Your comments and tips

25 Jan 11, Colin (Australia - temperate climate)

I have noticed two changes in my tomato crop this year. 1. The fruit is very slow to ripen, and 2. The birds attack the fruit as soon as it shows some colour. I've never had birds eat my tomatoes before. Has anyone else noticed this?

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04 Apr 11, Sarah (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

April has started now and I"ve just picked one ripe fruit. Am I waiting for nothing? Will they ever ripen. I've got 100's of green tomatoes. I also noticed one of my plants is still flowering.

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13 Feb 11, (Australia - temperate climate)

my tomatos ripened very slowly too, but they eventually got there. I only just started harvesting them a week ago. I have not had problems with birds.

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03 Feb 11, Sam (Australia - temperate climate)

I had the same issue issue last year and a friend suggested hanging yellow and red christmas baubles on the vines before it starts fruiting. Birds will go for these first without success and, hopefully, leave your ripening tomatos alone. That's my plan for this year, anyway.

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04 Feb 11, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

I'll try that on my plum trees next year!

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14 Jan 11, kate (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

I am no expert, but I read somewhere that you can put banana skin under the mulch or in the soil and the potassium helps with flower production. I tried this and also made a tea of banana skins which I apply (diluted) weekly. It seems to work! There are lots of flowers and fruit even though we have had a very slow start to summer here.

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08 Jan 11, dino (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hi my tomatoes are growing OK , but are not showing any sign on flowers, I have had them in for weeks now.

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30 Dec 10, Mick and Paula (Australia - temperate climate)

I have tomatoes at 1.5 metres and the fruit is large on all plants. The problem is the plants look like they are starting to die off before the fruit ripens. We have chook so i have placed the waste on the ground around the plants ( the waste is a week old before it goes on). Suggestions please.

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01 Dec 10, Colleen (Australia - temperate climate)

we've had so much rain, the soil in places is boggy but my tomatoes are in a new slightly raised bed. I've noticed blossom end rot on many of the plants. I guess the calcium has been leached out of the soil with all this rain, should I add some lime?

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28 Dec 10, Pat Lightfoot (Australia - temperate climate)

From experience night temps will stop flowers from bearing fruit. We in Armidale (Northern Tablelands NSW) have experienced 1 C over the last few weeks at night. However, I have pot plants in a secure under the eves and one self seeded plant lived through winter, and has beared a few fruit. Not the most healthy looking either. But has three tomatoes on it.I don't think Armidale is the best place to have tomatoes unless in a green house. They grow well but don't bear much fruit, as night time temps go beneath 10 C.

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