How to Grow Tomatoes UK

On this page
  1. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
  2. Watch: Growing Tomatoes at Home
  3. Regional Planting Calendar
  4. Quick Facts
  5. At a Glance
  6. Soil & Growing Conditions
  7. Growth Stages
  8. Harvest & Storage
  9. Diseases
  10. Pests
  11. Nutrient Issues
  12. Companion Planting
  13. Pollination
  14. Choosing the Right Variety
  15. Sowing, Planting Out & Care
  16. Fruit Disorders to Watch For
  17. Recommended Tools & Supplies
  18. Plan your Tomatoes planting
  19. Growing Tomato in another region
  20. References
  21. Frequently Asked Questions

In the UK, tomatoes are sown late March to early April, planted out late May, and are ready to harvest 52–90 days after planting out.

Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: there are 4 separate regional planting out windows, ranging from late May in Southern England to early June in Scotland.

The short answer

Sow
Late March to early April
Plant out
Late May
Ready in
52–90 days after planting out
Site
6+ hours of sun, soil pH 5.8–6.8
Biggest risk
Late blight

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Ripe and ripening cherry tomatoes on the vine. Photo: Luigi Chiesa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

29 sources cited · Verified

Watch: Growing Tomatoes at Home

A quick SoilCommander video on growing tomatoes at home in UK conditions — sowing, spacing, care and harvest in under a minute.

🍅 Did you know? Sowing tomatoes too early without heat and light is the most common UK mistake — late March is the sweet spot for strong, productive plants.

Regional Planting Calendar

Region Sow Plant out
Southern England late March to early April late May
Midlands derived late March to early April late May to mid June
Northern England late March to early April early June to mid June
Scotland late March to early April early June to mid June

Rows marked derived are interpolated between regions our sources do state, because no source we consulted gives a figure for that region specifically. They are deliberately wider to reflect that uncertainty.

Southern England - detail & sources

Sow indoors late March to early April for an outdoor crop; for a greenhouse crop RHS advises sowing earlier, from late February to mid-March. Plant out from late May in southern England (SoilCommander editorial). RHS gives the governing rule rather than a date: plant into the final position in early summer, once temperatures are reliably above 16°C (60°F). Met Office notes that in southern and coastal regions the average last air frost tends to occur earlier in spring, often before April comes to an end.

Midlands - detail & sources

DERIVED, NOT DIRECTLY SOURCED: no source consulted states a Midlands-specific planting-out window. This window is interpolated between the stated southern England date (late May) and the stated northern England / Scotland date (early to mid June), and is deliberately wider to reflect that uncertainty. Sowing window follows national RHS guidance. Apply the RHS rule in preference to the calendar: plant out only once temperatures are reliably above 16°C (60°F) and frost risk has passed.

Northern England - detail & sources

Sow indoors late March to early April. Northern regions may need to wait until early to mid June to plant out (SoilCommander editorial), against the RHS rule of planting out once temperatures are reliably above 16°C (60°F). Met Office notes that further north, and over higher ground, the average last air frost often extends well into May and, in a few places, even into June.

Scotland - detail & sources

Sow indoors late March to early April. Scotland may need to wait until early to mid June to plant out (SoilCommander editorial). Met Office notes the average last air frost further north and over higher ground often extends well into May and in a few places into June, so a greenhouse or polytunnel materially extends the viable season here. RHS rule still governs: plant out only once temperatures are reliably above 16°C (60°F).

A page from the UK Vegetable Garden Planner PDF: the crop rotation planner, with a planning grid and four-bed rotation tips

Plan your tomatoes — and the rest of the plot

This page covers tomatoes. For every crop's sowing months on one chart, use the free UK vegetable planting calendar, and browse the UK vegetable growing guides for what else to grow alongside it. When you want the whole season on paper, the UK Vegetable Garden Planner is a printable PDF:

  • Twelve month-by-month sowing and harvest spreads
  • Raised bed, allotment and container layout pages for your own plot
  • A four-year crop rotation planner
  • Seed inventory, sowing log and harvest tracker
See inside the UK Vegetable Garden Planner →

