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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05 Oct 14, Kika (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
I have a few tomato plants, they seem to flower a lot but no fruit comes from the flowers. What am I doing wrong? Too much/little water?
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22 Sep 14, clive sea lake (Australia - arid climate)
Justin Bendigo, planted out my( seed grown ) tomatoes last week . when I consider frosts are waning .I harvest the seed from the best looking fruit put them down in punnets about July then transplant up into pots .this years plants were about 30/40 cm high I always plant them deep about the 2nd leaf (remove bottom leaves)
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21 Sep 14, justin (Australia - temperate climate)
hi I live in Bendigo Victoria when is the best time to plant tomatos? thanks.
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22 Aug 14, allen lee (Australia - temperate climate)
Tried the new tomato seed Black cherry found it a prolific fruit bearer with very tasty fruit was away a month and these tomatoes when I returned few had ripened and were very sweet they weren't watered and relied on nature for water.great tomato.
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18 Aug 14, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Can I grow tomatoes directly into soil in late August in South Victoria, a temperate climate
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09 Aug 14, Deb (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I'm looking at growing tomatoes in containers - not got a lot of space on my balcony & I have so many veggie plants already. What would be the best small plant which is delicious. I've had trouble in the past, it6's a bit hit & miss?
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26 Jul 14, Deepak Bhatia (New Zealand - temperate climate)
How much sunlight does the tomatoe plant need Thanks
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30 Mar 16, Mike (New Zealand - temperate climate)
For best results, 6 - 8 hrs of direct sunlight per day. Calculate every hour before midday as being only a 1/2 hr. For instance, if your plants are sheltered from the morning sun until 10:00am, calculate that as only 1 hr, therefore you require another 5 - 7 hours of afternoon sun.
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21 Jul 14, Hester (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
I live in the Klein Karoo, winter everythig dies with frost and in the summer the birds eats everything the sun don't scorge. I want to put up a hot house. Which variety is best for growing in a hothouse?
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21 Sep 19, Dave Ridley (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
Hothouse is good for winter, summer time I recommend shade netting house constructed with cheap treated wooden poles and at least 40% shade netting to keep sun off a bit and birds out. Grow your own choice of tomatoe variety and any other summer vegetable you wish. PS. Make the structure tall enough to stand up in or you’ll get a pain in the back crouching over.
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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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