Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
A vegetable, sown February to April. It needs 4 jobs a year.
In September: pick the tomatoes and pinch out the sideshoots on a cordon tomato.
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Tomato, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow under cover. | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | none |
| Plant out. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | none | none |
| Tap the flowers on the tomato (greenhouse plants only). | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual |
| Pinch out the sideshoots on the tomato (cordon plants only). | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual |
| Pick the tomatoes. | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual |
| Pinch out the top of the tomato (cordon and indeterminate plants only). | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Sowing and planting
Sow under cover February to April, 1mm deep. Strong sources: RHS and Garden Organic.
Tap the flowers on the tomato
For greenhouse plants only.
Lightly tap or shake the fully open flowers to help the pollen move within each flower.
Usually April to August. Strong source: RHS.
Pinch out the sideshoots on the tomato
For cordon plants only.
On cordon tomatoes, each time you water, pinch or snap off shoots growing between leaf and main stem.
Usually April to September. Strong source: RHS.
Pick the tomatoes
Usually July to October. Moderate source: Garden Organic.
Pinch out the top of the tomato
Gardeners call this stopping (growth capping).
For cordon and indeterminate plants only.
At seven trusses indoors or four outdoors, remove the main stem’s tip two leaves above the top truss.
Usually August. Strong sources: RHS and Gardeners’ World.
What the source words mean
Strong: the RHS page for this plant is among them.Moderate: another trusted UK source, or the RHS on its group.
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “Tomato” comes from.