# Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Canonical: https://plantguide.ae/plants/tomato · Updated: 2026-10-29
Source: Plant Guide (https://plantguide.ae/plants/tomato)

Tomato · طماطم  
vegetable · exotic · family Solanaceae · grows 0.6–2 m tall, 0.4–0.9 m wide · fast growth  
full sun · moderate water need  
Ratings for Dubai (1–5, 5 is best): heat 2 · salt 2 · drought 2 · shade 1 · ease of care 3  
Sow or plant: Aug–Nov  
Uses: edible, container

## Also known as

- **English:** Beefsteak tomato, Plum tomato
- **Botanical synonyms:** *Lycopersicon esculentum*, *Lycopersicon lycopersicum*
- **Arabic (العربية):** طماطم, بندورة (bandura)
- **Hindi (हिन्दी):** टमाटर (Tamatar), विलायती बैंगन (Vilayati baingan)
- **Urdu (اردو):** ٹماٹر (Tamatar)
- **Malayalam (മലയാളം):** തക്കാളി (Thakkali)
- **Tamil (தமிழ்):** தக்காளி (Thakkali)
- **Tagalog:** Kamatis
- **Persian (فارسی):** گوجه‌فرنگی (Goje farangi)

The full-size garden tomato for Dubai's cool season: sow August to October, plant out September to November, and pick from December to April before heat stops fruit set.

## About

Meet the tomato, the plant that turns a Dubai winter into a harvest. Seed sown in a shaded tray in September becomes a staked, flowering plant by December and, if the nights stay cool, a vine of ripening fruit through January and February.

Its character is hungry and a little demanding. It wants a stake early, even water, regular feeding and a weekly look for side shoots and pests. It also has a deadline: it sets fruit in the cool months, and when the nights warm in April the flowers stop turning into tomatoes.

What it brings is the best reason to grow vegetables at all, a tomato picked ripe and eaten warm. Grow a few plants well rather than many carelessly, and put a cherry tomato beside them for fruit that keeps setting in warmer weather.

Tomato is the crop most Dubai residents want to grow, and the full-size type rewards a plan. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment's calendar gives nursery sowing from August to October, field planting from September to November and harvest 85 to 90 days later. Seed goes into shaded trays while the weather is still hot, seedlings go out as it eases, and the first ripe fruit comes around December. A UAE farmer quoted by Khaleej Times advises starting tomatoes in shade and moving them into direct sun once temperatures fall. This page covers the standard garden tomato; the [cherry tomato](https://plantguide.ae/plants/cherry-tomato.md) is its smaller, tougher cousin and the easier first crop.

Heat, not skill, sets the limit. Rutgers Cooperative Extension says fruit set falls when days pass 90°F (32°C) and nights stay above 70°F (21°C). Set against Dubai Airport's 1991 to 2020 averages, the best fruit-setting weeks run from December to March, when the mean high is 24 to 29°C and the mean low 15 to 19°C. November is borderline (a mean low of 21°C), and by April the averages reach 34°C and 22°C. UF/IFAS adds that large-fruited tomatoes keep flowering but stop setting fruit once average nights climb past about 80°F (27°C), while cherry and grape types are the exception. A full-size tomato set out in December or later has only a few cool weeks to fruit in.

Grow it in a raised bed or a deep container filled with sweet soil blended with compost. Gulf News' winter guide recommends compost or manure, perlite or sweet sand for drainage, and notes that tomatoes like steady moisture. UF/IFAS advises staking or caging, removing early side shoots to leave two or three main stems on indeterminate types, and mulching to hold moisture. FAO rates tomato as moderately sensitive to salt, with yield starting to fall above 2.5 dS/m in the root zone, so use mains water and a low-salinity soil mix rather than salty borehole water.

