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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28 Jul 11, Carolyn (Australia - temperate climate)
It's true that tomatos are an annual but there IS a way to get"follow on" or late crops from a particular plant. . . take cuttings ("tip" or even better "heal" cuttings"take" eazily) The new plants will be genetically identical to the parent plant & will crop in 1/3 the time a seedling would. Best of all you can save a favorite (or a dozen if you wish) by overwintering in pots
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13 Nov 10, Sri (Australia - temperate climate)
Tomatoes are an annual so they grow then flower then they start to produce fruit and as long as you keep the water up to them and feed them regularly they should continue to flower and fruit for 4 to 6 months but when they are finished they dont usually bounce back the plant is spent. However small salad tomatoes (tiny tims,cherry tomatoes) have been known to flower and fruit again.
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18 Sep 10, (Australia - arid climate)
Hi collegues, Do you know any USA quarantine insect pests of tomato? Looking forward to getting your ideas Theo
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11 Jul 10, Michele (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, We planted small roma tomatoes about 4 weeks ago. The plants are thriving and heaps of flowers, but the flowers do not seem to be turning into tomatoes? Could it be over fertilisation? Really interested to hear your ideas. Thanks
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28 Aug 10, Andrew (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
It most likely will be short day-length - plants need enough energy to convert into flower and fruit production, and in winter there is simply not enough daylight in a day to do this. You should find that by October they will be forming fruit...
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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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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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I have been growing tomatoes in pots at North Sydney for the last 10 years. Each year is more problematic and depressing than the previous even though I sterilise pots and use new potting mix each year. Plants start off very healthy then about the time that fruit set, the plants start yellowing from the bottom and within a few weeks they are history. This year was interesting in that I placed the pots on a second story balcony well away from previous plantings on the assumption that whatever was killing the plants near the ground may not exist on the balcony. I planted in September, great plants until mid November when they did the same thing - started yellowing from the bottom up and ended up basically dead after a few weeks. I took one of the plants (Mighty Red) which was dead except for one small leaf about 10mm above ground level. I cut the plant off completely immediately above this leaf and planted it in a new garden bed we have recently created in the area where we had previously used pots. For a couple of weeks nothing happened then the plant started growing and now in mid March we have just picked 3 large tomatoes off a very healthy (large) plant with another 15 or so tomatoes still on the plant. I still don't know what causes the problem but the experiment with this 'Lazarus' plant is nothing if not interesting.

- Ian

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