GreenlyWhen to plant tomatoes in Pretoria: from 6 August
In Pretoria, tomato: sow for seedlings from 25 May; plant into a greenhouse from 16 July; plant out into open ground from 6 August. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window. For plants and seeds, the places nearby include Stodels (garden centre, 7 km) and Garden centre (garden centre, 13 km); addresses and opening hours are below.
Your location is not available. Pick your city from the list below.
Tomato in Pretoria: soil, season and weather
In Pretoria the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 23 July, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 15 °C — the minimum on the tomato card — only around 6 August, 14 days later. Pretoria has no autumn frost in the median year, so frost does not end the season.
| Last spring frost | 23 July |
|---|---|
| Top 7 cm of soil at 15 °C | 6 August, 14 days after the last frost |
| Into an unheated greenhouse | from 16 July; July outside: 5.6 °C at night, 19.4 °C by day; card 16–27 °C |
| Days in the bed to the first harvest (card) | 70 |
| First harvest, if planted in this window | from 15 October |
| Daylight | 10:32 on 15 June, 11:01 on 6 August |
| Watering outdoors when fruiting (card) | every 3 days; the driest month, August, has 1 rainy day |
Tomato in Pretoria: care after planting
Planted on 6 August: in the first weeks water every 4 days.
Feeding, by the card’s schedule from that day:
- 6 August — feed: balanced (NPK)
- 3 September — feed: nitrogen
Pests and diseases of tomato to watch for:
- Bacterial canker of tomato
- Tomato leaf mould
- Late Blight
- Bacterial spot
- Fruit cracking
- Bacterial wilt (brown rot of potato)
Dates count from the first planting day of the window above; a later planting moves them by as many days.
Weather in Pretoria during the tomato season
Days average above the tomato card's 16–27 °C in October–January (27.5–27.9 °C). Nights average below 16 °C in August–November (8.1–14.8 °C).
| Month | Day, °C | Night, °C | Rain, mm | Rainy days | Daylight on the 15th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August | 23 | 8.1 | 3 | 1 | 11:12 |
| September | 27 | 11.5 | 13 | 3 | 11:55 |
| October | 27.8 | 13.3 | 44 | 7 | 12:40 |
| November | 27.6 | 14.8 | 87 | 11 | 13:22 |
| December | 27.5 | 16.2 | 112 | 15 | 13:44 |
| January | 27.9 | 16.4 | 100 | 12 | 13:34 |
ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo
Tomato in nearby cities
Around Pretoria, Caxias do Sul is 17 days earlier and Bloemfontein 29 days later.
| City | Distance | Date | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | 52 km | 21 August – 13 February | 15 days later |
| Bloemfontein | 423 km | 4 September – 12 February | 29 days later |
| Curitiba | 7,640 km | from 26 July | 11 days earlier |
| Lages | 7,652 km | 21 August – 3 March | 15 days later |
| Caxias do Sul | 7,683 km | 20 July – 25 February | 17 days earlier |
| Ponta Grossa | 7,737 km | 26 July – 4 March | 11 days earlier |
Where to buy tomato plants and seeds near Pretoria
Buy plants ready to set out from 6 August (from 16 July for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 25 May. Within 15 km of Pretoria OpenStreetMap lists 15 garden centres, 6 plant nurseries and 3 markets (collected 20 October 2026).
- Afralia Flora Nursery — garden centre
Van der Hoff Road · Mon–Fri 07:30–17:00; Sat 08:00–16:00; public holidays closed · 14 km · afraliaflora.co.za - Stodels — garden centre
Mon–Sun, public holidays 08:00–17:00 · 7 km · stodels.com - Garden centre — garden centre
wekker · Mon–Sun, public holidays 09:00–24:00 · 13 km - Strawberry Pot — garden centre
Hendrik Verwoerd Drive, centurion · 14 km
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
- How to grow tomato
- All frost dates and weather of Pretoria
- Shops and markets: Pretoria
- Selling a surplus in South Africa
- When to plant tomatoes in South Africa
- Moon planting calendar for November 2026
- How we calculate the dates
Questions
When to plant tomatoes in Pretoria?
In Pretoria, tomato: sow for seedlings from 25 May; plant into a greenhouse from 16 July; plant out into open ground from 6 August. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window.
When to sow tomatoes for seedlings in Pretoria?
Sow for seedlings from 25 May.
