There's nothing quite like a tomato warm from the vine. If you garden in Southwest Florida, though, you've probably noticed that the usual advice about planting tomatoes in spring and picking them all summer doesn't quite fit. Here, the calendar is flipped, and the best tomato season runs through the cooler, drier months.
This guide covers when to plant, how to set your plants up well, and the most common problems Southwest Florida gardeners run into, from flowers that drop without fruiting to split tomatoes after a heavy rain. It's general guidance to get you started. For advice specific to your yard and variety choices, your local UF/IFAS county Extension office is a wonderful resource.
When to plant tomatoes in Southwest Florida
In most of the country, tomatoes are a summer crop. In Southwest Florida, summer is hot, humid and rainy, and those conditions are hard on tomatoes. Plants struggle to set fruit in the heat, and diseases and pests thrive in the wet weather.
Instead, local gardeners grow vegetables in the cool season, which runs roughly from September or October through April. Tomatoes are usually planted once the worst of the summer heat breaks in early fall, and many gardeners plant again in late winter for a spring harvest. The goal is to have plants flowering and fruiting while days are warm and nights are mild, before the heat and rains of late spring and summer return.
Planting dates shift a little from year to year and even from inland to coastal yards, so watch the weather and check the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide from UF/IFAS for current recommendations.
Tip: Choose varieties suited to Florida. Your Extension office can suggest heat-tolerant and disease-resistant tomatoes that tend to do well locally. Plant tags often list disease resistance with letter codes, which is worth looking for in our humid climate.
Setting up for success
Sun and spot
Tomatoes love sun. Pick the sunniest spot you have, with good airflow around the plants. Air moving through the leaves helps them dry after rain or dew, which can help reduce disease problems.
Soil, raised beds and containers
Many Southwest Florida yards have sandy soil that drains quickly and holds few nutrients. Mixing in compost helps, and many gardeners prefer raised beds or large containers filled with good-quality soil or potting mix. Containers and raised beds also make it easier to start fresh if soil-borne problems build up over time.
Transplants and spacing
Most home gardeners start with healthy transplants from a garden center. Look for sturdy, deep green plants without spots or yellow leaves. Give each plant plenty of room so air can circulate, following the spacing on the plant tag.
Support from the start
Put stakes or cages in place when you plant, so you don't disturb the roots later. Keeping vines and fruit up off the ground helps keep leaves dry and fruit clean.
Watering and mulch
Steady, even moisture is one of the most helpful things you can give a tomato plant. Water at the base of the plant rather than over the leaves, ideally in the morning. A drip line or soaker hose makes this easy. A layer of mulch helps keep soil moisture even and keeps soil from splashing onto the lower leaves.
Feeding
Tomatoes are hungry plants, especially in sandy soil. Follow the label on a vegetable fertilizer, and ask your Extension office about a soil test if you want to know exactly what your garden needs.
Vintage Botanical Flower Notebook
A 6 x 8-inch hardcover lined journal with a vintage botanical cover. A handy place to keep your garden notes: what you planted, when, and how it did.
Shop the notebookCommon tomato problems and what to do
Flowers fall off without making fruit
This is called blossom drop, and it's one of the most common frustrations in Florida. Tomatoes have trouble setting fruit when temperatures are very hot, especially when nights stay warm. It's the main reason timing matters so much here. If your plants flower but drop blossoms in early fall or late spring, the weather is the likely cause, and fruit set often improves as temperatures ease.
Dark, sunken spots on the bottom of the fruit
This is blossom-end rot. It's linked to the plant not getting enough calcium into the developing fruit, which is very often caused by uneven watering rather than a lack of calcium in the soil. Consistent watering and mulch are the usual first steps. Affected fruit won't recover, but new fruit can develop normally.
Cracked or split tomatoes
Cracking often happens when a dry spell is followed by heavy rain or a big watering, and the fruit swells faster than its skin can stretch. Even watering helps. Some gardeners pick tomatoes as they start to blush and let them finish ripening on the kitchen counter, especially if heavy rain is coming.
Spotted or yellowing leaves
Tomatoes can get a number of leaf diseases in humid weather, often starting on the lower leaves. Good spacing, morning watering at the soil line, mulch, and removing badly affected leaves can help. Since several diseases look similar, your Extension office can help you identify what you're seeing and what to do about it.
Wilting plants
A plant that wilts even when the soil is damp may have a root or soil-borne problem. Root-knot nematodes, tiny soil organisms common in sandy Florida soils, can cause knobby, swollen roots and weak plants. Planting in fresh soil in raised beds or containers and rotating where you plant tomatoes are common approaches. Again, your local Extension office can help you sort out the cause.
Pests
Keep an eye out for hornworms (large green caterpillars that can strip leaves quickly), whiteflies, and stink bugs or leaf-footed bugs on the fruit. Check plants often, especially the undersides of leaves. Hand-picking larger pests is often enough in a small garden. If you need more, ask your Extension office for options suited to home vegetable gardens and always follow product labels.
Safety note: Tomato leaves and stems aren't meant for eating and can be harmful to pets, so keep curious dogs and cats away from the plants. If you use any garden product, read and follow the label, and keep it out of reach of children and pets.
Harvesting your tomatoes
Pick tomatoes when they're fully colored and give slightly to a gentle squeeze, or pick them as they start to blush and let them ripen indoors at room temperature. Tomatoes keep their best flavor and texture when they're stored on the counter rather than in the refrigerator.
Florida tomato FAQ
Can I grow tomatoes in summer in Southwest Florida?
It's difficult. Summer heat, rain and humidity make fruit set poor and pests and diseases more likely. Most gardeners let the garden rest in summer or grow heat-loving crops and plant tomatoes again in fall.
Should I grow from seed or buy transplants?
Either works, but transplants are easiest for beginners and help you get plants fruiting during the best weather. If you start from seed, begin several weeks before you want to plant out.
Are cherry tomatoes easier?
Many gardeners find smaller-fruited tomatoes forgiving and productive. Ask at your Extension office or a local garden center for types that do well in your area.
How often should I water?
It depends on your soil, the weather and whether you're growing in the ground or in containers. Aim for soil that stays evenly damp, not soggy, and check containers more often since they dry out faster.
Where can I get local advice?
Your UF/IFAS county Extension office offers free, research-based guidance, and many have Master Gardener volunteers who can help identify problems and suggest varieties.
Happy growing
Tomatoes in Southwest Florida reward a little timing and attention. Plant in the cool season, water evenly, give them sun and support, and keep notes so each season teaches you something for the next. For more on the cool-season garden, read our guide to starting a fall vegetable garden in Southwest Florida, plant some basil nearby with our Southwest Florida kitchen herb garden guide, and if you're dreaming of fresh eggs to go with your tomatoes, take a look at backyard chickens for beginners.