Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S                  
      T T T            
      P P              

(Best months for growing Tomato in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 40 - 60 cm apart
  • Harvest in 8-17 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Asparagus, Chervil,Carrot, Celery, Chives, Parsley, Marigold, Basil
  • Avoid growing close to: Rosemary, Potatoes, Fennel, Cucumber

Your comments and tips

14 Nov 08, Perry (Australia - temperate climate)
List of tomato diseases. ( Wikipedia ). Tomato cultivars vary widely in their resistance to disease. Modern hybrids focus on improving disease resistance over the heirloom plants. Various forms of mildew and blight are also common tomato afflictions, which is why tomato cultivars are often marked with a combination of letters which refer to specific disease resistance. The most common letters are: V - verticillium wilt, F - fusarium wilt strain I, FF - fusarium wilt strain I & II, N - nematodes, T - tobacco mosaic virus, and A - alternaria. Another particularly dreaded disease is curly top, carried by the beet leafhopper, which interrupts the lifecycle, ruining a nightshade plant as a crop. As the name implies, it has the symptom of making the top leaves of the plant wrinkle up and grow abnormally. Some common tomato pests are cutworms, tomato hornworms and tobacco hornworms, aphids, cabbage loopers, whiteflies, tomato fruitworms, flea beetles, red spider mite, slugs,[6] and Colorado potato beetles.
23 Jan 12, warsha (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
does anyone know about tomato fruit worm? any organic pesticide for them?
17 Nov 08, Perry (Australia - temperate climate)
The violent storms across Brisbane 16/11 didn't damage my little crop. The 80mm of rain was welcome. The cherrys are up to 150mm high. The marzano and roma survived the first repotting. The latest planted money maker variety is 50mm high and looking healthy.
21 Nov 08, Nikki (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I am having problems with all of my tomatoes - the fruit is going rotten just as they start to turn yellow then they fall on the ground. I have plenty of green tomatoes but they won't ripen - rot inside instead. Would love some advice!
21 Nov 08, Rosie (Australia - temperate climate)
Hello, I have planted cherry tomato and gross lisse, they are nearly a metre high and they are planted very close together. When I water them a little bug like a tiny moth flies off and there are heaps of them. Any ideas on what they are and if I should be concerned? I have only used organic seeds and no chemicals and live south of Perth.
22 Dec 13, pat (Australia - temperate climate)
this sound like whitefly, I have been spraying mine weekly but find it hard to get id of them and they suck the life out of the leaves, has anybody got a better way of dealing with them instead of spraying?
24 Nov 08, Perry (Australia - temperate climate)
The 10 inches ( 300mm ) of stormy rain last week didn't seem to harm my little crop. The cherry variety are 300mm high and looking healthy,
27 Nov 08, ron marlborough (Australia - temperate climate)
I have grosse lisse tomatoes growing in a pot in Perth, WA. Something is eating them from the outside leaving dry black holes in the fruit. Any ideas?
27 Nov 08, Perry (Australia - temperate climate)
I noticed those little moths ? flying from my little crop in large numbers when I approached too, Rosie. I didn't notice any damage from them. I will see if they harm the larger varieties this time.
29 Nov 08, Peter (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Green fruit is being holed 2-3 mil holes also foliage on some plants turning yellow. What do I treat the plants with?
Showing 31 - 40 of 786 comments

Damian I think you will find that brown patch is blossom end rot which is caused by uneven watering.

- Dianne

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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