Your comments and tips

11 May 24, (USA - Zone 7b climate)

Try a bit of pot ash or potassium.

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21 Mar 24, Louise Shaw (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Can I grow tomatoes all year round and do they reproduce

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05 Apr 24, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Read the notes here for cool mountain areas. Plant spring 8-17 until harvest and then pick for a few months ??? Tomatoes left on the ground will self germinate when the soil temperature is right for germination.

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19 Mar 24, warren (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

i would like to grow tomatos over winter in a glass house..any tips on what type

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02 Apr 24, faith Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)

Of course there are lots of factors (soil watering etc.), I\ll point out a few you may have issues with. I'm a little concerned about your night time temperatures harming the growth or steady growth of your tomatoes -- in addition Blossom drop will occur in if daytime temperatures are warm but night temps drop below 55 F. (13 C.) -- a condition that can easily occur in a greenhouse in winter. When you look at days to harvest for tomatoes -- they are assuming spring/summer growing -- which means the NUMBER of daylight hours is HIGHER. Your area may drop from 12 hours of daylight in summer to 9 in winter.... that's a big difference. Additionally the INTENSITY of the sun is not as great in winter as it is in summer. This means the plant is not collecting as much light. I would GUESTIMATE you need to at double the DAYS to harvest to account for your growing conditions. If you decide to go forward I would opt for varieties that tend to grow well in colder climates that NATURALLY have less intense sun and shorter days (or install lighting if you don't have it and perhaps some heat). REMEMBER your soil temp needs to stay at about 16c -- so if your pots are on the ground or if you are planting directly into the soil, the cold may creep into the soil from below. There are specific tomato varietals bred for cold hardiness which will tolerate conditions at or below 55 degrees F. (13 C.). The best choices for colder climates are short to mid-season tomatoes. These tomatoes set fruit not only in cooler temps, but also reach maturity in the shortest number of days; around 52-70 days. I would look to some indeterminate cherry or plum size tomatoes (so small tomatoes) with very low days to harvest. I have never grow this tomato -- but -- Originally developed for cool rainy nights, Quedlinburger Frühe Liebe (or as I like to say, QFL) is a German heirloom tomato variety that’s ready for harvest in just 40 days after transplanting (!!!) and keeps producing until killed by a freeze. This makes it quite an amazing all-season plant and a real keeper in the garden if you’re prone to cold snaps. QFL is sweet and flavorful with small, juicy red fruits ==> tomatofest (internet site in the USA) says : Old German potato-leaf variety means "Early love of Qued Linburg". Small spindly vines produce 1 1/2-inch, round, 4-lobed fruit in clusters of 4. These tomatoes have great flavor with good acidity. Developed for cool rainy nights. Prolific even during colder summers. **** you really need to review the conditions in your green house -- day and night time temps, hours of sunlight --and you need to choose your variety wisely -- and even then, this might be difficult -- a lot depends on your greenhouse.

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21 Feb 24, Jenni (USA - Zone 7a climate)

I have had AMAZING results with planting tomatoes with Epsom salt in the planting hole, mixed in the soil. Then I use Super Thrive when I water, it's available at Walmart and Amazon. You can use it on any plant,indoors or out. Just try it. You'll love it!. I also feed with a good organic fertilizer. Foxfarm is the best for me, as well as their soils. Can't be beat.

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05 Feb 24, Barbara Shaw (USA - Zone 8b climate)

What should I pretreat my soil with before I plant tomatoes . They are pretty and then they get root rot on bottom. I heard calcium . Is there anything else Thanks

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20 Feb 24, jacob (USA - Zone 10a climate)

my understanding is that root rot is due to a lack of calcium, but calcium is usually plentiful in garden soil. the real issue is with inconsistent watering, meaning the plants cannot properly absorb that calcium. water more!

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24 Feb 24, Celeste Archer (Australia - temperate climate)

I think you might have blossom end rot, and root rot mixed up. Blossom end rot occurs on the base of the tomato, and is caused by a lack of calcium (usually -- it could be other things that cause the calcium to be unavailable - PH, lack of water etc.). Blossom end rot causes the tomato to look deformed. Calcium added to the soil at the time of planting is usually adequate to ensure this does not happen. The calcium really needs to be added EARLY in the growing stages. You could also use egg shells -- I would grind/smash up the shells pretty good then work them into the soil of the planting hole; better yet, enrich with egg shells over the winter and early spring in anticipation of future planting. Root rot usually occurs when water sits around the roots of a plant for long periods of time -- bad drainage, excess watering, soil that holds too much water (which is really drainage). If you have proper aeration this usually doesn't happen since the air flow will whisk away excess moisture (provided it isn't a swamp at the roots). Try to create updrafts in your pots -- you want water drainage holes that do double duty -- let the water run off and allow air in. I find that holes at the SIDE BOTTOM of the pot, rather than directly under the pot, work well. It may seem like a hole at the side of the pot will let the soil out -- but pretty much after the first watering this stops happening -- and once the roots take hold it certainly does not happen. No need for drainage material (stones etc.) -- just use soil/compost top to bottom -- expect soil to come out at first when filling the pot -- after that you should be fine. I make my holes rather large -- on a BIG pot these holes are about 3inches (circular). Roots of plants really like air (maybe not direct exposure) but they certainly like the occasional breeze through the soil. Face the hole on the shady side of the pot for a cooling updraft in hot weather.

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03 Feb 24, Carol Edwards (USA - Zone 6a climate)

What is the best tomato to grow in my zone

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