Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
        S S            
          T T          
          P            

(Best months for growing Tomato in Australia - tropical 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

Your comments and tips

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24 Aug 11, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I don't prune tomatoes at all. Diggers Club did a comparison of pruned vs unpruned and found no difference in fruit production.
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13 Jun 11, Les Telfer (Australia - tropical climate)
My Tomatoes Flowered Then turn black and drop off ?
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19 Mar 11, THOMAS (Australia - temperate climate)
Forget the Triffids. Cherry tomatoes will engulf the world. Not one corner of my 3 acres has escaped being colonised this year & I only had them in my vegetable patch last year. Harvesting bucket loads & making sauce but have to beat the field mice to them. Thomas
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17 Mar 11, Elisha (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have planted some tomato plants about 3 weeks ago in a supposed to be organic soil I got trucked in. Which as mill mud a sugar cane by product, and other goodies in it. I mixed dolomite, dynmatic lifter in the soil then planted. I am using sugar cane mulch and have liquid fertislied them with seasol and healthy earth. My tomatoes have now started to wilt. I don't believe its a fungus or a disease as when I cut the stems it looks healthy and green. I had 10 plants and now only have around 4 standing strong. Any suggestions what is going on? Oh I did fertilise them just before wilting as we have had a heap of rain recently with potash and blood and bone. Have I maybe over feed them. I didn't think that was possible.
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17 Mar 11, Liz (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Elisha, your seedlings might have 'damping off' disease. This is caused by too much water staying round the roots allowing a fungus to grow on the roots. If the plants don't improve in a day or so, it would be best to remove them and start again. Make sure that your soil is well drained.
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22 Aug 11, Deborah (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Damping off can be avoided by spraying seedlings every few days with chamomile tea, which kills the fungus which causes the damage. Also move mulch back a bit from the stem of the seedling to improve ventilation.
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04 Mar 11, KEVIN HERON (Australia - temperate climate)
HI COL, YOU HAVE HAD A LOT OF RAIN? DO YOU FERTILIZE / WHAT TYPE OF TOMATO ARE YOU GROWING REGARDS KEV
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01 Mar 11, Col (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
In my current crop of tomatoes which are about 8 weeks old and 400mm high, three of the fifteen have wilted badly and are not recovering after thhee days. They are under 50% shade cloth due to the cureent hot weather and are watered at ground level every 36 hours. I have planted at the other end of the garden from last year, about 2.4 metres away. Any suggestions please! Col
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17 Nov 11, Deborah (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I agree, not enough water. Early morning and late afternoon.
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16 Mar 11, jade (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
mine are going great, not under any shade, in bris. But get watered at least twice a day and also any time it rains - So much rain, but with good drainage I don't think it can be overdone.
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Showing 431 - 440 of 601 comments
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Lyndall, Flowers not producing fruit could be due to too much water. with regard to the height, last year I let all the side shoots grow and that stopped vertical growth compared to this year where I have religiously trimmed out any shoots from the leaf joints and my plants which were planted 23 November are between 1 and 1.4 metres high. My theory is that if you let the side shoots grow a bit it will stop trying to grow vertical because the plant needs to keep flowering and the only way to flower is to produce new growth. This growth comes from the main stems or new stems nearer the bottom of the plant. I have 4 plants so am going to let to bush out more and keep 2 growing vertical. If you let the plant grow up through the wire the possums will do the trimming for you.

- Chris

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