Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S                  
      T T T            
      P P              

(Best months for growing Tomato in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • 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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01 Mar 14, Stephen Matthews (Australia - temperate climate)
I have been told that some varieties of tomatoes can be grown successfully in winter. Has anyone done so? What varieties can be used and what special provisions...e.g. frost protection?
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27 Sep 14, Elizabeth (Australia - temperate climate)
Cherry tomatoes are possible to grow in low frost areas during the colder months providing they have a nicely sunny position. Water in the mornings to prevent drenched soil at night. Start them off in seed trays under glass or in warm area .Ensuring the soil is rich in organic matter will heat the soil slightly as it continues to compost. I find that cherry tomatoes can tolerate the early spring including very late winter and late Autumn as they are small and do not need as much sun to ripen. Although I have not grown tomatoes in the middle of winter the local community always has them growing. Did you end up growing them and how did you go? Happy gardening - Elizabeth
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02 Mar 14, Paul (Australia - arid climate)
I grow tomatoes year round in wire cages with shade cloth around them to protect from too much sun in summer and frost in autumn and winter. Not found one type to be useless but the best are San Marzarno, Apollo, Roma and any of the cherries. Be careful of overwatering and fungal disease in areas other than arid zones. I make sure the cage is large enough for the plant to have good air circulation and room for the flowers to form fruit, no less than 1.5m long ring lock joined to form a circle. Chooks scratch around the outside and keep earwigs etc away.
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25 Jan 16, Kate (Australia - arid climate)
Paul do you grow from seed and what months do you plant? My family suggested I should always have the summer bearing crop in before the end of August and now I'm trying to establish when is best times for other season crops so I can try and produce for as much of the year as possible.
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25 Feb 14, Issam (Australia - temperate climate)
Can i plant cucumber and tomato next to each other
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15 Feb 14, sad tomatoes (Australia - temperate climate)
I know its the end of tomato season but even during the peek of summer, the tomato plants produced minimal crops. My garden is above ground and packed with manure, vegie mix soil, compost and pea straw. I feed them fish emulsion regularly but still not a lot of tomatoes. They are positioned in full sun near zucchini and basil plants except one plants which is located near cucumber and capsicum plants. What did I do wrong?
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06 Mar 15, (Australia - temperate climate)
Fish emulsion is good for root development but not good for leaf and flower/fruit. I use compost, dynamic lifter and powerfeed liquid fertiliser. I use seasol when transplanting seedlings to help prevent root shock. Occasionally use Seasol after that but not much
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01 Dec 14, Bill (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Tomatoes don't like to be planted near cucumber and capsicum plants. It is also recommended not to plant tomatoes in the same patch as cucumber and capsicum plants for a few years afterward. I am hazarding a guess to say that this maybe a cause to your problem.
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04 Apr 14, Derbyiter (Australia - temperate climate)
What I have found is the plants are getting to much nitrogen in the soil mix... Therefore :- look at burning some green material( once it drys out with paper etc) or buy a bottle of POTASH, and mix into water, and give regular feeds of it. This counters the non- flowering stage, and kick starts ya fruiting cycle on your plants ! I had the same problems years ago, and a old bloke passed this trick onto me. I now use potash to self induce my passion fruit vines, with the best results ever seen and recorded for the fruiting vines around us here.... # my own dad swore by the use of potato e manure on his! but I never found it doing much for my plants! until meeting another old hand from the market days of yesteryear. Hope it helps ya..
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14 Mar 14, Denise (Australia - temperate climate)
Sadly I can't offer help, but I have had the same problem. Above ground, mulched garden bed, seasol & water regularly. Plants receive lots of sun & are planted with capsicum, with lime & lemon plants nearby.
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Further to my posts below. I have found this which I believe is the problem with my bunchy curly leaves on cherry tomatoes. It is called -Tomato yellow leaf curl virus. TYLCV. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Qld In March 2006, tomato leaf curl disease was found in cherry tomato crops in the south and west periphery of Brisbane. The disease has been found in many crops, with infection levels ranging from 5 to 100 per cent of plants. Losses in severely affected crops have been very high and the disease is a major threat to tomato production. In April 2006, infected plants were also found around Bundaberg. By June 2007, the virus was present in the Lockyer Valley, Fassifern Valley, Esk, Caboolture and Redlands areas. Since 2009 it has become a serious production constraint around Bundaberg. In February 2011, it was found in backyard tomato plants in Mareeba on the Atherton Tablelands. Tomato leaf curl disease is caused by viruses in the Geminivirus family of plant viruses, and is spread by whiteflies. The virus causing this disease is tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). This virus is distinct from tomato leaf curl Australia virus (TLCV), which occurs in the Northern Territory and at several locations on Cape York Peninsula. Silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Biotype B) was first recorded in Australia in 1994, it is now a widespread pest in Queensland and Western Australia and could become a major pest in most irrigated agricultural areas of Australia. Silverleaf whitefly (SLW) is also known as poinsettia or sweetpotato whitefly and in USA literature it is now referred to as Bemisia argentifolii. SLW has a wide host range (over 500 species) of crops and weeds, and is difficult to control as it has developed resistance to conventional insecticides. Biotype Q was discovered recently in Queensland. There is also an Australian native species. These three biotypes are indistinquishable in the field.

- Mike

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