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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13 Aug 21, Martha (USA - Zone 9b climate)
Hi Lonnie, Tomatoes really don't set fruit above 85 degrees or so. If you keep it going though it should start to produce for you this fall.
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19 Jul 21, Jan Shearer-Paulson (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Can you please recommend a tomato variety which will grow, in-spite of cool nights (WANAKA)
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18 Aug 21, Philip Wills (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Maybe Baxter's Early or Russian Red
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21 Jul 21, (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Are you cool mountain or temperate. That will determine your planting time. Plant whatever variety you like.
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16 Jun 21, (USA - Zone 9b climate)
Can you recommend some determined tomato that can be grown in zone 9. Thanks.
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28 May 21, Josef (USA - Zone 9b climate)
Hello, i read that i can plant tomatoes until the end of mai but most people say that i need to transplant my tomatoes until march. I bought 8 tomatoe plants (1 determined, 3 cherry tomatoes, 4 beefstake or normal sized tomatoes) will the produce any tomatoes? And if not should i try to keep them alive for the fall season (by putting them in the shade or my garage or inside my home)?
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01 Jun 21, Anthony (USA - Zone 9a climate)
Josef, Tomatoes in 9a or 9b can almost be grown every month, but tomatoes die if there is a frost, and stop growing/producing if the temperature is above 95F. Since this the beginning of summer, it is not advisable to plant tomatoes until after the heat of summer. If you have young tomatoes planted try and shade them, or keep them healthy so they can resume growing after the summer heat has passed.
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06 Mar 21, Abby (USA - Zone 10a climate)
My tomato plants are ready to go into raised bed. But the temperature drops to mid 40s at night. Is it okay to plant them out yet. Thanks
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09 Mar 21, Anonymous (USA - Zone 10b climate)
Tomato plants can handle night temps in the mid 40s but you should harden them off a bit if they're used to a hothouse. If you want to baby them so they'll grow a bit faster, consider covering them at night with horticultural fleece, though you shouldn't actually *need* to unless frost threatens or the night is forecast to be very windy.
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08 Mar 21, (USA - Zone 4b climate)
I would wait until it warms up more - more like in the 50's
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Showing 81 - 90 of 799 comments
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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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