How Long Do Tomatoes Really Take To Grow? Here's When To Expect Your First Pick

A tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum) can be an attractive addition to any home garden. Both container and ground plants produce interesting green foliage of varying shapes, as well as pretty yellow or gold flowers that are often described as star-shaped. Indeed, the plants can have their aesthetic appeal, but let's face it — you're likely growing them for their fruit, and not for their foliage and flowers. While the exact growing schedule can vary based on cultivar, most tomato plant varieties grown from seed can take anywhere between two and five months to produce fruit. 

The overall ease of growing and harvesting is certainly why many people choose to grow tomatoes in containers or in garden beds around their homes. There are also more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes to choose from, with some gardeners even growing multiple types for different purposes. For example, cherry tomatoes are great for snacks and salads, while Roma varieties are better for making sauces. There are even slicing varieties to consider, which produce much larger fruit. Some tomato varieties may fall somewhere along the shorter end of the average fruiting range, taking an average of 55 days until you can harvest any tomatoes. As a rule of thumb, smaller tomatoes, such as cherry varieties, will grow quicker than larger slicing types of tomatoes. You're also more likely to see your plants produce tomatoes on time when the weather is warmer, so long as they receive plenty of sunlight and just the right amounts of water on a regular basis.

Just as there are different types of tomatoes available, it's important to know that each may have different growing timelines.For this reason, there isn't a single answer for how long you can expect a tomato plant to produce fruit that's ripe for the picking. No matter which variety you're growing though, you may be able to tell your tomatoes are actually ready for harvesting by looking at them. As a rule of thumb, wait until the skin of the fruit is at least 90% deep red in color and has no signs of green or pink before picking.

While you're waiting for the day you can pick tomatoes from your own garden, there are some basic rules for growing these plants to consider for a more successful harvest. There are numerous handy hacks to remember when growing tomatoes, and many of these are similar no matter the type of plant you have. Despite the different varieties available, all tomato plants need at least six hours of direct sunlight, and about 1 inch of water per week, or whenever their top soil is dry. In general, tomatoes may be grown in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 11, but these also vary by cultivar. Following the instructions from seed packets or from your nursery is also crucial to growing a healthy and productive tomato plant. Finally, if you're new to planting tomato plants, be sure to consider the unexpected downsides to growing tomatoes in your garden before getting started.