Winter

Tomato

One of the most popular home vegetables; thrives in pots and rooftop beds.

Season: Autumn–Winter
Germination: 6–12 days
Harvest: 60–80 days
Water: Medium
Temperature: 18–27°C

How to plant

Start seeds in a nursery tray then transplant, or sow directly ~1 cm deep.

Growing tomatoes at home

Tomatoes are the most rewarding crop for a first home garden: they grow in pots, rooftop beds, or the ground, and a single healthy plant can produce for months. This guide covers sowing, transplanting, support, feeding, and harvesting, with a short video walkthrough.

A full tomato-growing walkthrough, start to finish.

Step by step

Sow the seed

Fill a tray with light seed compost. Sow ~1 cm deep, water gently, and keep at 18–27°C. Seedlings emerge in 6–12 days.
Pot on

When the first true leaves appear, move each seedling to its own pot so the roots can develop.
Transplant & support

Plant out 40–60 cm apart. Add a cage or stake now, while it's still easy; it's much harder once the plant is large.
Feed, water, harvest

Water evenly (irregular watering splits fruit), feed every 1–2 weeks once flowering, and pick when fully coloured.