Tomato plant profile
Solanum lycopersicum
An annual vegetable for full sun.
Last updated .
When to plant
When to plant Tomato
Start seeds indoors
6 weeks before your last spring frost to 5 weeks before your last spring frost
Transplant outdoors
at your last spring frost to 2 weeks after your last spring frost
Growing conditions
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- 1 in / week
- Planting depth
- 0.25 in
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 7
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Spacing
- 24 to 36 in apart
Common problems
Watch for these
By hardiness zone
Tomato by zone
Planting dates for a typical location in each zone:
Evidence trail
Evidence behind this profile
Original extension and institutional publications behind the planting, care, and safety facts on this page.
- Growing tomatoes in home gardens
University of Minnesota Extension. Supports indoor seed-starting timing (normalized), outdoor transplant timing (normalized), plant and row spacing (direct), planting depth (direct), water needs (direct), soil pH (direct), and common problems (direct). Checked 2026-06-11.
- Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants: Tomato Plant (Solanum lycopersicum) entry
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Supports pet-safety verdicts for dogs and cats. Checked 2026-07-18.