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 61°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 16 - 24 inches 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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01 Dec 19, Tom (Australia - temperate climate)
What is the best fertilizer for tomatoes?
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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.
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03 Dec 19, anon (Australia - temperate climate)
A general all round fertiliser grows most things.
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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 ???
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Showing 61 - 70 of 601 comments
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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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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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