80 printable pages · instant PDF download · reprint every season

Quick Facts

Factor Value
Soil pH 5.8 - 6.8
Sunlight 6-8 hours direct sun
Germination temp 18°C
Optimal growing temp 21.1-26.7°C
Minimum survivable temp 5°C
Time to harvest 52-90 days after planting out
Soil texture clay, loam, sand
Drainage moist but well-drained
Soil organic matter 5% target
Lifecycle Tender perennial: persists and fruits for multiple years in frost-free climates (USDA zones 10-11), but is frost-sensitive and physiologically halted by freezing temperatures, so it is cultivated as an annual throughout temperate regions including the UK. This is a cultivation-practice adaptation, not the plant's underlying botanical lifecycle.
Edible parts fruit

At a Glance

Solanum lycopersicum Tomato Grey mould Verticillium wilt Cucumber mosaic virus Late blight (potato bli… Powdery scab Tomato spotted wilt Honey fungus Glasshouse red spider m… Glasshouse whitefly Western flower thrips Tomato moth (bright-lin… DISEASES PESTS

Soil & Growing Conditions

Young Moneymaker tomato plant growing in a terracotta pot — Photo: Kolforn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Photo: Kolforn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Water: About 1 to 1.5 inches (25-38mm) of water per week (Ohio State Extension). Keep soil or compost evenly moist; container plants may need daily watering in hot weather (RHS).

Humidity: 60-70% RH is optimal for pollination (Alabama Cooperative Extension). Above ~80% RH pollen grains clump and pollination drops.

Soil pH range

5.8 6.8

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

  1. Establishment: Grown from seed, typically started indoors/under glass in UK conditions given frost sensitivity.
  2. Vegetative Growth
  3. Flowering: Cordon types: side shoots removed as they appear; pinch growing tip after 7 trusses under cover or 4 outdoors (RHS).
  4. Fruit Development
  5. Ripening / Harvest: Killed by frost; cycle ends at first frost in UK outdoor/unheated conditions (tender perennial grown as annual).
  6. Senescence / Dormancy: Tender perennial grown as an annual in the UK; killed by first frost. End-of-season unripe fruit can be lifted and ripened off the vine (RHS).

Harvest & Storage

Ripe and ripening cherry tomatoes on the vine — Photo: Luigi Chiesa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Photo: Luigi Chiesa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: Tomatoes begin ripening from mid-summer; timing depends on variety, weather and fruit size (smaller cherry types ripen faster; greenhouse plants crop earlier and longer than outdoor). Check plants every few days and pick individually with the stalk attached as soon as fruit is ripe and fully coloured. At end of season, lift outdoor plants with unripe fruit and ripen on straw under cloches, or pick and ripen indoors in a warm dark place (e.g. a drawer with a banana).

Storage

Mature-green fruit: store at 55-70°F (12.8-21.1°C), 90-95% relative humidity, for 1-3 weeks. Firm-ripe fruit: same conditions but only 4-7 days (University of Maine Extension Bulletin #4135). Do not refrigerate unripe tomatoes - refrigeration inhibits ripening; ripen at about 70°F (21°C) instead, and refrigerating ripe fruit can reduce flavour and cause mealy texture (Clemson HGIC). At the end of the UK season, lift outdoor plants carrying unripe fruit and ripen under cloches on straw, or pick and ripen indoors in a warm dark place such as a drawer with a banana (RHS).

Diseases

Fuzzy grey-brown Botrytis mould covering a tomato stem — Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0
Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0
Grey mould
common

Botrytis cinerea

Soft brown fruit decay; Fuzzy grey-brown mould

RHS: tomato "may be susceptible to... grey moulds under glass" (Red Cherry cultivar page); RHS grey mould disease page independently lists tomatoes among commonly affected crops.

Verticillium wilt
high

Verticillium dahliae

Verticillium wilt now links tomato and strawberry -- second disease (after Damping-off/Grey mould) proven reusable across both flagship crops.

Cucumber mosaic virus

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)

UC IPM names tomato among CMV hosts: "cucurbits (except watermelon), tomato, spinach, celery, safflower, beans, blackeyes, peppers, beets, potatoes, many ornamentals and weeds". The RHS page did not list tomato.

