Harvest guide

Tomato harvest guide: when to pick and how much to expect

Tomatoes are a favourite in home gardens, and timing the pick makes all the difference to flavour. Here is when they ripen, how much a row gives, and how to keep the harvest tasting good.

Days to harvest: 60–85 days from transplanting(Montana State University Extension)
Harvest months: July–October(RHS)
Typical yield: 6.8 kg per 3 m row (15 lb per 10 ft)(Montana State University Extension)
Per plant: about 1.7 kg (3.8 lb) per plant(Montana State University Extension)
Spacing: 45–60 cm (18–24 in) apart(RHS)
Family: Solanaceae (nightshade family)
Botanical name: Solanum lycopersicum

Tomato planting and harvest calendar

Sow February–April. Plant out May–June. Harvest July–October.(RHS)

Tomato season timeline

Sow
Plant out
Harvest

Months are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate, based on RHS (UK) guidance. Shift them earlier or later to match your own frost dates, or by about six months in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sow
Plant out
Harvest

When to harvest tomatoes

Pick when the fruit has its full colour all over. For red varieties that means evenly pink to red, with no green shoulders.(University of Minnesota Extension)
Twist or snip each fruit off with its little stalk still attached rather than pulling it off bare.(RHS)
At the end of the season, green fruit can finish ripening indoors somewhere warm and dark, or in a drawer with a banana.(RHS)

How often to pick

Look over the plants every few days once the first trusses colour up. Fruits ripen one by one, so a single plant gives many small pickings over the summer.(RHS)

How many tomatoes to expect

A 3 m (10 ft) row typically gives about 6.8 kg (15 lb).(Montana State University Extension)

That works out to about 1.7 kg (3.8 lb) per plant. Row yield divided by the 4 plants per 10 ft row that the same table assumes (40 plants per 100 ft).(Montana State University Extension)

Yields vary with variety, weather, soil and care. Treat these as ballpark figures, not targets.

Plan for your family

For 4 people eating tomatoes fresh, plan on about 12–20 plants(University of Missouri Extension). That should give roughly 20–34 kg (45–75 lb) over the season(Montana State University Extension).

To preserve or store some as well, allow 5–10 plants per person.(University of Missouri Extension)

See the full planting-per-person guide →

Storing your tomatoes

Keep ripe tomatoes out of the fridge. Below about 4 °C (40 °F) they lose colour, firmness and flavour.(University of Minnesota Extension)
A cool spot around 13 °C (55 °F) is ideal. Expect them to keep for about five days.(University of Minnesota Extension)

Track it

Log every tomato harvest

Harvest Journal is a private garden journal for your phone. Tap to log each picking of tomatoes by weight or count, and see your season add up, with no account needed.

Prefer paper? Make a free harvest report PDF in your browser, with no account needed.

Tomato harvest FAQ

How long do tomatoes take from planting to harvest?

Most varieties start ripening about 60 to 85 days after you set the young plants out, according to Montana State University Extension. Small-fruited types are usually at the early end.

Should I put garden tomatoes in the fridge?

No. University of Minnesota Extension notes that tomatoes stored below about 4 °C (40 °F) lose colour, firmness and flavour. Keep them in a cool room and eat them within a few days.