Your comments and tips

26 Jan 09, GEOFF (Australia - temperate climate)

I'm getting a lot of tomatoes with a brown leathery rot on the base. These are suspended and not making contact with anything. Any suggestions ??

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01 Feb 09, Domenic (Australia - temperate climate)

To Geoff i seen to have the same problem not to sure what it is im living in Melbourne.All my tomato's are gone those 3 days of 40+ degree killed everything it looks like a nuclear bomb has hit them ill love to post the pictures.

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02 Feb 09, David (Australia - temperate climate)

Geof, could be "blossom end rot" to fix add Calcium Reference Look at ABC gardening videos, December 2008, see Johns Plot Part 1-3 about 8:15 into the video

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02 Feb 09, Nicole (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Geoff and Domenic, I had perfectly healthy looking tomatoes before the heatwave and now have the same problem, most have developed brown lesions on the base. After googling I think it's blossom end rot caused by water stress from the heat. Can't post a link, but try googling Tomato Problem Solver to see pics.

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20 Feb 09, Gary Zeng (Australia - temperate climate)

when it is very hot, the roots in the pot might burn by high temperature, get the plant out and put into soil. or you can shield you pot from sunshine to cool down the root.

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11 Mar 09, Kiah (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi was wondering if when tomatoes have finished producing fruit, is it best to leave the plant in the ground for the next season or take it out and start again

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12 Mar 09, David (Australia - temperate climate)

Kiah: Bad things happen if you grow Tomatoes in the same place year on year. Better to take them out, compost them, and make a new bed for next season.

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18 Mar 09, Ken (Australia - temperate climate)

I have large bushy tomato plants that have some green tomatoes slow to ripen. I am quite keen to re-plant the beds with autumn plantings. Can I expect that these plants will still produce red fruit this late in the season or are they likely to remain green?

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18 Mar 09, David (Australia - temperate climate)

Ken. Tomatos ripen with temperature, I notice you are temperate zone so you should still get enough warm days to ripen the tomatos. If the green tomatos are starting to blush at the base then you can pick and ripen on the window sill. Bananas help ripen fruit (bananas release ethelene gas) so bagging tomato with banana may help

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04 Apr 09, joe (Australia - temperate climate)

hi folks, i heard that removing some leaves from the tomato tree will help produce a better crop! which leaves do we clip off - right at the top ? anyone know?regards and thanx.

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