Tomato leaf with brown late blight lesions — Scot Nelson, CC BY-SA 2.0
Scot Nelson, CC BY-SA 2.0

Phytophthora infestans

Rapidly spreading watery rot with pale leaf-edge sporulation (late blight pattern)

Retroactively linking tomato (already in graph) to the same Late blight disease entity now that potato -- the other major host -- has been added. RHS/UMN both confirm Phytophthora infestans is the identical pathogen…

Powdery scab
minor

Spongospora subterranea

Raised or sunken scabby patches on tuber/root skin

RHS: powdery scab "sometimes infects the roots of tomato plants" -- second cross-crop (potato/tomato) disease link established this session, alongside Late blight.

Tomato spotted wilt
moderate

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV)

RHS Red Cherry cultivar page lists tomato spotted wilt virus among diseases tomato may be susceptible to.

Honey fungus
rare

Armillaria spp.

RHS Red Cherry cultivar page explicitly notes tomato is susceptible only "rarely".

Pests

Two-spotted red spider mite with silk threads, magnified — Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0
Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0
Glasshouse red spider mite (two-spotted spider mite)
moderate_to_severe

Tetranychus urticae

RHS explicitly names tomato among confirmed host plants for glasshouse red spider mite. Source: RHS, "Glasshouse red spider mite,".

Glasshouse whitefly adult on a leaf — Sanja565658, CC BY-SA 3.0
Sanja565658, CC BY-SA 3.0
Glasshouse whitefly
common

Trialeurodes vaporariorum

RHS Red Cherry cultivar page: susceptible to glasshouse whitefly

Western flower thrips
variable_regional

Frankliniella occidentalis

Vector of Tomato spotted wilt virus; also a direct feeding pest independent of virus transmission.

Tomato moth (bright-line brown-eye)
common

Lacanobia oleracea

RHS Red Cherry cultivar page: susceptible to tomato moth

Nutrient Issues

Calcium (Ca)

deficiency (physiological, uptake-related)

Blossom end rot

Correction

Not typically corrected by adding soil calcium alone -- driven mainly by irregular/insufficient watering restricting calcium transport to fruit; consistent watering is the primary corrective measure. Excess nitrogen and temperature fluctuation are contributing factors.

Magnesium (Mg)

deficiency

Interveinal chlorosis (older leaves)

Correction

RHS lists magnesium deficiency among tomato problems; standard correction is a magnesium supplement (e.g. Epsom salts foliar feed), though the specific corrective product was not independently verified this session.

Phosphorus (P)

deficiency

Correction

RHS names tomatoes among plants affected by phosphorus deficiency: "Stunted growth with purple discolouration on older leaves. Eventually, leaves turn dull yellow", especially in tender plants at low temperatures. Shortage is uncommon; very acidic or alkaline soils reduce availability and waterlogging hinders root uptake. Correction: improve drainage with organic matter, delay planting tender crops until late May or early June, and use fish, blood and bone.

Companion Planting

Orange Tagetes erecta marigold flower in bloom — Usmonov Gayrat, CC0
Usmonov Gayrat, CC0
French/Aztec marigold
pest deterrent

Tagetes erecta

Airborne limonene emitted by marigolds gives a negative behavioural response in glasshouse whitefly; season-long companion planting significantly slows whitefly population development on tomato (PLOS ONE glasshouse trial, 48-day infestation period).

pest deterrent

Ocimum basilicum

Basil is a non-host plant for glasshouse whitefly; interplanting reduced proportion of marigolds with basil (plus nasturtium and Chinese cabbage) was also shown to reduce whitefly populations on tomato.

Strawberry plant in the ground with ripening fruit — Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
avoid shared disease

Fragaria x ananassa

Not a beneficial pairing -- this is a warning. Avoid planting strawberries in ground recently occupied by tomatoes, or the reverse, because both are highly susceptible to Verticillium wilt. RHS UK Advisory Service case records name both Fragaria and Solanum among the most frequently diagnosed…

Potato seedling and harvested tubers — Scott Bauer, USDA-ARS, public domain
Scott Bauer, USDA-ARS, public domain
avoid shared disease

