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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06 Jan 16, Prometheus (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Peter, The conventional wisdom is that yellow tomatoes are lower in acid, or even almost acid free in some cases. So I would probably stick with the best yellow varieties you could find. There is a yellow variety of Roma tomato available that is apparently quite good, though I personally have never grown them. Lemon currant and Jubilee yellow are worth trying. There is also an excellent seed provider on ebay who I have used before for rare chilli seeds - Rahi seed bank. He only packets them in small quantities but if you contact him he may be able to arrange more bulk offerings. I mention him because I just saw that he is selling on ebay a variety called 'Italian Ice' which claims to be 'acid free.' Hope that helps, and wishing you all the best.
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02 Jan 16, Chris (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Yes, break off the piece of tomato in join of leaf and stem, and put in a glass of water. This will grow roots, plant in a pot or garden.Keep moist. In Winter if you need warmth protect with plastic over top but not completely covered. Certain tomatoes do better in winter so check varieties that grow in cooler climates. Cherry tomatoes do well all year in sub tropical. Always have new ones growing, and feed well. Planting fish heads and bits under tomatoes, well down, does wonders. Good luck.
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01 Jan 16, Kim Evans (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Can you grow tomatoes all year round if so could you please tell me how
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01 Jan 16, Derek Bennett (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
We are in S. Mozambique and would like to plant tomatoes yrear round. Please, advise best varities for this purpose, and, plants should be eelworm resistant.
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02 Jan 16, RayS (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My son lives in a similar climate. He grows currant tomatoes (Solanum pimpinellifolium) as these seem to be the only ones that produce most of the year. He sows often enough that he has plants developing all year. He doesn't get much in the height of the summer (wet season). Hope this helps.
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31 Dec 15, Del Ramos (USA - Zone 13a climate)
Will Bush Beefsteak Tomato grow in my zone? Any growing recomendations?
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24 Dec 15, peter haggarty (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
interested in variaties of acid free tomatoes for inland southeast qld area , please if anyone has any recommendations ??
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29 Dec 15, Tony (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
seeds australia online mention a miniature red pear tomato and a miniature yellow pear that they say are acid free
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15 Dec 15, Cobie (Australia - temperate climate)
I have a tall yellow tomato bush with heaps of large beautiful looking tomatoes. Picked our first yellow tomato last week and the taste was good, but the the flesh was Rather mushy. My question is, did I pick it too late and need to pick it earlier or are the yellow Tomatoes mushy? I can pick them when green and make a chutney, but that's a shame.
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07 Dec 15, Prometheus (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I am just wondering if anyone has any tips about varieties of tomatoes that are not troubled by birds. In my area of residence there is an abundance of both native birds and introduced species such as Starlings. They have already devastated my yellow raspberry plant, which was not netted - I was testing out the common gardening myth that birds are attracted to red fruits rather than yellows. I have often heard that yellow tomatoes are less attractive for them, but I wonder if anyone can confirm whether this is true from their personal experience.
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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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