Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

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

(Best months for growing Tomato in Australia - temperate regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed

August: Frost tender. Start undercover

  • 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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13 Aug 09, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Grown tomatoes for years. Last summer pruned / clipped quite savagely. Results amazing. 5 times the fruit and the more I trimmed the more fruit I got.
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09 Aug 09, margaret (Australia - temperate climate)
I live in the Dandenong ranges, victoria, I am inspired to raise seedlings of tomato rather than plant out seedlings from the nursery. It is August now, so, is this the time to plant the seeds for transplanting to garden in late September early October?
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08 Aug 09, Alison (Australia - temperate climate)
I'm ready to start my first vegie patch with beetroot, lettuce, carrots and tomatoes (applying companion gardening). Can anyone suggest a really good tomato? These so many varieties all boosting to be the best. Thanks!
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03 Aug 09, MuddyKnees (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Lat year I noticed an ad for growing tomatoes very prolifically (300% !!) by some "secret" method. My first thought was " there's hardly any real secrets in gardening.. or are there?" It seems the procedure involves the eventual removal of ALL leaves AFTER the fruit has set.. and strict pruning.. The seller claims that a tomato can get all the growth stimulus direct from the sun and that leaves just use up too much of the plants resources. I'm intrigued enough to try it this summer, if only to detrmine whether it is has any substance or is just a con. My reason for talking about it here is to hear if anyone else knows of this and has tried it? I intend to have two identical pots (size & soil) and grow a normal Daydream as a benchmark then apply this procedure to a second. I have always subscribed to the belief that " if something sounds too good to be true..etc.." but being a veggie gardener I'm always open to new ideas.. mine and others.. Nice if it works.
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02 Aug 09, Deborah (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I planted a tomato at the end of summer and have it covered with an individual green house affair. It is now huge and too large for the greenhouse. Can I plant it in the garden now? (I'm in Sydney) or should I leave it in the pot. It has no flowers but a few buds that dont come to anything.
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26 Jul 09, Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Allan, No need to pull your tomatoes - they may or may not set fruit yet with the colder weather, but if they're flowering they're still happy. Sounds like they'll make it through winter OK, and will set fruit when the conditions are right. Also when the fruit sets green tomatoes can stay on the plant through winter, then ripen when the warmer weather comes. Tomatoes ripen in warmth - they don't need sunlight to ripen, so you when they just start to turn colour you can pick then and bring them inside into a warm spot - putting them in a bowl with a ripe banana and a paper bag over the bowl works a treat.
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26 Jul 09, allan (Australia - temperate climate)
i am in adelaide i have sevreral tomatoe plants growing about a metre high with lots of flowers mid july will i get fruit from them or should i pull them out and plant more later /? please help a novice cheers allan
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19 Jul 09, Naomi (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi everyone, I live in far North QLD it's Very humid hear most time of the year and we get no Frost in winter. I'm Growing Grosse Lisse tomatos i have flowers and fruit starting at the moment. I'm trying to find out if i need to start planting new seadlings?? or will they just keep producing fruit?
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08 Jun 09, Tania (Australia - temperate climate)
I was wonderring if anyone knows where we can get seeds or seedlings to grow Winsall Tomatoes from? I have seen the name on the net and would like to get some to grow for my husband who is a Winsall as a surprise.
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16 May 09, jared (Australia - temperate climate)
Yes i have heard of removing leaves from the plant and i gave it a go and the results are amazing, Im testing out a theory i read about it involves trimming all leave branches from the ground to the first fruit truss, then pinching out all flowers accept the 3 or 4 most healthy looking ones and leave them to grow, then when the next fruit truss comes along do the same but only leave 1 leaf set inbetween each fruit truss do this until you get 4 trusses then trim the top and keep pinching out all of the laterals that come along. i did this with Marmande and Big boy's.
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Showing 531 - 540 of 595 comments
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More information is needed: for example amount of water... soil conditions. The MOST GENERIC, and probably most correct answer is LACK OF NUTRIENTS. Most people plant their plants (tomato) adding lots of compost and/or manure at the time of planting. The plant grows using the nutrients (some are washed away... maybe trees manage to confiscate some nutrients); but as the soil nutrition drops, the plant, still wanting to grow, starts to take nutrition from its lower leaves so it can grow leaves higher up. That is, it is deciding how to best used it's own self to maximize it chances of success; since it can't source the needed nutrition from the soil What you need to do is: ADD manure or compost or anything else you may have to put nutrition back into the soil. I rinse my coffee pot in the garden, I also try to drain things (like the water from soaking dried beans) into the garden. Manure/compost/nutrition (in any form) needs to be added at planting, middle of the season, and close to the end of the season to give that LAST burst of energy to bring the fruit/vegetables into full form. Don't feel like you need to spend a lot of money; get creative; in Canada we can stop by our local coffee shops and pick up the days used grinds for use in our gardens (free); you can add micro nutrients to your garden by filling a pail with water and adding a layer of rocks (rocks are minerals) stir and use this to water your plants. Left over tea bags, left over coffee grinds, stuff that you might rinse down the sink (food juices), blood from meat when you wash it before cooking it ..... anything like that all puts nutrition back in the soil.

- Celeste Archer

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