How to Plant Tomatoes in 2026: From Sowing to Harvest

Published: July 6, 2026

Reviewed and fact-checked by Royking Niba, Editorial Reviewer, JOGOO Agriculture

Tomato remains the most profitable vegetable crop in the world, and also one of the most demanding. Getting planting right determines 70% of the final yield. This guide covers the complete crop cycle, from nursery sowing to harvest, with particular attention to tropical African conditions (Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal) and to the 2026 planting windows.

1. Choose your variety first

Variety choice determines the outcome of your season more than any other factor. There are three groups to distinguish:

Determinate varieties (Roma, Rio Grande, Cobra 26): limited growth, harvest concentrated over 3 to 5 weeks, suited to open-field production and processing.
Indeterminate varieties (Money Maker, Beefsteak, F1 greenhouse hybrids): continuous growth, vertical trellising, harvest spread over 4 to 8 months. The system of choice in greenhouses or tunnels.
Cherry and cocktail types: short cycle, high added value, supermarket and restaurant outlets.

In humid tropical climates, choose varieties tolerant to late blight, bacterial diseases and high night temperatures. In sub-Saharan Africa, the AVRDC (World Vegetable Center) selections and the commercial hybrids from Est Ouest, East-West Seed and Technisem now offer a wide range of suitable options.

2. When to sow tomatoes in 2026

The calendar depends on your climate:

Temperate climate (France, Belgium, Switzerland)

Nursery sowing: from mid-February to the end of March under heated cover.
Transplanting into open ground: after the Ice Saints (11 to 13 May), once all risk of frost has passed.
Harvest: from late June to mid-October depending on variety and exposure.

Humid tropical Africa (forest Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, southern Ghana)

Long dry season (November to March): sow in October to November, transplant in November to December, harvest from January to April. This is the best window: little late blight and high prices.
Off-season (May to July): possible under shade netting or tunnels, with stepped-up crop protection.

Dry tropical Africa (northern Cameroon, Senegal, Sahel)

Cool season (November to February): sow in October, transplant in November to December, harvest from January to March.
Irrigation is essential; see our irrigation and pumping division.

3. Nursery sowing

The nursery determines seedling vigour and how early the harvest comes.

Growing medium: enriched potting compost or a mix of equal parts soil, sand and compost, disinfected by steam or sun (solarisation) to eliminate nematodes and soil-borne pathogens.
Sowing: in cell trays (48 to 128 cells) or on raised beds. Depth 0.5 to 1 cm, one seed per cell.
Emergence: 5 to 10 days at 20 to 25 °C.
Watering: light and frequent, never late in the day (it encourages late blight).
Transplanting: at the 4 to 5 true leaf stage, which is 30 to 40 days after sowing.

4. Soil preparation and planting

Choosing the site

Sandy loam to clay loam soil, deep (≥ 30 cm) and well drained.
pH 6.0 to 6.8: tomato does poorly on acid soils.
Rotation: never grow two solanaceous crops in a row (tomato, aubergine, sweet pepper, potato) on the same plot. Wait 3 to 4 years.

Preparation

Deep ploughing to 25 to 30 cm, with a basal manure application of 20 to 30 t/ha of well-rotted manure or 10 to 15 t/ha of mature compost.
Build ridges or raised beds (30 cm high) in humid areas for perfect drainage.

Spacing and transplanting

Determinate varieties: 40 to 50 cm within the row, 80 to 100 cm between rows → 25,000 to 30,000 plants/ha.
Trellised indeterminate varieties: 40 cm within the row, 100 cm between rows → 25,000 plants/ha.
Transplant in the late afternoon or in overcast weather, and water at the base immediately.
Bury the seedling up to the first true leaves to encourage lateral rooting.

5. Fertilisation and crop care

Fertilisation

Basal fertiliser at land preparation: 400 kg/ha of NPK 15-15-15 or 12-24-12.
First top-dressing, 2 to 3 weeks after transplanting: 100 kg/ha of urea + 100 kg/ha of KCl.
Second top-dressing at flowering: 200 kg/ha of potassium-rich NPK 12-11-18.
Foliar feeding at key stages (flowering, fruit set, fruit fill): products such as AgriBiosol or a solution enriched with trace elements.

Trellising and pruning

For indeterminate varieties, train plants on string or stakes from 20 cm in height. Remove side shoots (axillary buds) every week to concentrate the sap on the fruit trusses. Gradually remove the lower leaves.

Watering

Water requirement: 500 to 700 mm over the cycle. In the African dry season, irrigation is essential.
Choose drip irrigation over sprinklers: less late blight and less waste.
Water at the base, in the morning, never on the foliage.

Crop protection

The three main threats in tropical climates are late blight, early blight (Alternaria) and bacterial diseases. Our detailed article Tomato late blight in tropical climates sets out the preventive protocol. Pests to watch: whitefly (a virus vector), mites and caterpillars.

6. Harvest and post-harvest

Start of harvest: 70 to 90 days after transplanting, depending on the variety.
Harvest at the breaker stage (30% colour) for distant markets, and fully ripe for local sale or processing.
Yield: 30 to 50 t/ha in traditional open-field production, 60 to 120 t/ha under greenhouse with indeterminate varieties, and up to 200 to 500 t/ha/year in soilless greenhouse production.
Pack in ventilated crates, never in sacks. Ideal storage temperature: 12 to 14 °C.

7. Final advice

Tomato profitability is built on nursery quality, timing relative to the season and disease prevention. A grower who neglects any one of these three pillars will see the crop plateau. Our agricultural consulting and engineering teams support project developers from system sizing (area, greenhouse, irrigation) through to marketing.

Article written by the JOGOO Agriculture agronomy team. Recommendations must be adapted to your variety, your soil and climate conditions and the products registered locally.

Frequently asked questions

When should tomatoes be sown in 2026?

In temperate climates (France, Belgium, Switzerland), tomatoes are sown in the nursery from mid-February to the end of March under heated cover, and transplanted into open ground after the Ice Saints (11 to 13 May). In humid tropical Africa (forest Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire), the best window is the long dry season: sow in October to November, transplant in November to December, and harvest from January to April.

What is the right planting density for tomatoes?

For determinate varieties, plant 40 to 50 cm apart within the row and 80 to 100 cm between rows, giving 25,000 to 30,000 plants per hectare. For trellised indeterminate varieties, allow 40 cm within the row and 100 cm between rows, giving about 25,000 plants per hectare.

How long does it take from sowing to harvest for tomatoes?

The full tomato cycle is 100 to 130 days from sowing to first harvest: 30 to 40 days in the nursery, then 70 to 90 days after transplanting before the first pick. Harvesting then continues for 3 to 5 weeks for determinate varieties and 4 to 8 months for trellised indeterminate varieties.

What is the tomato yield per hectare?

Tomato yield varies with the production system: 30 to 50 t/ha in traditional open-field production, 60 to 120 t/ha under greenhouse with well-managed indeterminate varieties, and up to 200 to 500 t/ha/year in professional soilless greenhouse production with single-stem training on substrate.

Can tomatoes be planted in the same spot two years running?

No, growing two consecutive crops of tomato or another solanaceous crop (aubergine, sweet pepper, potato) on the same plot is strongly discouraged. Wait 3 to 4 years before replanting a solanaceous crop to avoid the build-up of soil-borne pathogens (Fusarium, nematodes, bacterial wilt) and the depletion of specific soil nutrients.