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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08 Apr 15, naymi (Australia - temperate climate)
I live in Sydney and currently have a thriving tomato plant still producing tomatoes. With the temperatures dropping, I want to know what to do with the plant. Do I just let it slowly die? Will it actually die in winter temps in Sydney? (not sure if we get actual 'frost') Thanks :)
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10 Apr 15, Mikaela (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Naymi, If your plants still have little green tomatoes, you can dig up the whole plant (including the root) and hang it upside down in a dry covered area. Some (not all, unfortunately) of the green tomatoes will still ripen over a few weeks. Here's a vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtN9Ud17tjM (watch out for rot as the rains have picked up.) Also, tomatoes deplete nitrogen, so I like to plant a pea/bean over winter to recharge the soil. I just plop a bean seed in when I dig up my tomato plant. In contrast, let the nitro-fixer stay in place and till the dying plant into the soil so it can get all the benefits as it composts in place.
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29 Mar 15, Neil (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, I have established my first veggie garden and have just won the war with caterpillars attacking my tomatoe plants by spaying them with tablespoon molasses and a teaspoon of dish liquid mixed with a litre of water and spayed on. However I am writing to ask about whether tomatoes need to planted fresh each year or can a tomatoes bush flower and fruit year after year. Any thoughts would be very appreciated. Many thanks.
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30 Mar 15, tomato expert qld (Australia - tropical climate)
tomato bushes will produce for approx 3 to 4 months.save your seeds for replants.
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23 Mar 15, Edie (USA - Zone 7b climate)
What is the best tomato plant and also bush tomato plant for my Zone 7b?
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16 Feb 16, Carrie B. (USA - Zone 7b climate)
There is a seed supplier specializing in heirloom in our zone. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Even if you don't buy seed the website and catalog are great resources.
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17 Mar 15, wozza (Australia - tropical climate)
I live near Cairns and my Tomatoes have lots flowers n no fruit .I even got my self a bee hive so I have bees .BUT STILL no fruit .Lots flowers but no Fruit .Is it still to hot ?????.Temp around 32 too 34 through the day n lots Humitity.Cheers
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30 Mar 15, tomato expert qld (Australia - tropical climate)
European bees (if thats what you have in your hive) wont visit tomato flowers.the only bes i know that do are the blue banded native bees which are approx the same size as euro bees.blue banded bees are solitary bees.also a few native stingless bees will visit tomato flower but they are fussy and will only visit high pollen producing tomatoes plant strains. again,tomato plants are self pollinators and dont require bees etc for the pollination of flowers..
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27 Mar 15, tomato expert qld (Australia - tropical climate)
bees are not needed for pollination as tomatoes are self pollinating.your problem is the temps are too high.wait till the end of April as i do every year and you will have fruits in no time.im in cairns.
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21 Mar 15, Richard (Australia - temperate climate)
Tomatoes will not set on their own in hot weather. Try buzzing the flowers with an old electric toothbrush in the morning to get the pollen onto the stamens
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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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