Your comments and tips

10 Sep 09, David (Australia - temperate climate)

HBP: I would think pouring boiling water would kill everything GOOD & BAD. There are microorganisms that convert humus into plant food and you have just killed them :( I wonder if this is the problem???

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09 Sep 09, Homebrewpig (Australia - temperate climate)

Has anyone heard of pouring boiling hot water in the area that is allocated for tomatoes, wait till it cools then plant your tomatoes to kill dieseases in the soil.? I never have any luck!

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05 Sep 09, Kate (Australia - temperate climate)

We have had cherry tomato plant self seed in the garden bed next to our worm farm. It is producing a lot of fruit but quite a lot of the the fruit is ripening when the tomatoes are still tiny (pea sized). Any thoughts on why this might be? I am a novice gardener without the greenest thumb - I should be happy that we're getting any fruit at all! :D

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04 Sep 09, David (Australia - temperate climate)

John, can you give more details on the "savage clip" please.

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13 Aug 09, John (Australia - temperate climate)

Another tip - split or half eaten tomatoes on the bush - just let them drop. Next year you will automatically have self sown seedlings.

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13 Aug 09, John (Australia - temperate climate)

Grown tomatoes for years. Last summer pruned / clipped quite savagely. Results amazing. 5 times the fruit and the more I trimmed the more fruit I got.

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09 Aug 09, margaret (Australia - temperate climate)

I live in the Dandenong ranges, victoria, I am inspired to raise seedlings of tomato rather than plant out seedlings from the nursery. It is August now, so, is this the time to plant the seeds for transplanting to garden in late September early October?

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08 Aug 09, Alison (Australia - temperate climate)

I'm ready to start my first vegie patch with beetroot, lettuce, carrots and tomatoes (applying companion gardening). Can anyone suggest a really good tomato? These so many varieties all boosting to be the best. Thanks!

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03 Aug 09, MuddyKnees (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Lat year I noticed an ad for growing tomatoes very prolifically (300% !!) by some "secret" method. My first thought was " there's hardly any real secrets in gardening.. or are there?" It seems the procedure involves the eventual removal of ALL leaves AFTER the fruit has set.. and strict pruning.. The seller claims that a tomato can get all the growth stimulus direct from the sun and that leaves just use up too much of the plants resources. I'm intrigued enough to try it this summer, if only to detrmine whether it is has any substance or is just a con. My reason for talking about it here is to hear if anyone else knows of this and has tried it? I intend to have two identical pots (size & soil) and grow a normal Daydream as a benchmark then apply this procedure to a second. I have always subscribed to the belief that " if something sounds too good to be true..etc.." but being a veggie gardener I'm always open to new ideas.. mine and others.. Nice if it works.

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02 Aug 09, Deborah (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I planted a tomato at the end of summer and have it covered with an individual green house affair. It is now huge and too large for the greenhouse. Can I plant it in the garden now? (I'm in Sydney) or should I leave it in the pot. It has no flowers but a few buds that dont come to anything.

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