How Long Does A Tomato Take to Grow? It takes anywhere between 60-110 days until you can harvest any tomatoes. Growing tomatoes can be quite intimidating for beginner gardeners, but there is no need to panic!
Keep reading to find out how long a tomato takes to grow, what factors affect the duration, and tips on better growing your tomatoes. I failed many times and did not want you to make the same mistakes as me.
So please read on and educate yourself before the season ends and you have 0 tomatoes to harvest.
How long does a tomato take to grow?
Tomato plants take 60-110 days until harvest. The period in which a tomato plant reaches maturity is between 20-80 days from when it starts to flower. This depends on factors such as the tomato variety, sunlight, water, and the soil mixture.
Factors Affecting How Long It Takes A Tomato To Grow
Tomato Variety
First, you need to identify the variety of tomatoes you are growing.
The type and variety of tomato impact the long period a tomato takes to grow.
There are two main types of tomato variations: determinates and indeterminates.
Determinate tomato plants
A determinate tomato plant grows to a specific height and then stops growing.
These plants are very bushy in appearance and grow all their produce seasonally. This means that your plant will usually produce one batch of tomatoes once a year.
Determinates are perfect for indoor gardening and for growing in pots.
It’s because they don’t take up much space. Examples of this variant of tomatoes are Roma tomatoes and golden girl tomatoes.
When growing your determinate tomato plant, you’ll notice they are seasonal. They only produce fruit when the weather conditions are most favorable.
Planting this type of variety will be a good idea if you live in an area with a fairly warm spring and hot summer.
I would not advise growing these types of plants if you live in an area that is cold all year round, as the growth of the tomatoes will be stunted.
Once your plant starts producing flowers, your plant will stop growing in height.
It will also stop growing new leaves and stems and focus its energy on growing these flowers into tomatoes.
It takes approximately five weeks for your tomato plant to grow from blooms to fruits.
Indeterminate tomato plants
Unlike determinate plants, indeterminates do not stop growing.
They continue to grow all year round. Indeterminate plants have a vine-like appearance and tend to take up a lot of space.
They are not suitable for indoor gardening, and I would advise that you plant them in a spacious area, outside so that your plant may flourish.
The majority of the tomatoes grown are indeterminate, and a few examples of these tomatoes include sun gold tomatoes and cherry tomatoes.
These plants grow all year long. Indeterminate plants will take around a month to two months to grow from flower to fruit in summer.
Tomato plants rely heavily on warmth; therefore, indeterminate plants will grow their tomatoes a lot slower during winter.
The lack of warmth could mean your tomatoes could take up to three months to grow.
I would advise you to plant this variant of tomatoes if you live in a fairly warm area all year round.
This way, you’ll be able to grow tomatoes throughout the year, and the heat will allow for fast-growing, good-quality tomatoes.
Read: Indeterminate tomato varieties
Sunlight
Sunlight is one of the most crucial factors to watch out for when growing your tomatoes!
If your plant does not get the required sunlight it needs, it will produce tomatoes very slowly or possibly not at all.
When growing your tomato plant, ensure you grow it in an open area away from shade.
Your tomato plants need a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight to grow their tomatoes successfully!
The ideal sun for tomato production is between six to eight hours of sunlight. The more sun and warmth your plants get, the faster their tomatoes will grow and with better quality.
Using a greenhouse is a great way to ensure your tomatoes get the sunlight and warmth they require, resulting in fast-growing tomatoes.
Tomatoes do not grow well in cold, shaded areas. If your plant doesn’t receive enough sunlight, tomatoes won’t grow.
If conditions get very cold, these plants are known to stop growing at first frost. Cold conditions will hinder the growing process, possibly harming and killing your plant.
Water
Never forget how important water is for your tomatoes!
If your tomato plant is not receiving enough water, it can hinder the growing process of tomatoes and severely harm your plant.
The easiest way to check if your plant needs water is to stick two fingers 1 inch into the soil simply. If the soil appears to be dry, then your plant needs some water!
When watering your plant, try not to water it from the top as the water falling directly on the foliage and the produce can disrupt your plant and its fruit!
Always water your plant at the base, right by the soil. This will also ensure your plant gets thoroughly watered.
Water your plant until the soil is well moist to ensure optimal tomato growth.
Soil mixture
The best soils to use for growing tomatoes are soil mixtures that are rich in nutrients.
Nutritious soil will allow your tomatoes to have a better quality aside from hastening their growing period.
This is, however, not a detrimental factor!
Tomatoes are fairly resilient plants, and therefore, they will grow in any well-drained loam. The optimal acidic level for the soil should be between a pH of 7-8.
If you are growing determinate tomatoes in a pot, your best option would be to use potting soil.
If you are growing indeterminates, you can buy a soil mixture or use garden soil.
You can also make your soil mix 70% peat moss and 30% compost.
A tomato takes 60-110 days to grow, depending on the variety, the amount of light, water, soil, and fertilizer.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.