Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

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

(Best months for growing Tomato in USA - Zone 5a 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

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04 Apr 09, joe (Australia - temperate climate)
hi folks, i heard that removing some leaves from the tomato tree will help produce a better crop! which leaves do we clip off - right at the top ? anyone know?regards and thanx.
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18 Mar 09, David (Australia - temperate climate)
Ken. Tomatos ripen with temperature, I notice you are temperate zone so you should still get enough warm days to ripen the tomatos. If the green tomatos are starting to blush at the base then you can pick and ripen on the window sill. Bananas help ripen fruit (bananas release ethelene gas) so bagging tomato with banana may help
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18 Mar 09, Ken (Australia - temperate climate)
I have large bushy tomato plants that have some green tomatoes slow to ripen. I am quite keen to re-plant the beds with autumn plantings. Can I expect that these plants will still produce red fruit this late in the season or are they likely to remain green?
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12 Mar 09, David (Australia - temperate climate)
Kiah: Bad things happen if you grow Tomatoes in the same place year on year. Better to take them out, compost them, and make a new bed for next season.
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11 Mar 09, Kiah (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi was wondering if when tomatoes have finished producing fruit, is it best to leave the plant in the ground for the next season or take it out and start again
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20 Feb 09, Gary Zeng (Australia - temperate climate)
when it is very hot, the roots in the pot might burn by high temperature, get the plant out and put into soil. or you can shield you pot from sunshine to cool down the root.
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02 Feb 09, Nicole (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Geoff and Domenic, I had perfectly healthy looking tomatoes before the heatwave and now have the same problem, most have developed brown lesions on the base. After googling I think it's blossom end rot caused by water stress from the heat. Can't post a link, but try googling Tomato Problem Solver to see pics.
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02 Feb 09, David (Australia - temperate climate)
Geof, could be "blossom end rot" to fix add Calcium Reference Look at ABC gardening videos, December 2008, see Johns Plot Part 1-3 about 8:15 into the video
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01 Feb 09, Domenic (Australia - temperate climate)
To Geoff i seen to have the same problem not to sure what it is im living in Melbourne.All my tomato's are gone those 3 days of 40+ degree killed everything it looks like a nuclear bomb has hit them ill love to post the pictures.
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26 Jan 09, GEOFF (Australia - temperate climate)
I'm getting a lot of tomatoes with a brown leathery rot on the base. These are suspended and not making contact with anything. Any suggestions ??
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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.

- faith Celeste Archer

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