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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02 Jan 12, Cathy (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I am growing Grosse Lisse tomatoes, they have fruited well but the fruit is splitting before they are ripe. Does anyone have any ideas as to why this is happening?
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05 Jan 12, Mudhonei (Australia - temperate climate)
Sounds like too much water.
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23 Mar 12, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
generally it is caused by irregular watering or lack of lime
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28 Nov 11, Richard (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have good green growth on my tomatoes, have been fertilising them with seasol, cow dung and a little blood and bone, I have plenty of flowers but am not getting any fruit, the flowers have been out for about 1.5 weeks, how long should it take to see fruit form.
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04 Dec 11, Malcolm in Melton (Australia - temperate climate)
Patience, Richard, especially if you are south of Sydney, incl. Victoria where I am. The recent cooler-than-normal days have caused the plants to "baulk" - they'll only let their babies (the flowers) out to play (to start growing) in regular (and a succession of) temperatures of 20 deg. plus. Let's now about mid-December how they are going then.
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21 Nov 11, BCW (Australia - temperate climate)
Tomato and potato are the same family and carry the same deseases from one crop to the next so plant other vegies in rotation to avoid problems
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19 Nov 11, Pete (Australia - temperate climate)
In my experience the tomatoes grow from the flowers after the flowers are done so don't get rid of them. I just usually punch out some shoots and remove some foliage to help tomatoes. Leave some foliage for protection from the sun.
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15 Nov 11, Lola (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My tomatos started to fruit but now the plant is dying with green tomatos on the dead vines....
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17 Nov 11, dave (Australia - temperate climate)
i would say u may be over watering them , if u dig down in the soil about 4 to 5 inches and squeeze the soil if i stays in a ball soil is ok and dose not need water.
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14 Nov 11, Beth (Australia - temperate climate)
I'm growing Red Truss and Grosse Lisse tomatoes in Adelaide. The truss plants have already flowered on plants 30cm & 40cm high. Should I remove the flowers to let plants grow taller before putting energy into fruiting?
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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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