Your comments and tips

03 Dec 19, anon (Australia - temperate climate)

A general all round fertiliser grows most things.

Reply or Post a new comment

29 Nov 19, Allan Fraser (Australia - temperate climate)

my tomatoes are being bored into with some sort of caterpillars also some with black spots any ideas on how cure this organiclly or failing that anything to stop it ???

Reply or Post a new comment

17 Feb 20, Elizabeth (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I found the same thing happening a few months ago with our tomatoes (Black Russian and Moneymaker). I found out it is Cotton bollworm: a nocturnal moth which lays it's eggs on the flowers, which then hatch and enter the baby tomatoes when they are tiny. I have my tomatoes string-trained on a 'cage' structure made from sticks/branches, so I used a Vege Net from Green Harvest over the entire structure, pegging and tucking the edges in (placing plastic flower pots over the tops of the sticks/branches, to prevent holes in the net). There was a period of finding spots developing, and caterpillars inside the tomatoes for a few weeks after, however no fresh infestations. I'll be doing the same this year right from the start.

Reply or Post a new comment

02 Dec 19, Another gardener (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Look up natural sprays for caterpillars and Qld fruit fly on the internet. The holes caused by pillars and black dots are probably qld fruit fly. Chemical for QFF is LEPIDEX.

Reply or Post a new comment

17 Nov 19, Allan Clarke (Australia - temperate climate)

Hello to all at Gardenate, I see that you say that tomatoes can be frozen, but it is my experience that on thawing they go all soggy, and will not hold there shape, is this correct. Have a great day, Allan.

Reply or Post a new comment

17 Dec 19, Barbara (Australia - temperate climate)

I wouldn't freeze fresh tomatoes. I do make pasta sauce, freeze it and then use it for all those wonderful winter recipes like lasagna. You could just peel them (by placing them in boiling water for 3 minutes), and cook them for five minutes on the stove, cool them and then freeze them to use later.

Reply or Post a new comment

18 Nov 19, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

If frozen I don't think you could use as a fruit to slice etc. I think you could make sauces or similar.

Reply or Post a new comment

02 Nov 19, Anna (New Zealand - temperate climate)

I'm looking to grow cherry tomatoes close to my sweet Peppers and wondered if they are compatible together? Can't seem to find an answer on the net.

Reply or Post a new comment

04 Nov 19, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

If you can't find anywhere where it says don't grow next to each other then I would assume it is OK. Just give each crop it's room to grow. Think where the sun will be throwing shade during the day. You don't want the tomatoes shading the caps all day.

Reply or Post a new comment

28 Oct 19, karen maslen (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hi there I liveiinnthe Tallebudgera Valley..near Burleigh Heads...I am an experienced gardener who ..always has had success nn Victoria growing large tomatoes but here they seem to go lengthy and spindley and do not produce large. fruit..same with the zucchini I water them every second day via an on the ground little spray..maybe i should be watering them deeply?They are in rich soil with sugar cane mulch. Please would you advise me what i am doing wrong? Regards karen maslen

Reply or Post a new comment