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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27 May 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Just let them keep growing and see what happens.
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21 Apr 17, Jack (Australia - temperate climate)
Plants are not likely to transplant this late in the season. I suggest you make some Green Tomato Pickles with them and start early next season.
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15 Apr 17, gill (Australia - temperate climate)
Where can I purchase reisetomate seeds please? Will they grow in Canberra?
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15 Apr 17, John (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Tomato 'Reisetomate' should grow in Canberra. Get your seeds started indoors ready for planting out in late october and you should be able to grow a good crop of this unusual tomato.
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15 Apr 17, Jack (Australia - temperate climate)
'Reistomate' seed is available from Diggers Seeds on the Mornington Peninsula South-east of melbourne
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13 Apr 17, Carmen cantone (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I live in wallan Victoria. I have my tomatoe seeds. Not sure what month I should put the seeds in the ground outside Can I put them in a polystyrene container first and cover them with a glass lid till their germinate. If so what month should I start this
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14 Apr 17, Brian (Australia - temperate climate)
Carmen I'm a bit north/east of you. I wait till the last week of August usually and mine do well. Tomatoes are prone to damage by frost and severe cold. planting in August/September is best, You still may need to protect them with a cover (clear plastic is what I use) overnight until the last of the frosts.
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14 Apr 17, Giovanni (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Despite the plants you see in the nurseries and shops from August, tomatoes will not do well until late October and into November. The sunny Spring days are enjoyable but the soil needs to warm up to about 15-17 degrees before tomatoes will do well. You could start seedlings off inside in late August using the cells of egg cartons or as you suggest, in a polystyrene container with a piece of glass over it. The edge cutouts on the container will provide ventilation. Ensure the seedlings don't 'cook' through the glass by covering with a piece of old net curtain or a leafy small branch on a bright day.
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10 Apr 17, Desmond thomas thomas Curnow (Australia - temperate climate)
Why as soon as you start to pick or before the plants get mottled leaves and die .getting few or no tomatoes
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11 Apr 17, gaz (Australia - temperate climate)
You maybe need a bit of the insect repellent,or Derris dust but that will kill everything,the thing I cant remember is puperon or somthing,it is a good insecticide,but wait a day or 2 before eating any produce,,.
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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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