Solanum tuberosum

Both are Solanaceae hosts of the identical Phytophthora infestans (late blight) pathogen, of potato cyst nematode (Globodera rostochiensis/pallida), and powdery scab (Spongospora subterranea, root infection on tomato); soil or compost that grew one should not be reused to grow the other in the…

avoid shared disease

Solanum melongena

Clemson HGIC gives a three-year solanaceous rotation for eggplant twice over: for bacterial wilt, "do not plant eggplant in areas that have had tomatoes, Irish potatoes, or eggplant planted in the previous three years"; and for southern blight, "avoid planting in areas where tomatoes, peppers,…

Pollination

Tomato flower showing its yellow anther cone, beside a young developing fruit — The yellow anther cone is what a bumblebee vibrates to release pollen. Photo: Earth100, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The yellow anther cone is what a bumblebee vibrates to release pollen. Photo: Earth100, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Bumblebees (buzz pollinators) Bombus spp. (esp. B. terrestris, B. impatiens)

Tomato flowers are self-fertile and offer only pollen (no nectar reward). Outdoors, wind/vibration can trigger self-pollination; in the still air of a glasshouse this does not occur, so ~95% of commercial bumble bee colonies globally are used specifically in tomato greenhouses for buzz pollination (vibrating thoracic muscles to dislodge pollen). Bee pollination increases fruit set, yield and weight vs. other methods; honey bees cannot buzz-pollinate and do not reliably visit tomato flowers.

Choosing the Right Variety

Variety selection is crucial in the UK climate. Choose varieties that ripen reliably in our shorter, cooler summers.

  • Gardener's Delight — reliable cherry tomato, excellent flavour, good disease resistance.
  • Alicante — classic medium-sized tomato, reliable cropper, good for outdoor growing.
  • Tumbling Tom — bush variety, perfect for hanging baskets and containers.
  • Tigerella — striking red and yellow striped fruits, early ripening.
  • Ferline F1 — excellent blight resistance, large fruits, reliable outdoors.
  • Sungold and Moneymaker — two further varieties well suited to the British climate.

Sowing, Planting Out & Care

Sowing

  1. Fill modules or small pots with good quality seed compost.
  2. Sow 2 seeds per cell at 1cm depth, thinning to the strongest seedling.
  3. Keep warm at 18–22°C for germination (7–14 days).
  4. Pot on when roots fill the module, into 7.5cm then 10cm pots.
  5. Keep in bright light to prevent leggy growth.

Planting out and ongoing care

  • Harden off gradually over 7–10 days before planting outside.
  • Deep planting: bury the stem up to the first set of true leaves to encourage additional roots.
  • Support: stake cordon varieties at planting; tie in regularly as they grow.
  • Side shooting: remove side shoots on cordon (indeterminate) varieties weekly. Leave bush varieties unpruned.
  • Feeding: begin weekly high-potassium liquid tomato feed once the first flowers appear; containers every 10–14 days once fruits swell.
  • Watering: water consistently — irregular watering causes blossom end rot and splitting.
  • Pinch out the growing tip in late summer to direct energy into ripening existing fruit.

Fruit Disorders to Watch For

These are physiological disorders rather than diseases: they are caused by growing conditions, not by a pathogen, so no spray will fix them and nothing is passed between plants.

  • Splitting. Heavy rain after a dry spell causes fruits to split. Keep soil moisture even and harvest ripe fruits promptly.
  • Greenback. A hard green patch at the top of the fruit, caused by excess sun or potassium deficiency. Choose resistant varieties and feed regularly.
  • Blossom end rot. A dark, sunken patch at the base of the fruit — a calcium-transport problem driven by irregular watering, not a disease. See the Nutrient Issues section above.

Having the right tools makes growing tomatoes easier. Our hand tools for gardening include precision secateurs ideal for removing side shoots and harvesting fruit, and the soil and plant care range covers everything from propagators to high-potassium feeds.

Planning the wider plot? See the UK vegetable planting calendar, or the monthly guides for March, April and May.

Plan your Tomatoes planting

When to sow and plant Tomatoes depends on your own frost dates. Check the UK vegetable planting calendar, or the month-by-month guides that cover Tomatoes: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.

Growing Tomato in another region

Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.

References

  1. Pollinate when humidity is between 60 and 70 percent; day 80-85°F, night 60-65°F.

  2. Names Phytophthora blight, bacterial wilt, southern blight and Phomopsis blight as the diseases, and aphids/whiteflies, flea beetles, Colorado potato beetle, hornworms, stink and leaf-footed bugs, and spider mites as the pests, each with symptoms and management. Carries the three-year solanaceous rotation rule for both bacterial wilt and southern blight.

