Tomatoes are usually on the top of every gardeners’ list. For good reason too. Nothing beats the taste of a home grown tomato.
Tomatoes are part of the nightshade or Solanaceae family of plants. They can be eaten raw and used in a variety of dishes.
Let’s grow some tasty tomatoes in your Phoenix garden!
Phoenix Gardening Step: Grow Tomatoes in Phoenix
- When and how to plant tomatoes
- Tomato Varieties: How to Choose?
- What grows well near tomatoes and what doesn’t?
- How to care for tomato plants
- Harvesting tomatoes-when is the ideal time to pick tomatoes?
When and How to Plant Tomatoes
Tomatoes are warm-season vegetables. They do not tolerate cold weather well. They like the soil temperature to be around 70 degrees fahrenheit. Plant tomatoes after the threat of frost. There is a small window of time to transplant your tomatoes in Phoenix.
Plant tomato transplants between mid-February and March.
Early season varieties and transplant tomatoes work best in Phoenix. Tomatoes need room to grow and need a minimum of one foot apart.
For taller varieties provide a cage or trellis to support your tomato plants. We like to use bamboo sticks and flexible garden ties to support our tomato plants.
Types of Tomatoes- What Works Best in Phoenix
There are two types of tomato plants: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate tomato plants grow a few feet high and produce all of their tomatoes for one harvest. Indeterminate tomato plants grow tomatoes throughout the growing season.
Indeterminate Tomatoes
If you’re looking to grow tomatoes for your salads or burgers then an indeterminate plant is the best choice. Indeterminate tomato plants grow taller than determinate types. Stake indeterminate tomato plants.
Determinate Tomatoes
If you’re looking for a large harvest of tomatoes within a few weeks a determinate plant would be the best choice.
Tomato paste is often made with determinate tomatoes. Determinate tomato plants grow like a bush until it reaches a few feet.
Ideally if you plant both types you’ll have all of your favorite tomato varieties to pick from.
Tomato Varieties
Very few edible foods have as many varieties to choose from as tomatoes. Varieties of tomatoes include:
- heirloom (most are indeterminate)
- beefsteak (can be both)
- roma (determinate)
- cherry (indeterminate) round in shape
- grape are oblong in shape
Companion Plants for Tomatoes
Tomatoes enjoy the company of carrots, onions, parsley, and chives. They do not like plants from the cabbage family. Do not plant near cabbage, cauliflower or potatoes.
How to Care for Tomatoes
Tomatoes do not tolerate cold weather, but they do not like the heat either. In Phoenix there is a small window of time to plant your tomatoes.
Light Requirements: Tomatoes need full sun or about 6-8 hours of sun a day. Plant tomatoes where they will receive enough sun to grow.
Soil Requirements: Prefers fertile well-drained soil. Tomatoes can grow in any soil if it has good drainage. Tomatoes prefer slightly acidic pH. The soil pH range of 6 -6.5 is ideal.
Water Requirements: Like most vegetables and fruits, tomatoes like moist soil. Water tomato plants three times per week during their growing season or as needed. Tomatoes can crack if they are allowed to dry out and then watered too much.
Harvesting Tomatoes
Tomato harvest times vary from 50-80+ days depending on the variety planted. In Phoenix it is preferable to plant early-season varieties. Transplanted tomato plants are ready to harvest between mid-March and May.
