Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

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

(Best months for growing Tomato in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • 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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12 May 18, Penny (Australia - tropical climate)
My tomato seedlings keep shrivelling up and dying, they grow really well and then one day they justshrivel up. When I look just below the soil they seem to have a brown part on the stem, almost like it has rotted? Someone suggested it was some type of worm?
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14 May 18, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Could be wilt. Try the internet.
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18 Apr 18, Lyn (Australia - temperate climate)
When do I transplant my tomatoe plants I have started germiating my seeds & have little plants already living under my pergola I live in south west of sydney nsw & our winter is near (we had a long summer) Do I plant them in a bigger pot as they are in a cut down soft drink bottle 1.5l with holes in the bottom at the moment or do I wait til aug. to transplant outdoors into my above ground vegie planters? Tomatoes are Alans early red & Cherokee purple would like to try more types any ideas?
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26 Apr 18, Wayne (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi ,im out at West Wyalong and i thought it was to early to put in tomato seeds. We are still having warm weather so can you start early plants. Going off the sowing chart it says not for a couple of months. Not sure but advice most welcome
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27 Apr 18, Noel Tobin (Australia - temperate climate)
Tomatoes are frost sensitive. You can grow from seed trays indoors about 6 weeks before the end of winter and then plant out when the danger of frost has passed. They grow best under shade cloth as the hot summers are too testy for them and they get sunburned. Best to water well, in composted well drained soil. Stagger planting times for long harvest but best to finish planting in December. My plants are still producing fruit but with frost coming, producing days are numbered.
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28 Apr 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Where I live is frost free so I grow crops from early March into the winter and then from early spring to late Nov. Summer is too hot - need a lot of watering. Can also have heavy down pours of rain and be very windy also. Summer is a time to replenish the soil with some mulch/compost.
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19 Apr 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Plant anytime from when the seedlings are 4-6" high. They will grow better/quicker when put into the ground - more soil for the roots to spread into. Keep as much soil as possible attached to the roots when planting out. In the future better to put seeds into a pot (150mm and 150mm deep) first up as then you don't disturb the soil and roots when planting out. You mention veggie planters - I hope these are quite large as tomatoes need something like an area for each plant of 750-900mm across and 4-500mm deep of soil.
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20 Apr 18, Mac (Australia - temperate climate)
Very, very good advice Mike and please don't forget that Tomatoes are very shallow rooters so keep a well rotted compost around them during the summer. Don't forget to use a fungicide and Neem Oil spray to keep the white fly at bay. I have grown Grosse Lisse for years which will fruit from early summer to late autumn.
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23 Apr 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have only grown cherry tomatoes the last few years - first just letting them run on the ground from early spring to Xmas. Now I have wire netting between 2 x 7' posts (7-8' apart) and plant 4 plants. I use baling twine (12$ at Bunnings) to hold the bushes up. In March I planted out some self germinating seedlings and then put some half composted mulch around the plants. I didn't do a lot to the soil - a bit of trace elements, P, lime and worm tea. The plants are going to the moon. They are now 6' high and growing 2-3" a day. I might have to extend my posts to 8 or 9' high. Never had plants so big bushy and healthy.
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04 Apr 18, Dale (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I noticed on the veggie chart that tomatoes are not on the growing list for autumn. Is it possible to grow some now? I really want to grow some tomatoes.I have some cherry tomatoes struggling with things eating the fruit ,and they seem to be taking ages to ripen. I'm guessing it is this unusual weather we are having. At the moment it is wet and no sun.( Also I have noticed some tomato seedlings popping up in the patch.- might that be a sign that I can plant them ???)
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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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