Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan	Sep	Oct	Nov	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

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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04 Nov 19, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): If you can't find anywhere where it says don't grow next to each other then I would assume it is OK. Just give each crop it's room to grow. Think where the sun will be throwing shade during the day. You don't want the tomatoes shading the caps all day.
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28 Oct 19, karen maslen (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Hi there I liveiinnthe Tallebudgera Valley..near Burleigh Heads...I am an experienced gardener who ..always has had success nn Victoria growing large tomatoes but here they seem to go lengthy and spindley and do not produce large. fruit..same with the zucchini I water them every second day via an on the ground little spray..maybe i should be watering them deeply?They are in rich soil with sugar cane mulch. Please would you advise me what i am doing wrong? Regards karen maslen
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29 Oct 19, anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I assume you are trying to grow the same variety of tomatoes. Any crop requires sunlight, water, nutrients and something to grow in - soil, water etc. 1. Tomatoes need good fertile deep soil. They need DEEP watering every 2-3 days. A little ground spray line just doesn't do it. A few comments back I gave some tips on growing tomatoes. Some people recommend you dig a trench 400-500 deep, throw in some fish heads/backbone etc, aspirin, Epson salts, compost/fertiliser. Put some soil back in and add some more compost/fert and mix it up. Still with the trench 200-300 deep plant the seedlings. As they grow fill the soil back in. Tomatoes are deep rooted so fert and water deep. 2. Zucchini need plenty of water also.
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30 Oct 19, anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): The tips were on the New Zealand site.
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21 Oct 19, Michael (Australia - temperate climate): Can tomatoes grow alongside zucchini
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22 Oct 19, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate): Zucchini like to spread out .
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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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Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

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