata, dry them (oven or dehydrator), or ferment them. Our food preservation guide covers all of these methods. You can also save seeds from your best open-pollinated fruits for next year — see our seed saving guide for how.

Your tomato-growing checklist

• Choose a bush variety for a low-maintenance first go; a cordon for more variety choice.
• Pick the sunniest, most sheltered spot you have — or a greenhouse.
• Don't plant outside until after your local last frost date.
• Plant deeply, up to the lowest leaves.
• Water consistently — dry spells cause splitting and blossom-end rot.
• Start weekly tomato feed once first fruits form.
• Pinch out side shoots on cordon types every week or two.
• Water at the base to reduce disease risk.
• Harvest ripe fruits promptly; bring green ones inside before frost.