## Through the year

Tomato runs one long cycle from late summer to spring. Seed goes into shaded trays from August to October and seedlings are planted out from September to November. Flowers form as the weather cools, and fruit sets best from December to March, when Dubai's nights stay under about 21°C. Picking runs from December to April, starting 85 to 90 days after planting. Whitefly, leafminer and hornworm need watching from November to April. By April, mean highs near 34°C and lows above 22°C stop fruit set, and the plants are finished until the next autumn.

| When | What | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aug–Oct | Sow: Sow seed in shaded trays | Ministry calendar: nursery August–October. A UAE farmer quoted by Khaleej Times starts tomatoes in shade and moves them into full sun once temperatures fall. |
| Sep–Nov | Plant: Plant out seedlings | Ministry calendar: field planting September–November. Shade young plants while the average high is still above 35°C (September 39.5°C, October 35.9°C). Later plantings have fewer cool weeks to fruit in. |
| Dec–Mar | Fruit: Best fruit set | Rutgers: fruit set falls above 32°C by day and 21°C by night. Dubai's mean high is 24–29°C and mean low 15–19°C from December to March; November's mean low is 21.1°C. |
| Dec–Apr | Harvest: Picking season | Ministry calendar: 85–90 days to harvest, so September plantings start in December and November plantings in February. |
| Apr–May | Heat stress: Fruit set fails in the heat | Dubai's April averages reach 33.7°C by day and 22.3°C by night, past the 32°C and 21°C levels at which Rutgers says fruit set falls. |
| Nov–Apr | Pest watch: Whitefly, leafminer and hornworm | Whiteflies and leafminers rank among the top insect pests of UAE vegetable farms; EPPO lists the tomato leafminer as present in the UAE; UF/IFAS lists hornworm and nematodes. |

## Care in Dubai

- **Watering in summer:** Not grown through summer. Seedlings are raised in shaded trays from August and kept out of full sun until the days cool.
- **Watering in winter:** Water deeply and evenly from a drip line finishing before 8 am (DEWA). UF/IFAS prefers heavy soakings to frequent light sprinklings; Gulf News says tomatoes prefer constantly moist soil.
- **While establishing:** Water seedlings every day until they root in, and keep them shaded at first. A UAE farmer quoted by Khaleej Times moves seedlings into direct sun only once temperatures fall.
- **Soil:** A raised bed or a deep container of sweet soil blended with compost or manure; the Dubai kitchen-garden standard is 30 to 45 cm deep. Gulf News suggests perlite or sweet sand for drainage. Do not use the garden's sand on its own.
- **Feeding:** UF/IFAS: feed with a 6-8-8 or similar fertiliser at planting and then regularly through the season, using controlled-release granules or a liquid feed. Work compost or manure into the bed first.
- **Pruning:** Stake or cage the plants, tie them at several heights below fruit clusters, and remove early side shoots, leaving two or three main stems on indeterminate types. Determinate types stay compact and crop once (UF/IFAS).
- **Planting:** Sow in shaded trays from August to October, plant out from September to November, put the stake in at planting and mulch the bed. Start a new bed or pot each year rather than repeating nightshades in the same soil.
- **Pests and problems:** Whitefly; Tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta); Tomato hornworm; Aphids; Root-knot nematodes
- **Toxicity:** The leaves, stems and green fruit of the tomato plant are toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA: solanine, with drooling, severe stomach upset and weakness among the signs). Ripe fruit is not harmful. Keep pets away from the plants.

## Good and bad

**Pros**
- Clear Ministry window: sow August–October, plant out September–November
- Fruit ready 85–90 days after planting (Ministry calendar)
- Fruit sets best December to March, when Dubai's mean lows stay under 21°C
- Moderately salt tolerant for a vegetable: yield holds to about 2.5 dS/m (FAO)
- Suits raised beds and deep containers on a terrace

**Cons**
- Fruit set stops once days pass 32°C and nights stay above 21°C, about April
- Needs stakes, side-shoot pruning, steady water and regular feeding
- Large-fruited types stop setting in warm nights where cherry types keep going
- Leaves, stems and green fruit are toxic to pets (ASPCA)
- Whitefly, leafminers and hornworms are the usual pests