  3. Soil pH 6.0-6.5; best 70-80°F day / 60-70°F night; days to harvest 52-90 by cultivar; storage guidance.

  5. Qualitative only: southern/coastal last air frost often before end of April; further north well into May, in a few places into June. No numeric per-region frost dates published here.

  8. 6-8 hours direct sun; pH 6.5-6.8; 1-1.5 inches water per week; ripening 68-77°F.

  9. Soil pH 5.8-6.6; optimal 60-90°F, growth/pollination slows above 90°F or below 55°F.

  10. Glasshouse trial: marigolds grown alongside tomato throughout the season significantly slow glasshouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) population growth over 48 days. Reducing marigold proportion and introducing other non-host plants (basil, nasturtium, Chinese cabbage) also reduced whitefly populations. "Emergency" introduction after high whitefly buildup was much less effective than season-long companion planting.

  13. RHS factsheet on glasshouse red spider mite (two-spotted spider mite), naming tomato and strawberry among the host plants affected under glass or in a polytunnel.

  17. States explicitly: "The same pathogen also affects tomatoes." Full biology, symptoms, non-chemical control, no fungicides available to UK gardeners.

  18. Common scab (Streptomyces spp.) and powdery scab (Spongospora subterranea). Powdery scab explicitly also infects tomato roots -- second cross-crop disease link found this session.

  20. Notes Tagetes (French marigolds) deter whitefly/thrips from tomatoes via limonene, but also notes mixing tomatoes with other plants (without Tagetes) had a similar effect -- preserved as a genuine nuance/caveat, not omitted.

  21. Based on RHS Advisory Service case records since 1996.

  22. First-party editorial, not third-party verification. Southern England transplant typically late May; northern regions and Scotland early to mid June. Cross-checks with RHS on spacing (45-60cm) and frost-tenderness.

  25. Content dated 12/13.

  26. At least four to six hours of sun per day; pH 6.2-6.5. Florida climate context.

  27. Tomato mature-green 55-70°F, 90-95% RH, 1-3 weeks; firm-ripe same conditions, 4-7 days.

  28. Goal for vegetable and flower beds should be 5%-10% soil organic matter. General vegetable-bed guidance, not tomato-specific.

29 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I plant tomatoes outside in the UK?

Plant tomatoes outside from late May to early June, once all risk of frost has passed. In cooler northern regions and Scotland, wait until early-to-mid June to be safe.

Can I sow tomatoes too early?

Yes — sowing much before late March without extra heat and light produces leggy, weak seedlings that struggle once planted out. Late March to early April is the sweet spot for most of the UK.

Do I need a greenhouse to grow tomatoes in the UK?

No, but a greenhouse or polytunnel lets you start earlier and extends the harvest season considerably. Outdoor tomatoes grown in a warm, sheltered spot still crop well from July to October.

How long after planting do tomatoes start fruiting?

Most varieties take 8-10 weeks from planting out to first ripe fruit. Outdoor plants set out in late May typically begin fruiting from late July, while greenhouse-grown plants often fruit from mid-to-late June. In Scotland and northern England, where the last frost can linger into June, outdoor plants go in later and fruiting typically starts from August instead.

What causes blossom end rot on tomatoes?

A dark, sunken patch at the fruit's base caused by calcium deficiency triggered by irregular watering, not a disease. Keep soil evenly moist rather than alternating between wet and dry.

How often should I remove tomato side shoots?

Check cordon varieties each time you water and pinch out the small shoots that appear in every leaf joint — leaving them creates a mass of leafy stems at the expense of fruit.

How often should tomatoes be fed?

Feed container-grown plants every 10–14 days with a high-potassium fertiliser once fruits begin swelling; plants in the ground often need only fortnightly feeding.

Plan next season before the problems start

Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.

Get the UK Garden Planner →

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SoilCommander Editorial Team — under the direction of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder

Every growing guide is checked against RHS, USDA Cooperative Extension, and other named horticultural authorities before publishing.

How this guide is put together

The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against RHS and Met Office guidance. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.

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