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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08 Jul 10, Margaret (Australia - tropical climate)
Hi, everyone. We've got a beautiful crop of tomatoes this year, with varieties including Rouge De Marmand, Tropic and a black variety I can't remember the name of. My problem is fruit fly (specifically, QLD fruit fly). Is there any way of eradicating this horribe pest? I've done some searching online which suggested fly traps may be beneficial but not much else. Help!
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10 Sep 10, Neil (Australia - temperate climate)
Try a physical barrier, like exclusion bags, to keep the fruit fly off your tomatoes. I got some from Greeen Harvest last year, and they made a huge difference to the amount of fruit that survived.
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05 Aug 10, holly (Australia - tropical climate)
Hello i live in QLD myself and a good cheap alternative to fruit fly traps is cheap sweet white wine -the cheaper, the better. Just grab an empty plastic bottle cut some small holes (5c coin size) near the top, string it up close to the plant (on the tomato stakes is preferable) and throw out when it's full. The flies love the smell of the wine and end up drowing in it. I've tried it with red wine but white seems to get better results. hope this helps:)
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15 May 10, bill (Australia - tropical climate)
My tomato plants are just starting to bare fruit, but now the leaves are turning black on the ends and dying off. What should do.
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23 May 10, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
It could be a fungal problem. I would take a couple of leaves into your local nursery/garden shop to show them.
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26 Apr 10, Robert (Australia - tropical climate)
I have one long garden bed (6m x 1.5m) this year just set aside to grow tomatos. I have planted a variety of types, common to all nurseries. This year half of my plants have taken (part shaded end of the bed) and started to grow while the other half (full sun) last about 1 week before all the leaves wilt and the plant dies (Surprisingly quickly). I have just tested and adjusted the PH as I found that it was a little low, but not drastically, in the sunny end of the bed. I don’t know why my plants keep dying but I can’t keep replacing them. Does anyone have any ideas what could be causing my plants to die? The only think that is growing in the same bed, surprisingly well, are the basil and marigold plants. I grew tomato’s quite successfully last year but in a different position in the garden.
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06 Jun 10, Ken (Australia - tropical climate)
I have had this problem, and was told it was nematodes. I am now going to grow them in pots, in the dry and see how they go in the wet. I am 220 km down the track from Darwin. Good luck
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23 May 10, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
@Robert, could the heat at the sunny end of the bed be 'cooking' the young plants? Have you tried shading some of them to see if it makes a difference to survival? Another possibility is some sort of fungus/virus/pest if you've grown tomatoes in the same bed previously. Maybe try a cover crop of some sort to disrupt the pests?
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26 Apr 10, gary (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Leila, as far as I know tomatoes are annuals and should be pulled up in April/May after they finish producing. I've never heard of them growing again from the same plant, but you may get a stack self-seeding if fruit has fallen off.
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24 Apr 10, Leila (Australia - temperate climate)
I have had a few different varieties of tomatoes planted since august 09 and they have all done very well howver I am trying to find out do tomatoe plants only last one season or once they have died around winter time will they come back? My plants are all still green and alive at the moment and producing fruit still as well. Any help would be greatly appreciated :)
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You can look up the germination (seed hatching) temperature for various vegetables online. Compare this temperature to your soil temperature (even your air temperature to get an idea) -- the germination temperature needs to be met and sustained for the seeds to germinate (in addition to water, soil and presence of light for some shallow planted seeds). Most likely you will still benefit from starting indoors -- it all depends on temperatures AND which veggies you are planting - some veggies seeds have fairly low germination temps - beans, chard, mustard etc. Other veggies have very high germination temps: tomatoes, peppers etc. Remember that the germination temp needs to not only be met, it needs to be sustained. Since you can control your inside temperature - I would start my seeds indoors -- and potentially add a heating pad under the seedling tray. If you plant outdoors you can use a tarp to help warm the soil; I prefer clear elevated about 6" above the ground (like a green house) to help warm the soil when the sun hits it
- Celeste Archer

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