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 61°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 16 - 24 inches 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

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18 Apr 19, karen (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
re: end rot_ always put calcium of some kind in the planting hole then feed with powdered calcium and maybe spent coffee - diluted, a couple of times in the growing season. I collect all my eggshells and use, powdered, for all the mandrake plants, especially the ones in pots - once a month application for potted plants.\
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13 Apr 19, Sandy (USA - Zone 6b climate)
Can I plant my tomatoes now and til April 24 without any damage to my plant. I plan on putting straw around them for added protection
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08 Apr 19, Di Gates (Australia - tropical climate)
I have been planting tomatoes in my veggie patch, but the fruit never goes a nice bright red, they are always blotchy orangey red. I have tried different varieties, but they all do the same thing. Is it the soil, or too much sun, or the bore water which is quite hard? They taste ok, just look unattractive. I was going to try growing them in pots this year, then at least I can rule out the soil.
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18 Feb 19, Mary Doughty (USA - Zone 7a climate)
I'm having problems with grub's in my yard and garden. Has anyone ever used a spray called milky spore. If any one has how long does it take to get rid of them. The moels are reeking havock on everything because of them. Dogs digging after the moels is a completely different story and problem. Any advice would be appreciated thank you.
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08 Jun 20, Ryan Riendeau (USA - Zone 10a climate)
Earth-friendly beneficial nematodes seek out and kill grubs and other soil-inhabiting insects. They come on a sponge (invisible to naked eye) that you soak in water, put in a sprayer and spray your dirt or lawn. They will multiply over time and continue to kill grubs You can buy them online or at your local nursery.
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16 Feb 19, Peter (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
my roma tomatoes have got a big brown spot on the very end just as it starts to show colour, what would you say that is ?
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19 Feb 19, Carmen J. (Australia - temperate climate)
Looks like is lacking calcium, normally we put fertilizer but we forget to put calcium, get some dolomite or some rock dust.
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25 Jun 19, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Use Epsom salt - a teaspoon in the hole at planting and even sprinkle another on top of the soil a few weeks later.
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18 Feb 19, mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Blossom end rot by the sounds of it. Buy some Epsom Salts and put in your garden - from supermarkets. Couple of $$ for 1 kg.
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20 Aug 19, Marie B (Australia - temperate climate)
Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate and doesn’t address the lack of calcium. For this coming spring you can buy calcium at Bunnings or your nursery but if you add finely crushed eggshells in your soil and let it degrade over the winter months you will not have to buy calcium again. Boiled eggs water and fish bones buried in soil work wonders against blossom end rot.
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Clive Blazey in his Diggers Club book "The Australian Vegetable Garden" (http://www.diggers.com.au/books.shtm#vegbook) describes how they ran pruning trials and found that pruned plants produced much lower yields (25% in Tigeralla and 33% in Grosse Lisse compared to unpruned). They also found that pruning had no effect on the size of the fruit.
They did find that late pruning tended to produce larger fruit, but with greatly reduced yields.

- Chris Hutchinson

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