Lycopersicon lycopersicum

Tomato

The first ripe, juicy tomato of summer is a delicious milestone of the season for gardeners. Each year we test and evaluate more than 250 tomato varieties to bring you the most flavorful, best performing selections, for every desired use. An array of nutrients and antioxidants including the especially potent lycopene, found in its highest concentration in tomatoes, supports healthy eyesight, cardiovascular health, cancer-fighting capacity, and more.

Shop Now

The Growing Guide

Soil Temp for Germ 70-90°F
Seed Depth 1/4"
Days to Emergence 6-14
Soil Temp for Transplant 55°F
Plant Spacing See below
Row Spacing 3-4'
Fertilizer Needs High
Minimum Germination 80%
Seeds per Gram ≈ 280-320
Seed Life 3 years

Get the Basics

More About The Seeds & Plants

Tomato Disease Resistance Key

Alternaria Stem Canker Fungal disease causing dark brown cankers on stems.
Early (Alternaria) Blight Fungal disease causing concentric spots, blight on leaves.
Bacterial Wilt Bacterial disease causing rapid wilting, plant collapse.
Fusarium Wilt Fungal disease causing yellowing, wilting plant leaves.
Fusarium Crown and Root Rot Fungal disease causing root decay, wilting, plant collapse.
Gray Leaf Spot Fungal disease causing small gray spots on leaves.
Late Blight Fungal disease causing dark, oily spots on leaves.
Leaf Mold Fungal disease causing gray mold on leaves.
Roundworm | Nematode Microscopic roundworms that parasitize plants, causing root galls.
Leaf Mold | Passalora fulva Fungal disease causing yellow spots, olive-green mold on leaves.
Corky Root Rot | Pyrenochaeta lycopersici Fungal disease causing corky, cracked lesions on roots.
Bacterial Speck Bacterial disease causing small, dark spots on tomato leaves.
Root-Knot Nematode disease causing galls, stunting on plant roots.
Tobacco Mosaic Virus Viral disease causing mosaic patterns, mottled leaves.
Tomato Apex Necrotic Virus Viral disease causing apex necrosis, stem flagging, fruit rings.
Tomato Mosaic Virus Viral disease causing mottled leaves, stunted growth.
Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Viral disease causing bronze spots, wilting, stunted growth.
Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus Viral disease causing yellowing, leaf curling, stunted growth.
Verticillium Wilt Soilborne fungal disease causing wilting, yellowing, vascular browning.

* Numbers indicate specific disease race.

More About

Lycopersicon lycopersicum

Days to maturity are calculated from date of transplant.

Culture
• Determinate tomatoes: grow compactly, sprawling laterally, usually do not require staking, and fruit ripens over a short period of time
• Indeterminate tomatoes: grow on long vines, generally require pruning to 1 or 2 leaders that need to be trellised
• Fertile, well-drained raised beds covered with plastic mulch promote early growth and better yields
• Tomatoes are high feeders and will benefit from regular fertilization with Age Old Bloom
• To prevent blossom end rot use a high calcium amendment
• Overwatering can cause fruit to crack

Direct Sowing
• Not recommended

Transplanting
• Sow seeds in trays 6-8 weeks before anticipated transplant date; up-pot into 3-4 inch pots when the first set of true leaves appears
• Strong light and cooler temperatures (60-70°F) prevent plants from getting leggy
• Fertilize with Age Old Grow every 10-14 days
• When transplanting work in compost, 1/2 cup of TSC's Complete fertilizer, and handful of bone meal
• Determinates can be spaced 18-24 inches apart, indeterminates 24-36 inches apart
• Tomatoes can be buried up to the top 2 sets of leaves
• Use Kozy-Coats or Victorian Bell Cloches to protect young plants

Insects & Diseases
• Common insects: Flea beetles and tomato hornworms
• Insect control: Pyrethrin or row cover for flea beetles, and Monterey B.t. for tomato hornworms
• Common diseases: Early and late blight
• Disease prevention: A strict 3-4 year rotation, remove vines at the end of the year, fungicide

Harvest & Storage
• Harvest when fully ripe; allow the fruit to ripen on the vine as long as possible
• Red tomatoes should be harvested when they are fully red or with only a ring of yellow around the stem. Other colors should be harvested when they have fully reached their expected color
• If tomatoes must be harvested before fully ripe due to frost, harvest pale green tomatoes that have started turning and store in a loosely sealed paper bag in a cool (55-70°F), dark place, checking regularly for soft, diseased, or ripe fruit. Make sure fruit are not touching. Do not place unripe fruit on a sunny windowsill
• Do not refrigerate for best flavor
• Tomatoes can be canned or frozen for later use

KEY TO TOMATO DISEASE RESISTANCE AND TOLERANCE
• HR indicates high resistance.
• IR indicates intermediate resistance.
• Aal | Alternaria Stem Canker
• AB | Early (Alternaria) Blight
• B | Bacterial Wilt
• F* | Fusarium Wilt
• FOR | Fusarium Crown and Root Rot
• L | Gray Leaf Spot
• LB* | Late Blight
• LM* | Leaf Mold
• N | Roundworm | Nematode
• Pf* | Leaf Mold | Passalora fulva
• PL | Corky Root Rot
• PST* | Bacterial Speck
• RK | Root-Knot
• TMV | Tobacco Mosaic Virus
• ToANV* | Tomato Apex Necrotic Virus
• ToMV* | Tomato Mosaic Virus
• TSWV | Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
• TYLCV | Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus
• V* | Verticillium Wilt
* Numbers and letters indicate specific disease race.

From Our Farm Team

Employee Favorite Tomatoes You’ll Love to Grow

There are way too many tomatoes to pick just one. But if you made us, we'd have to pick the Umpqua beauty tomato. Known for its striking color and rich, sweet flavor, Umpqua Beauty is our "employee favorite" tomato. The plants are productive and easy to grow, yielding beautiful, flavorful fruits consistently. Its vibrant appearance and delicious taste make it a standout choice for any garden.

Umpqua Beauty Tomato

Vegetable | tomato | slicing

From $4.95

80-85 days. This beautiful tomato hails from the Umpqua River Valley in southern Oregon. One of the most versatile open-pollinated, determinate varieties we have run across in a long time. The fire-engine red fruit can grow upwards of two pounds each, are very thick and meaty, and can be enjoyed much like eating an apple. The Umpqua River Valley is in the heart of the best timber country in the world. You can just imagine this deep-flavored, smooth, and heavy heirloom tomato earning a coveted spot in hard working turn-of-the-century loggers’ and mill workers’ lunch boxes. Not only for its substantial size and meatiness, but for its ability to be eaten by hand without juice running all over the chin. Its girth and thickness make meaty-thick slices for sandwiches, as it can span from crust to crust. Even night-before-made workday sandwiches will not be soggy by lunchtime. You can even enjoy it with salt, just as you would your watermelon. Umpqua Beauty’s dense flesh also makes it one of the best paste and sauce tomatoes you can grow. This dependable crop is a truly great choice for all-around use. If you ever find yourself only able to grow one tomato variety, you should definitely consider growing Umpqua Beauty.

Tom Johns throws out a special thanks to his childhood pal Jimmy Gilmore for donating his Umpqua Beauty discovery to Territorial Seed Company. Jim found this tomato from a local seed saver who was living in the Bandon area of the Southern Oregon coast. She proclaimed this was an old favorite of early arrivals to the Umpqua River Valley, near Roseburg OR.