Tomato

Light

Sunny

Pot size

Large pot (more than 15 litres); needs at least 19 litres and 30.5 cm of depth

Care level

Needs regular attention

Year round or seasonal

Seasonal crop for warm weather

Pets

ASPCA: toxic to pets

Light and position

Full sun: 6 or more hours of direct sun; fruiting crops need the most light.

Size and pot

NC State: a container of at least 5 gallons (about 19 litres), 1 to 2 feet deep, one plant per pot. Our pot band: large pot (more than 15 litres). A band is only a rough fit: the published minimum volume and depth above apply whatever the band. Check your pot with the volume calculator.

Watering

Water consistently. NC State says uneven watering causes blossom-end rot and split fruit.

Potting mix and feeding

Loamy, slightly acidic, well-drained mix. Too much nitrogen gives leaves instead of fruit. Support stems with a cage or stake.

Growing through the year

A warm-season crop; NC State gives 70 to 75 °F (about 21 to 24 °C) as its preferred range. TNAU raises seedlings in cocopeat trays and transplants them at 25 days old, and lists May to June and November to December as sowing seasons (for Tamil Nadu).

NC State’s vegetable handbook says warm-season vegetables are frost-sensitive and grow well when temperatures are above about 21 °C (70 °F).

Watch for

Aphids, whiteflies, spider mites and caterpillars; blights, wilts and blossom-end rot.

Pets and people

ASPCA lists the tomato plant as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (solanine) and notes the ripe fruit is non-toxic. Signs include drooling, severe stomach upset and weakness.

General gardening information, not professional advice. Plant toxicity details are a starting point, not veterinary or medical advice: if a pet or child may have eaten a plant, contact a veterinarian or doctor promptly.

Care level: NC State’s maintenance rating (High). Pot band and summary wording are ours, based on the sources below.