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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11 Jun 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Thanks. My plants are a bit the opposite. Cherry big and leafy and roma tight and small leaves. I planted some cherry tomatoes in late Jan in a section of the garden (against a fence that runs E-W) that has sun in Jan-Feb and starts to be shaded in March April etc. The soil was quite good and the plants grew well. When they were 5' high I trimmed the top - this just made them sucker big time. I kept trimming the top off. This is what is happening now with my first plants - just a lot of spindly growth - the romas. My second lot of tomatoes 3 cherry and a roma in a row - a couple (cherry) are growing quite strong (that are a bit shaded by some nearby corn). A bit funny this year - in some ways the more I try to do things better is causing problems. Have done a lot of reading and will try a few things different next year.
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29 May 17, Ayo koya (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
I'm a farmer in Nigeria and planting tomatoes, can you pls tell me what are the best seeds to plant in southern Nigeria?
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27 May 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
People say to plant tomatoes in a deep hole. Another options is to hill the plant up with soil as it grows. I do this with beans corn and tomatoes.
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27 May 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Search around the internet to find a guide for planting in your region. A lot of veggies have different planting times depending on where you live in Aussie.
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01 May 17, allan (Australia - temperate climate)
we are considering building a house approximately .5 kilometre from the coast south of adelaide and i was wondering if there is anything special we need to do to grow veg especially tomatoes greens ect
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02 May 17, Sean (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
The long South Australian summers and drier climate should be ideal for growing most vegetables with a much lower risk of fungal problems than more humid or coastal areas. Log onto this site or buy the Gardenate app for more information.
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01 May 17, Jack Zampella (USA - Zone 6b climate)
I am hoping that you will be able to answer this question for me. I have raised beds that I vegetable garden in. Everything I have read over the past 10 years says that 2 inches of compost should be added to the beds yearly which I have done. I fertilize with organic fertilizers. My question is I no longer have room for additional compost in the beds. Should I remove some of the "great" soil from the beds to add additional compost or wait until the compost decomposes to add more( this usually takes about 2 years) Thank you in advance for your help. Jack Zampella
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02 May 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
If you have been adding 2" of compost every year for a number of years I would think your soil is quite fertile. You could, as you suggest, take some off. I would not add any this year, instead I would give the garden bed a dressing of garden or agricultural lime. The continual adding of compost to the soil is great for building up the soil but if there is a lot of organic matter still breaking down you would be safe to leave it for a season. The addition of lime will reduce the acidity and allow the release of a lot of nutrients currently there. Organic matter over time, while enriching the soil, will increase the acidity (lower the pH) and make nutrients less available. Lime reverses this. All the best.
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08 May 17, Jack Zampella (USA - Zone 6b climate)
John (Australia) thanks for your response. That was going to be my course of action. You just confirmed it. Again thank you for your input.
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19 Apr 17, Jim (Australia - temperate climate)
Some self-seeded cherry tomatoes came up at end of summer in a small bed on south side of fence. It's obviously not ideal location and most of the fruit are still green. Is it worth moving it to a sunny spot or just rip it out since it's autumn now?
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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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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. GardenGrow is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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