How Does Tomatoes Grow?

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USDA Hardiness Zones 5 t0 12. 

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Tomato plants grow from 3' to 10' in height.  

The tomato plant is a perennial in its native habitat (Mexico) and an annual when grown outdoors.  It is cultivated at any time in a greenhouse.

It takes a tomato plant anywhere from 65 to 100 days to grow from seedling to blossom to ripe fruit depending on variety and temperature.  

 

Seasonal Growth

 

Health Benefits

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Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that helps protect skin against harmful UV rays.

They are also rich in Vitamins A and C.

History

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Tomatoes are native to Mexico.  In 1521, Cortez found yellow tomatoes in what is now Mexico City and brought them back to Europe.  They spread worldwide as a direct result of Spanish colonization.  A cookbook published in 1692 includes a recipe that lists a tomato as an ingredient.

In Italy, it was named a pomi d'oro, literally translated as golden apple.

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Propagation

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Tomatoes can be grown either in soil or hydroponically.

Tomatoes are warm weather plants that need at least 7 hours per day of full sun and do not like temperatures below 55 degrees.

 

Harvesting

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Tomatoes are picked when they are still ripening. They are allowed to finish ripening in storage, sometimes with the aid of ethylene gas.

Most tomatoes are picked by hand, but some commercial growers use different sorts of mechanized harvesters.

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Storage

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Tomatoes are best stored at room temperature.  They will lose their flavor if refrigerated. 

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Fun Facts

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China, the U.S., India, Turkey, Egypt, and Italy produce the most tomatoes

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There are over 7,500 different varieties of tomato, but two basic types of growers:

Determinate plants, usually the early ripeners, grow, set fruit and then die.

Indeterminate plants continue growing and bearing fruit until the first frost kills the plant.

Tomatoes come in a variety of sizes and colors, from multi-colored to striped.  They are bred for factors like consistent shape and taste, size, disease and pest resistance.  Commercially grown tomatoes are also bred for a thicker skin that will withstand mechanized harvesting and shipping. 

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Eaten raw, plain, in salads, salsa, appetizers, and used as garnish.

Tomatoes are best in stir fries, sandwiches, pizzas, soups, pot pies, quiches, and sauces.

Tomatoes make great juice, which is low in sugar, and high in fiber and vitamins.