Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan	Feb	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
		S	S	S	S	S
T	T			T	T	T
P				P	P	P

(Best months for growing Tomato in Australia - sub-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

01 Dec 19, Tom (Australia - temperate climate): What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
Reply or Post a new comment
16 Dec 19, Barbara (Australia - temperate climate): My tomato bushes are great and promise a bumper crop again this year. As my mother before me, I dig cow manure (from the shop) into the bed six weeks before planting the seedlings. My mother added liquid manure to hers as well.
Reply or Post a new comment
03 Dec 19, anon (Australia - temperate climate): A general all round fertiliser grows most things.
Reply or Post a new comment
29 Nov 19, Allan Fraser (Australia - temperate climate): my tomatoes are being bored into with some sort of caterpillars also some with black spots any ideas on how cure this organiclly or failing that anything to stop it ???
Reply or Post a new comment
17 Feb 20, Elizabeth (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I found the same thing happening a few months ago with our tomatoes (Black Russian and Moneymaker). I found out it is Cotton bollworm: a nocturnal moth which lays it's eggs on the flowers, which then hatch and enter the baby tomatoes when they are tiny. I have my tomatoes string-trained on a 'cage' structure made from sticks/branches, so I used a Vege Net from Green Harvest over the entire structure, pegging and tucking the edges in (placing plastic flower pots over the tops of the sticks/branches, to prevent holes in the net). There was a period of finding spots developing, and caterpillars inside the tomatoes for a few weeks after, however no fresh infestations. I'll be doing the same this year right from the start.
Reply or Post a new comment
02 Dec 19, Another gardener (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Look up natural sprays for caterpillars and Qld fruit fly on the internet. The holes caused by pillars and black dots are probably qld fruit fly. Chemical for QFF is LEPIDEX.
Reply or Post a new comment
17 Nov 19, Allan Clarke (Australia - temperate climate): Hello to all at Gardenate, I see that you say that tomatoes can be frozen, but it is my experience that on thawing they go all soggy, and will not hold there shape, is this correct. Have a great day, Allan.
Reply or Post a new comment
17 Dec 19, Barbara (Australia - temperate climate): I wouldn't freeze fresh tomatoes. I do make pasta sauce, freeze it and then use it for all those wonderful winter recipes like lasagna. You could just peel them (by placing them in boiling water for 3 minutes), and cook them for five minutes on the stove, cool them and then freeze them to use later.
Reply or Post a new comment
18 Nov 19, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): If frozen I don't think you could use as a fruit to slice etc. I think you could make sauces or similar.
Reply or Post a new comment
02 Nov 19, Anna (New Zealand - temperate climate): I'm looking to grow cherry tomatoes close to my sweet Peppers and wondered if they are compatible together? Can't seem to find an answer on the net.
Reply or Post a new comment

Showing 61 - 70 of 601 comments

See comments for all plants

Replying to:

Further to my posts below. I have found this which I believe is the problem with my bunchy curly leaves on cherry tomatoes. It is called -Tomato yellow leaf curl virus. TYLCV. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Qld In March 2006, tomato leaf curl disease was found in cherry tomato crops in the south and west periphery of Brisbane. The disease has been found in many crops, with infection levels ranging from 5 to 100 per cent of plants. Losses in severely affected crops have been very high and the disease is a major threat to tomato production. In April 2006, infected plants were also found around Bundaberg. By June 2007, the virus was present in the Lockyer Valley, Fassifern Valley, Esk, Caboolture and Redlands areas. Since 2009 it has become a serious production constraint around Bundaberg. In February 2011, it was found in backyard tomato plants in Mareeba on the Atherton Tablelands. Tomato leaf curl disease is caused by viruses in the Geminivirus family of plant viruses, and is spread by whiteflies. The virus causing this disease is tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). This virus is distinct from tomato leaf curl Australia virus (TLCV), which occurs in the Northern Territory and at several locations on Cape York Peninsula. Silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Biotype B) was first recorded in Australia in 1994, it is now a widespread pest in Queensland and Western Australia and could become a major pest in most irrigated agricultural areas of Australia. Silverleaf whitefly (SLW) is also known as poinsettia or sweetpotato whitefly and in USA literature it is now referred to as Bemisia argentifolii. SLW has a wide host range (over 500 species) of crops and weeds, and is difficult to control as it has developed resistance to conventional insecticides. Biotype Q was discovered recently in Queensland. There is also an Australian native species. These three biotypes are indistinquishable in the field.

- Mike

Your name

Where are you?

Email address

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply

Your reply

All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate

Keep your garden growing - see what to plant right now

Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Your comments and tips

Become A Supporter!

Planting Reminders