Solanum lycopersicum aka Garden Tomato

Tomatoes are warm-season plants that thrive at 70–80°F (roughly 20–27°C) during the day and 60–70°F at night, and cannot tolerate frost. Growth slows or stalls outside a broader 7–35°C tolerance range, so plants should go outdoors only after all frost risk has passed.

A soil test should guide fertilizer choice; tomatoes generally prefer a soil pH of 6.0–6. Take care not to over-fertilize, especially with nitrogen — excess nitrogen pushes the plant into vigorous leafy growth at the expense of fruit production.

Tomatoes have been bred into thousands of cultivars that vary in size, color, shape, and flavor, including cherry, plum (Roma-type), beefsteak, and grape tomatoes. Heirloom varieties such as Brandywine, Black Krim, and Green Zebra are popular for their distinct flavors, and some, like San Marzano, carry a protected designation of origin.

Plant tomatoes in full sun (6+ hours a day) in fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil (pH around 5.8–6.8), watering consistently to prevent blossom end rot and fruit cracking. Tomatoes are not frost-tolerant and are grown as a warm-season annual in most climates.

Indeterminate tomato varieties are typically pruned to one or two main stems, with side suckers removed on a weekly basis; caged plants can be allowed to keep three or four stems. Staking with 6-foot wooden stakes (or wire cages / Florida weave trellising) and tying stems as they grow keeps the heavy, fruit-laden stems from breaking.

Tomatoes grown in containers need a pot of at least 5 gallons and 1–2 feet deep, one plant per pot.

Tomatoes are propagated from seed. Start seed indoors five to eight weeks before the last expected frost in a light soil mix, sowing about 15mm deep; seed can also be harvested from mature fruit by lightly fermenting and drying it to remove the gelatinous coating.

Foliage browning or necrosis can be caused by pests such as the tomato russet mite (Aculops lycopersici), which causes shrivelling and tissue necrosis on leaves. Fungal blights and other leaf diseases can also brown the foliage, so inspect for pests and consider disease-resistant cultivars.

Tomato stems can break or droop under the weight of developing fruit; staking or caging the plants as they grow prevents this. Drooping can also signal watering issues, so keep the soil consistently moist without waterlogging.

Tomato growth is optimal in a temperature range of 20–27°C and is tolerated between roughly 7–35°C — outside this range, especially in cool conditions, growth slows or stalls. Ensure the plant has full sun, warmth, and consistently moist, fertile soil to keep it growing vigorously.

Common pests include hornworms, aphids, whiteflies, stink bugs, cutworms, flea beetles, spider mites, slugs, the Colorado potato beetle, and tomato russet mite. Diseases include early and late blight, bacterial wilt, fusarium and verticillium wilts, tobacco mosaic virus, root-knot nematodes, and the physiological disorder blossom end rot. Choosing disease-resistant cultivars and rotating tomatoes away from other nightshades (peppers, eggplant, potatoes) for at least 3 years helps reduce disease pressure.

Tomato flowers are bisexual and self-fertile, capable of self-pollination, though this can be inefficient without some assistance since the plant's original native bee pollinators did not spread with it worldwide. Growers — particularly in greenhouses — often aid pollination with artificial wind, mechanical vibration, or bumblebees.

The ripe fruit is highly edible (rated 5/5 by PFAF and Useful Tropical/Temperate Plants) and can be eaten raw or cooked, used in salads and soups, juiced, dried into a flavoring powder, or pressed for culinary seed oil. Green, unripe fruit is sometimes used as well (e.g. fried green tomatoes), but the leaves and stems are not considered food due to their alkaloid content.

Traditional and folk medicine uses include applying sliced or pulped fruit as a first-aid treatment for burns, scalds, and sunburn, and as a skin wash for oily skin; a root decoction has been used for toothache relief. The fruit's lycopene content is associated with cardiovascular and prostate health benefits, and homeopathic preparations have been used for rheumatism and severe headaches.