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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03 Feb 11, Sam (Australia - temperate climate)
I had the same issue issue last year and a friend suggested hanging yellow and red christmas baubles on the vines before it starts fruiting. Birds will go for these first without success and, hopefully, leave your ripening tomatos alone. That's my plan for this year, anyway.
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04 Feb 11, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I'll try that on my plum trees next year!
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14 Jan 11, kate (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I am no expert, but I read somewhere that you can put banana skin under the mulch or in the soil and the potassium helps with flower production. I tried this and also made a tea of banana skins which I apply (diluted) weekly. It seems to work! There are lots of flowers and fruit even though we have had a very slow start to summer here.
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08 Jan 11, Lou (Australia - temperate climate)
Someone told me they know of a tomato plant that's been growing fruit for 10 years.......
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08 Jan 11, dino (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi my tomatoes are growing OK , but are not showing any sign on flowers, I have had them in for weeks now.
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06 Jan 11, (Australia - temperate climate)
Mine are the same! I grow Sweet Bites and Tomatoberries in large pots, but they end up dying from the bottom up with leaves on the new growth. My soil is rich and I regularly use worm castings/juice and potash-rich fertilizer. Kellie, Sydney
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04 Jan 11, (Australia - temperate climate)
My tomato plants always die from the bottom up. The leaves yellow then brown then drop off. Plants develop well, and I keep it in check by removing diseased leaves, but by the time tomatoes are ripening the plant starts to die. If I don't pull the plant while mist fruit are green the fruit go bad. Does anyone know what thus is? How can I stop it? Sarah, Perth, temperate
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05 Jan 11, Adrian Castellari (Australia - temperate climate)
Hello Sarah. I'm no expert, but, how is your soil. If it is nice and rich, you shouldn't have any problems. Maybe you need to replace the soil, then build it up with compost etc. My plants were like that, so I replaced everything for this growing season. My 16 tomato plants are now well over 6ft. tall and 'loaded'.
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30 Dec 10, Mick and Paula (Australia - temperate climate)
I have tomatoes at 1.5 metres and the fruit is large on all plants. The problem is the plants look like they are starting to die off before the fruit ripens. We have chook so i have placed the waste on the ground around the plants ( the waste is a week old before it goes on). Suggestions please.
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01 Dec 10, Colleen (Australia - temperate climate)
we've had so much rain, the soil in places is boggy but my tomatoes are in a new slightly raised bed. I've noticed blossom end rot on many of the plants. I guess the calcium has been leached out of the soil with all this rain, should I add some lime?
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Showing 651 - 660 of 819 comments
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More information is needed: for example amount of water... soil conditions. The MOST GENERIC, and probably most correct answer is LACK OF NUTRIENTS. Most people plant their plants (tomato) adding lots of compost and/or manure at the time of planting. The plant grows using the nutrients (some are washed away... maybe trees manage to confiscate some nutrients); but as the soil nutrition drops, the plant, still wanting to grow, starts to take nutrition from its lower leaves so it can grow leaves higher up. That is, it is deciding how to best used it's own self to maximize it chances of success; since it can't source the needed nutrition from the soil What you need to do is: ADD manure or compost or anything else you may have to put nutrition back into the soil. I rinse my coffee pot in the garden, I also try to drain things (like the water from soaking dried beans) into the garden. Manure/compost/nutrition (in any form) needs to be added at planting, middle of the season, and close to the end of the season to give that LAST burst of energy to bring the fruit/vegetables into full form. Don't feel like you need to spend a lot of money; get creative; in Canada we can stop by our local coffee shops and pick up the days used grinds for use in our gardens (free); you can add micro nutrients to your garden by filling a pail with water and adding a layer of rocks (rocks are minerals) stir and use this to water your plants. Left over tea bags, left over coffee grinds, stuff that you might rinse down the sink (food juices), blood from meat when you wash it before cooking it ..... anything like that all puts nutrition back in the soil.

- Celeste Archer

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