🍅 Tomatoes farming in Zimbabwe
High-value horticultural crop grown open-field and in greenhouses for local fresh markets.
- Season / planting window
- Year round with irrigation; avoid transplanting into peak frost (June–July) in cold areas.
- Best regions
- Countrywide with irrigation; greenhouse production around Harare and Bulawayo.
- Spacing / population
- 90–100 cm rows x 40–50 cm in-row; 20 000–25 000 plants/ha staked.
- Expected yield
- 40–80 t/ha open field; 100 t/ha+ in greenhouse.
Stage by stage
Nursery
4 – 6 weeks before transplant
- Sow in seedling trays with sterile media, 1 seed per cell, 0.5 cm deep.
- Keep under 40% shade netting; water lightly twice daily.
- Feed with a soluble starter fertiliser from the second true leaf.
- Harden off for 5–7 days by reducing water and increasing sunlight.
- Transplant when seedlings have 4–5 true leaves and are 12–15 cm tall.
Fertiliser and chemicals
- FertiliserCompound C or S basal
800–1 000 kg/ha · Incorporated into beds
- FertiliserAmmonium nitrate / calcium nitrate
150–250 kg/ha split weekly · From 2 weeks after transplant
Field tip
Observe the pre-harvest interval strictly — tomatoes are eaten fresh and residues are a real risk.
The rest of this tomatoes guide
- 5 more stages, from land preparation through to storage
- 7 more fertiliser, herbicide, pesticide and fungicide entries with rates
- All field tips, plus the printable and downloadable version
- Your own crop, cost and activity records in the FarmInvest app
Full farming cycle guides
Free and complete — land, equipment, crops, inputs and harvest.