Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Mar	Apr	May	Jun
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

There is nothing like the taste of a freshly picked tomato, warm from the sunshine. In the smallest of gardens or even an apartment with a window-box, it is worth growing at least one tomato plant for the pleasure it will give you. They will grow in pots, troughs or even hanging baskets.

Tomatoes should be grown in shelter or under cover in cool climates.

Tomatoes like lots of food! In a garden bed, compost and mulching will produce a crop from one or two plants. In containers, use some suitable long term fertiliser pellets or feed regularly when you water. Feeding improves the flavour of the fruit.

When you plant out, put the seedlings in a deep holes, up to the top set of leaves. The covered stems will put out extra roots and you will have a stronger, healthier plant.

There are many different varieties of tomatoes but they all have one of two growth habits.

Determinate:

Compact bush growth, stops at a specific height and useful for containers. If left without supporting stakes, they will form a dense carpet which excludes weeds and keeps the soil cool and damp.

Indeterminate:###

Will continue growing a main stem, or vine until stopped by frost. The majority of heirloom tomatoes are indeterminate.

Both types need stakes to give them some support otherwise they will sprawl across the garden.

Varieties include Acid-free, Bush, Tall, Cherry, Yellow and many others.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Tomato

Use in sauces, with fried meals, in sandwiches. Can be frozen whole or in pieces.

Your comments and tips

15 Oct 11, jeffrey (USA - Zone 5a climate): found a great calendar all about tomato it is from the butte county Master Gardener program they have a great calendar out all about tomato i picked one up last week at an event you should check it out
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29 Oct 13, Lorraine (USA - Zone 11a climate): I live in Miami and my tomato plant (from seed) is about 2-3 feet high now but thin stem, very wiry, all over the place. I have wooden stakes in now, but how long after they reach this height will they have a tomato on it? I planted approx. 10 weeks ago.
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01 Mar 14, GJX (USA - Zone 6a climate): Tomatoes usually take 90 days to harvest. Tip: you need good fertilizer and do not water every day; yes it promotes growth, but once the plant is planted and well watered, then you should water only once a week. Of course this depends on your environment. Watering less will trigger the plant to produce more flowers. Plant 2" deeper than normal Use: 1 cup of gypsum in the hole 1 cup of calcium in the hole Your Tomato plant will be happy.
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20 Mar 17, Bill (USA - Zone 10b climate): In Miami, you'll want to plant your tomatoes in the cooler months.....the typical summer months that you'd think to plant tomatoes are too hot here in Florida....the night time temp needs to get below 80 degrees otherwise they will flower and then the flowers will fall off and not produce any fruit. So our cooler months, although still warm are the best months for tomatoes as well as some other veggies.....like peppers.
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23 Mar 15, Edie (USA - Zone 7b climate): What is the best tomato plant and also bush tomato plant for my Zone 7b?
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16 Feb 16, Carrie B. (USA - Zone 7b climate): There is a seed supplier specializing in heirloom in our zone. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Even if you don't buy seed the website and catalog are great resources.
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27 Jun 15, Econ (USA - Zone 7b climate): I planted a tumbling Tom from nursery in mid April and it is doing great. If I had to do over I would have bought 5 or 6. I planted about 8 different tomatoe plants with 7 of them indertiminate. So far the best are Lemon Boy. They melt in your mouth!
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31 Dec 15, Del Ramos (USA - Zone 13a climate): Will Bush Beefsteak Tomato grow in my zone? Any growing recomendations?
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01 May 17, Jack Zampella (USA - Zone 6b climate): I am hoping that you will be able to answer this question for me. I have raised beds that I vegetable garden in. Everything I have read over the past 10 years says that 2 inches of compost should be added to the beds yearly which I have done. I fertilize with organic fertilizers. My question is I no longer have room for additional compost in the beds. Should I remove some of the "great" soil from the beds to add additional compost or wait until the compost decomposes to add more( this usually takes about 2 years) Thank you in advance for your help. Jack Zampella
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02 May 17, John (Australia - temperate climate): If you have been adding 2" of compost every year for a number of years I would think your soil is quite fertile. You could, as you suggest, take some off. I would not add any this year, instead I would give the garden bed a dressing of garden or agricultural lime. The continual adding of compost to the soil is great for building up the soil but if there is a lot of organic matter still breaking down you would be safe to leave it for a season. The addition of lime will reduce the acidity and allow the release of a lot of nutrients currently there. Organic matter over time, while enriching the soil, will increase the acidity (lower the pH) and make nutrients less available. Lime reverses this. All the best.
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Of course there are lots of factors (soil watering etc.), I\ll point out a few you may have issues with. I'm a little concerned about your night time temperatures harming the growth or steady growth of your tomatoes -- in addition Blossom drop will occur in if daytime temperatures are warm but night temps drop below 55 F. (13 C.) -- a condition that can easily occur in a greenhouse in winter. When you look at days to harvest for tomatoes -- they are assuming spring/summer growing -- which means the NUMBER of daylight hours is HIGHER. Your area may drop from 12 hours of daylight in summer to 9 in winter.... that's a big difference. Additionally the INTENSITY of the sun is not as great in winter as it is in summer. This means the plant is not collecting as much light. I would GUESTIMATE you need to at double the DAYS to harvest to account for your growing conditions. If you decide to go forward I would opt for varieties that tend to grow well in colder climates that NATURALLY have less intense sun and shorter days (or install lighting if you don't have it and perhaps some heat). REMEMBER your soil temp needs to stay at about 16c -- so if your pots are on the ground or if you are planting directly into the soil, the cold may creep into the soil from below. There are specific tomato varietals bred for cold hardiness which will tolerate conditions at or below 55 degrees F. (13 C.). The best choices for colder climates are short to mid-season tomatoes. These tomatoes set fruit not only in cooler temps, but also reach maturity in the shortest number of days; around 52-70 days. I would look to some indeterminate cherry or plum size tomatoes (so small tomatoes) with very low days to harvest. I have never grow this tomato -- but -- Originally developed for cool rainy nights, Quedlinburger Frühe Liebe (or as I like to say, QFL) is a German heirloom tomato variety that’s ready for harvest in just 40 days after transplanting (!!!) and keeps producing until killed by a freeze. This makes it quite an amazing all-season plant and a real keeper in the garden if you’re prone to cold snaps. QFL is sweet and flavorful with small, juicy red fruits ==> tomatofest (internet site in the USA) says : Old German potato-leaf variety means "Early love of Qued Linburg". Small spindly vines produce 1 1/2-inch, round, 4-lobed fruit in clusters of 4. These tomatoes have great flavor with good acidity. Developed for cool rainy nights. Prolific even during colder summers. **** you really need to review the conditions in your green house -- day and night time temps, hours of sunlight --and you need to choose your variety wisely -- and even then, this might be difficult -- a lot depends on your greenhouse.

- faith Celeste Archer

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Gardenate

Keep your garden growing - see what to plant right now

Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Determinate:

Indeterminate:###

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Tomato

Your comments and tips

Gardenate

Keep your garden growing - see what to plant right now

Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Determinate:

Indeterminate:###

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Tomato

Your comments and tips

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