🍅

Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum

Vegetables📅 70–90 days to harvest☀️ Full sun (6–8 hours)

Overview

Tomatoes are the backbone of Florida home gardens, but success depends on planting at the right time. Unlike northern states where tomatoes go in after the last frost, Florida gardeners plant in fall and late winter to avoid the summer heat, humidity, and pest pressure that devastate plants. Determinate varieties are preferred for their concentrated harvest window, while heat-set varieties like Solar Fire and Florida 91 are bred specifically for Florida conditions.

Florida's sandy soils drain quickly, so consistent irrigation and heavy mulching are essential. Staking or caging plants keeps fruit off the ground and reduces disease. With proper timing and variety selection, Florida gardeners can harvest tomatoes when the rest of the country is still waiting for spring.

Growing in Florida

Florida is the largest fresh-market tomato producer in the United States, with most commercial production concentrated in the Homestead and Immokalee areas. Home gardeners benefit from the same UF/IFAS breeding program that serves commercial growers — varieties like Solar Fire were developed specifically for Florida's heat and humidity challenges. The key insight for Florida tomato growing: plant early enough to harvest before summer heat arrives, or wait for fall when temperatures drop back into the 55–85°F range that tomatoes prefer for fruit set.

Planting Calendar

ZoneJanJFebFMarMAprAMayMJunJJulJAugASepSOctONovNDecD
North FL
✓
✓
✓
·
·
·
·
✓
✓
·
·
·
Central FL
✓
✓
✓
·
·
·
·
·
✓
✓
·
·
South FL
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
✓
✓
✓
✓

Growing Guide

🌱Soil Type
Well-drained sandy loam amended with compost
⚗️Soil pH
6.2–6.8
☀️Sun Requirement
Full sun (6–8 hours)
💧Water Needs
1–2 inches per week, consistent moisture
📏Spacing
24–36 inches apart, rows 4–5 feet apart
📅Days to Harvest
70–90
🧪Fertilizer
6-8-8 or 4-8-8 at planting, side-dress with calcium nitrate at flowering
🌿Propagation
Transplants (start seed 6–8 weeks before planting date)

Companion Planting

🌱 Basil
Repels aphids and whiteflies; may improve tomato flavor
🌱 Marigold
Deters root-knot nematodes, a major Florida soil pest
🌱 Carrots
Loosen soil around tomato roots and use space efficiently
🌱 Parsley
Attracts predatory insects that feed on tomato hornworms

Pests & Diseases

pestWhiteflies
Use reflective mulch, insecticidal soap, or neem oil. Remove heavily infested leaves.
pestTomato Hornworm
Hand-pick and destroy. Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is effective for small larvae. Encourage parasitic wasps.
pestRoot-knot Nematodes
Solarize soil before planting. Use resistant rootstocks. Rotate with non-host crops like marigolds or grasses.
diseaseBacterial Spot
Use certified disease-free seed and transplants. Apply copper fungicide preventatively. Avoid overhead irrigation.
diseaseLate Blight
Plant resistant varieties. Apply fungicides in cool, wet weather. Remove and destroy infected plants immediately.

Florida Varieties

Solar Fire
UF/IFAS release with excellent heat-set ability. Sets fruit at temperatures that shut down other varieties.
Florida 91
Industry standard for Florida field production. Disease-resistant, firm fruit, good flavor.
Everglades
Currant-type heirloom naturalized in South Florida. Tiny, intensely flavored fruit on vigorous, disease-tolerant vines.
BHN 602
Widely adapted determinate with strong disease package. Reliable producer across all Florida zones.

Flavor Profile

Texture
Firm flesh with juicy gel surrounding seeds
Best Eaten
Both

Nutrition Highlights

Health note: Tomatoes are one of the richest dietary sources of lycopene, a carotenoid antioxidant associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Cooking increases lycopene bioavailability.

Culinary Uses

Fresh slicing for sandwiches and salads. Slow-roasted for concentrated flavor in sauces. Essential in salsas, bruschetta, and caprese. Florida cherry tomatoes are excellent burst-cooked in pasta. Green tomatoes can be fried or pickled — a Southern tradition with deep Florida roots.

Storage Tips

Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature out of direct sunlight for best flavor — refrigeration damages texture and mutes taste. Use within 5–7 days of full ripeness. Green tomatoes can be ripened in a paper bag with a banana. Excess harvest freezes well whole for later use in cooked dishes.

💡 Fun Fact

Florida produces more fresh-market tomatoes than any other U.S. state, supplying most of the winter tomatoes eaten across the country. The Everglades tomato, a tiny currant-type variety, has naturalized in South Florida and produces prolifically with zero maintenance.