Solanum lycopersicum
Tomato
Photo: User:Luigi Chiesa · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
The tomato is the most popular pot and bed fruit in the home garden and originally comes from the Andes. From a single seed you draw kilos of fruit over the summer, from the robust cordon tomato to the cherry tomato ‘Sungold’ or the old cultivar ‘Berner Rose’.
Care instructions
Plant it only after the ice saints (mid-May, week 20) in a warm spot sheltered from rain where possible. Water in the morning directly at the root, never over the leaves, and with cordon tomatoes break out the side shoots regularly. A layer of mulch keeps the soil moist and prevents late blight.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, well-drained, nutrient-rich
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
Apr–Aug
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
Companion planting
Good neighbors
asparagus family (Asparagaceae)
particularly well establishedAsparagus and tomato benefit from each other. The tomato keeps the asparagus beetle away, and the asparagus repels threadworms that harm the tomato.
For example FunkieBluebellMuscariHyacinthAmerican Agave
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
mint family (Lamiaceae)
particularly well establishedYou will find that basil next to tomato and pepper improves taste and keeps whiteflies and aphids away.
For example LavenderThymeRosemarySageHyssopBohnenkraut and 25 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
borage family (Boraginaceae)
Borage attracts pollinators and is supposed to keep tomato pests away from the nightshade family.
For example Forget-me-notNatternkopfSwamp Forget-Me-NotTrue Lungwort
Source: organic greenhouse companion planting practice
Rather not
amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae)
Onions slow down the growth of nightshade family plants next to potatoes and tomatoes; the classic crop-rotation rule also applies in the bed side by side.
For example GarlicOnionDaffodilElephant garlicRed Onionshallot and 8 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop-rotation rule
daisy family (Asteraceae)
Sunflowers release substances into the soil that inhibit potato tuber growth, and they also compete for water and nutrients.
For example SunflowerCommon coneflowerFall AsterIceberg lettuceleaf lettuceleaf lettuce and 49 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop-rotation rule
gourd family (Cucurbitaceae)
You should avoid planting potato and cucumber together because they share disease pathogens such as leaf and brown rot and stand in each other's way as strong feeders.
For example PumpkinCourgetteButternutHokkaidoPatissonSpaghetti squash and 12 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop-rotation rule
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
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Varieties
16 varieties‘Berner Rose’
You’ll grow *‚Berner Rose’*, one of the most popular meat tomatoes for the home garden.
‘Black Krim’
A dark flesh tomato from the Crimean Peninsula, *‚Black Krim’*, the fruits turn brown‑violet under sun with green…
‘Celsior’
You will enjoy *‚Celsior’*, a modern cocktail tomato (F1 hybrid) with pronounced brown rot tolerance, bred for robust outdoor cultivation in pots or beds.
‘De Berao’
You will find a tall, late-ripening variety from Eastern Europe, known for its resilience and robustness even in difficult weather.
‘Dorenia’
A modern, brown-flesh tolerant determinate tomato (*‚Dorenia’*) bred specifically for open-field cultivation, ideal if you have no tomato cover.
‘Gelbe Johannisbeere’
You’ll discover *‚Gelbe Johannisbeere’*, the yellow sister of *‚Rote Murmel’*, a wild tomato that produces tiny…
‘Green Zebra’
A striking variety with green and yellow striped skin that remains green even when ripe; you can tell it is ready when…
‘Harzfeuer’
A reliable, early salad tomato (F1 hybrid) for the garden and the greenhouse, with roundish, medium sized fruits that…
‘Matina’
An old, very early salad tomato with finely divided, potato leaved foliage, one of its identifying features.
‘Ochsenherz’
The large, heart shaped beefsteak tomato (in Italian *Cuore di bue*), with fruits of 200 to 400 grams, dense, low juice…
‘Philovita’
A modern cocktail or cherry tomato (F1 hybrid) with one of the best tolerances of late blight on the market, ideal if you garden outdoors without cover.
‘Rote Murmel’
A true wild tomato (currant tomato) with countless tiny, pea sized fruits, robust, undemanding and astonishingly resistant to late blight.
‘San Marzano’
The classic Italian plum tomato for sugo and preserving, with elongated, firm fleshed fruits that carry few seeds and…
‘Sungold’
An orange yellow cherry tomato (F1 hybrid) famous for its exceptionally sweet, almost tropical flavour, for many the most aromatic snacking tomato of all.
‘Tigerella’
An early, decorative salad tomato with red and orange striped skin that is patterned like a small tiger when ripe.
‘Yellow Submarine’
A small, bright yellow pear or bottle shaped tomato that ripens in dense trusses and catches the eye with its cheerful colour and form.
Notes from real gardens
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From the magazine
Grafting Tomatoes: Splice Grafting Step by Step
A tough root, a flavourful variety: grafting turns two tomatoes into one. How splice grafting works at the kitchen table, and who it actually pays off for.
Tomato varieties: sorting the jungle along two axes
Thousands of tomato varieties, and you have to choose? Two simple axes bring order: the growth habit (cordon or bush) and the use (cocktail, salad, beefsteak, paste, wild). That way you find the right variety for your space and your kitchen.
Late blight on tomato and potato: only prevention helps
One pathogen, two hosts: why late blight jumps from the potato to the tomato, how to recognise it on leaf, fruit and tuber, and how to get ahead of it with dry foliage, a roof and robust varieties.
Tomatoes in pots and on the balcony: the three things that count
A sunny balcony is a full vegetable garden. Why the pot matters more than the variety, which tomatoes really crop in a tub, and how to get watering and feeding right.
Pinching out tomatoes: when, why and on which plant never
Pinching out sounds like secret lore but takes thirty seconds per plant. Why only cordon tomatoes get it, how to spot the sucker, and when to hold back.
Companion planting the old way: what holds up about the classic bed partnerships
Carrot and onion, tomato and basil, the Three Sisters: what generations observed in the bed, how much of it is actually documented, and which neighbours you really do need to keep apart.