## Common mistakes

- Planting out unshaded in September. The average high is still 39.5°C, so keep seedlings in shade until days cool, as a UAE farmer advises in Khaleej Times.
- Starting too late. A full-size tomato set out in December has few cool weeks before April's 34°C averages stop fruit set; buy seedlings in October or November.
- Watering with salty water. FAO rates tomato as moderately sensitive, with yield falling above 2.5 dS/m, and the coastal soil is already salty (The National).
- Growing tomatoes in the same bed every year. UF/IFAS lists fusarium and verticillium wilt and nematodes; choose resistant varieties and rotate beds.
- Letting pets chew the plant. The ASPCA lists the leaves, stems and green fruit as toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

## Good to know

- Rutgers Cooperative Extension: fruit set falls when days pass 90°F (32°C) and nights stay above 70°F (21°C).
- UF/IFAS: indeterminate tomatoes are sprawling plants that crop over several months and need pruning and support; determinate types are compact and give a single crop.
- The Ministry's calendar gives tomato, pepper and aubergine the same windows: nursery August to October, field planting September to November. All three are nightshades, so rotate them.
- The ASPCA says ripe tomatoes make safe treats for pets, but the plant and small green tomatoes contain tomatine and solanine.

## Using it in a garden

Roles: Raised-bed fruiting crop, Container crop on a terrace, Kitchen-garden staple, Trellis or cage specimen

Give tomatoes the sunniest bed or a large pot on a terrace, with the stakes in at planting and a drip line on a timer. Six to eight hours of sun is the target (Gulf News), so keep them out of the shade of walls and tall shrubs. Rotate the bed each year, since tomato, aubergine and chilli share a plant family and soil diseases.

- [Basil](https://plantguide.ae/plants/basil.md): Gulf News notes that basil planted with tomatoes helps repel pests, and the two share a cool-season routine and a plate.
- [Lettuce](https://plantguide.ae/plants/lettuce.md): A quick salad crop that can fill the gaps between young tomato plants and be picked before they spread.
- [Cherry tomato](https://plantguide.ae/plants/cherry-tomato.md): A smaller-fruited type that keeps setting fruit in warmer weather (UF/IFAS), so it extends the season beyond the full-size plants.

## FAQ

**When should I plant tomatoes in Dubai?**  
The Ministry's calendar gives nursery sowing from August to October and field planting from September to November. Start seed in shaded trays, plant out from September to November and shade young plants while days are still above 35°C.

**When will my tomatoes ripen?**  
The Ministry gives 85 to 90 days to harvest. Plants set out in September start picking around December, and plants set out in November start in February.

**Why do my tomato flowers drop in April?**  
Heat. Rutgers says fruit set falls when days pass 32°C and nights stay above 21°C, and Dubai's April averages are 33.7°C and 22.3°C. Plant earlier next season, or switch to cherry tomatoes, which keep setting fruit in warmer weather (UF/IFAS).

**Should I grow tomato or cherry tomato?**  
Cherry tomatoes are the easier first crop and carry on in warmer weather; full-size tomatoes give bigger fruit but need cooler nights to set. Many Dubai gardeners grow both.

**Can I grow tomatoes on a balcony?**  
Yes, in a deep container of sweet soil and compost with a stake and a drip line or daily check. A UAE gardening guide in The National suggests a split grow bag for two or three small plants. Give it the sunniest corner, with some protection from the midday sun.

**Are tomato plants safe around pets?**  
Ripe fruit is fine, but the ASPCA lists the leaves, stems and green fruit as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Keep pets from chewing the plant.

