🍅
Tomato
Beefsteak
NightshadesTransplant
☀️
Sun
full sun
💧
Water
Every 3 days
🌱
Germination
8 days
🕐
Days to harvest
80 days
📏
Planting depth
0.25 inches deep
↔️
Row spacing
36 inches
When to Plant
Start indoors 6–8 wks before last frost
Growing Guide
Soil: rich, well-drained · pH 6.0–6.8
Tomatoes are the heaviest feeders in the vegetable garden. Amend beds with 3–4 inches of finished compost dug in deeply. Add a slow-release organic fertilizer or bone meal at planting. Soil should be well-drained, at least 12 inches deep, and warming by planting time — black plastic mulch significantly boosts early season soil temperature.
- Start indoors 6–8 weeks before last frost under very bright grow lights
- Pot up into larger containers when the first true leaves appear to build a strong root system
- Transplant outdoors 2 weeks after last frost when soil is reliably above 60°F
- Plant deeply — bury the stem up to the lowest set of leaves to develop adventitious roots
- Install stakes, cages, or trellis at planting time to avoid disturbing roots later
- Pinch suckers (side shoots in leaf axils) for indeterminate varieties to keep energy focused on fruit
Care
💧 Water every 3 days
🌿 Fertilize every 14 days
📐 Spacing: 24 inches apart · 36 inches between rows
Harvest & Storage
Ready in 80 days with a harvest window of 30 days.
- Harvest when fully colored and slightly soft to gentle pressure
- Never refrigerate — cold destroys the volatile compounds responsible for tomato flavor
- If frost threatens, bring green tomatoes inside and ripen stem-side down at room temperature
- Harvest regularly to keep the plant productive throughout the season
Storage
Store at room temperature, shoulder-side down, out of direct sunlight. Ripe beefsteaks keep 3–5 days. Never refrigerate — temperatures below 50°F permanently destroy flavor.
Companion Planting
Grows well with:
basilcarrotparsley
Keep away from:
fennelbrassicacorn
Essential Tools
- Heavy tomato cage or 6-foot stake
- Soft plant ties
- Pruning shears (for suckering and harvesting)
- Row cover or Wall-o-Water (early season cold protection)
Pests & Diseases
- Late blight (Phytophthora infestans): grey-brown water-soaked lesions spreading rapidly in cool, wet weather — use copper-based preventative spray; remove infected material immediately
- Blossom end rot: dark sunken spot at blossom end — calcium deficiency caused by irregular watering; mulch deeply and water consistently
- Tomato hornworm: large green caterpillar stripping leaves — hand-pick; parasitic wasps provide natural control
- Early blight (Alternaria): brown bullseye spots on lower leaves — remove affected leaves promptly, rotate beds