How to Grow Lemon Drop
Solanum lycopersicum 'Lemon Drop'
Lemon Drop tomatoes deliver sweet, tangy yellow fruit ideal for fresh eating or cooking. Gardeners prize this heirloom variety for its reliable disease resistance and consistent flavor profile that stands out in salads.
📷 Wikipedia: TomatoStarting Lemon Drop: indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Lemon Drop is not usually started indoors.
Transplant seedlings outdoors only after the last frost date has passed and soil temperatures are warm enough for tomatoes.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose, fertile soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 to support healthy root development. As a warm-season crop, start seeds indoors only after the last spring frost when soil temperatures are consistently warm. Sow seeds about 1/4 inch deep; they typically germinate within 7 to 14 days.
Space plants 24 to 36 inches apart in full sun. Install sturdy cages or trellises early since this variety can reach heights of one to ten feet. Maintain consistent moisture by watering regularly and applying mulch around the base to retain water and suppress weeds.
Watch for tomato hornworms, aphids, and whiteflies, treating infestations promptly with organic controls. Prevent late blight, early blight, and septoria leaf spot by ensuring good air circulation and avoiding overhead watering. Harvest ripe fruit in 75 to 80 days after transplanting.
When to Plant Lemon Drop
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | May | — | October – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | — | September |
| Zone 3 | April | — | September – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March | — | August – October |
| Zone 7 | February – March | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February | — | July – September |
| Zone 9 | January | — | June – August |
| Zone 10 | January | — | May – July |
| Zone 11 | January | — | April – June |
| Zone 12 | January | — | April – June |
| Zone 13 | January | — | April – June |
Companion Plants for Lemon Drop
✓ Good companions
Repels aphids, whiteflies, and hornworms while potentially improving tomato flavor
Repels hornworms and attracts pollinators and beneficial predatory insects
Loosens soil for tomato roots and doesn't compete for nutrients
Repels aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Provides living mulch and makes efficient use of space without competing
Deters nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with natural compounds
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles while repelling whiteflies
Attracts beneficial insects like parasitic wasps that control tomato pests
✗ Keep away from
Releases juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunted growth
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt tomato growth when planted nearby
Both attract corn earworm/tomato fruitworm, increasing pest pressure for both crops
Inhibits growth through allelopathic compounds and attracts harmful insects
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