## Related plants

[Cherry tomato](https://plantguide.ae/plants/cherry-tomato.md) · [Capsicum](https://plantguide.ae/plants/capsicum.md) · [Basil](https://plantguide.ae/plants/basil.md) · [Lettuce](https://plantguide.ae/plants/lettuce.md) · [Eggplant](https://plantguide.ae/plants/aubergine.md) · [Chilli](https://plantguide.ae/plants/chilli.md)

## Photos

![Tomato plant with ripe and green fruit growing in a container in a home garden](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Ripe_tomato_on_tomato_plant_in_home_garden.jpg)  
Photo: Clintacc / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ripe_tomato_on_tomato_plant_in_home_garden.jpg))

![Ripening tomatoes on 'Sub Arctic Plenty' plants growing against a wall in a garden](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/-2018-10-06_Fruit_on_Varity_%27Sub_Arctic_Plenty%27_Tomato_Plants%2C_Trimingham.JPG)  
Photo: Kolforn / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:-2018-10-06_Fruit_on_Varity_%27Sub_Arctic_Plenty%27_Tomato_Plants,_Trimingham.JPG))

![A heap of ripe tomatoes, Bangladesh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Bangladeshi_Tomato.jpg)  
Photo: Jubair Bin Iqbal / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bangladeshi_Tomato.jpg))

## Sources

- [UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment: Dates for Planting Vegetables and Fruits in the UAE](https://moccae.gov.ae/assets/download/56f7a89b/agriculture_calender_page_en.pdf.aspx)
- [Wikipedia: Climate of Dubai (Dubai International Airport, 1991 to 2020 normals)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Dubai)
- [Rutgers Plant & Pest Advisory: High temperatures and effect on tomato pollination and fruit set](https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/high-temperatures-and-effect-on-tomato-pollination-and-fruit-set/)
- [UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Tomatoes](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/tomatoes/)
- [FAO: Crop salt tolerance data (Annex 1)](https://www.fao.org/4/y4263e/y4263e0e.htm)
- [Gulf News: Winter gardening in the UAE, a budget-friendly guide to growing your own vegetables](https://gulfnews.com/amp/friday/home/winter-gardening-in-the-uae-a-budget-friendly-guide-to-growing-your-own-vegetables-1.1733397053629)
- [Khaleej Times: UAE farmer shares advice for first-time growers, how to prepare for winter](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-farmer-advice-first-time-winter-preparation-crops)
- [The Arabian Post (from The National): From seed to harvest, advice for gardeners in the UAE](https://thearabianpost.com/from-seed-to-harvest-some-essential-advice-for-gardeners-in-the-uae/)
- [DEWA: Irrigation advice](https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/consumer/sustainability/sustainability-and-conservation/irrigation)
- [Kaakeh et al. (2007): Assessment of pest and pesticide trends in vegetable crops in the UAE and Sultanate of Oman](https://research.uaeu.ac.ae/en/publications/assessment-of-pest-and-pesticide-trends-in-vegetable-crops-in-the/)
- [EPPO Global Database: Tuta absoluta, distribution in the United Arab Emirates](https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/GNORAB/distribution/AE)
- [ASPCA: Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants, Tomato Plant](https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/tomato-plant)
- [ASPCA: Pets and produce, top tips on vegetable garden safety](https://www.aspca.org/news/pets-and-produce-top-tips-vegetable-garden-safety)
- [POWO (Kew Plants of the World Online): Solanum lycopersicum](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:316947-2)
- [Wikipedia: Tomato](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato)
- [Arabic Wikipedia: طماطم](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B7%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%85)
- [Wiktionary: بندورة (Levantine Arabic for tomato)](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9)
- [Hindi Wikipedia: टमाटर](https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%B0)
- [Urdu Wikipedia: ٹماٹر](https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%B9%D8%B1)
- [Malayalam Wikipedia: തക്കാളി](https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%A4%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%95%E0%B4%BE%E0%B4%B3%E0%B4%BF)
- [Tamil Wikipedia: தக்காளி](https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B3%E0%AE%BF)
- [Tagalog Wikipedia: Kamatis](https://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamatis)
- [Persian Wikipedia: گوجه‌فرنگی](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%DA%AF%D9%88%D8%AC%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%86%DA%AF%DB%8C)