Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	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

There is nothing like the taste of a freshly picked tomato, warm from the sunshine. In the smallest of gardens or even an apartment with a window-box, it is worth growing at least one tomato plant for the pleasure it will give you. They will grow in pots, troughs or even hanging baskets.

Tomatoes should be grown in shelter or under cover in cool climates.

Tomatoes like lots of food! In a garden bed, compost and mulching will produce a crop from one or two plants. In containers, use some suitable long term fertiliser pellets or feed regularly when you water. Feeding improves the flavour of the fruit.

When you plant out, put the seedlings in a deep holes, up to the top set of leaves. The covered stems will put out extra roots and you will have a stronger, healthier plant.

There are many different varieties of tomatoes but they all have one of two growth habits.

Determinate:

Compact bush growth, stops at a specific height and useful for containers. If left without supporting stakes, they will form a dense carpet which excludes weeds and keeps the soil cool and damp.

Indeterminate:###

Will continue growing a main stem, or vine until stopped by frost. The majority of heirloom tomatoes are indeterminate.

Both types need stakes to give them some support otherwise they will sprawl across the garden.

Varieties include Acid-free, Bush, Tall, Cherry, Yellow and many others.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Tomato

Use in sauces, with fried meals, in sandwiches. Can be frozen whole or in pieces.

Your comments and tips

18 Sep 23, Tania from Hyde (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate): I sow mine in late Sept in trays which i then put in the bottom of a large Sistema container with lid...I pop this out in the sun during day...moving lid around for heat and close it at night...if really cold pop in shed with a blanket....or do the same in the tunnel house....it double walls/protects...you can always throw a rug over the sistema for extra....in the morning undo the sistena and before long you have healthy plants. When planting out, i use cardboard boxes to cover at night, as less condensation and if really cold night.....pop that big Sistema over the cardboard box...really helps with protection. Had great sucess over the last few years. Also put sheep dags over the soil in the winter and dig them in before planting out...great microbiome and nitrogen for soil.
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20 Feb 22, Debbie (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate): Hi I live in Central Otago and have a variety ot tomato plants that have flowers but no fruit. Am I wasting my time, will they produce fruit & ripen?
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31 Mar 22, Wendy (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate): I find the shorter growing tomatoes like early girl do much better - anything longer than 8 weeks seems to only just have fruit at the end of the season and then no time to ripen
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22 Feb 22, Anonymous (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate): It says plant spring/summer, give them time to grow.
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29 Jan 22, Ash (New Zealand - temperate climate): I sow tomatoes in Nov. the tomatoes are still green. Should I leave them on the vine and let them ripen indoors?
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31 Jan 22, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Just let them ripen - it takes awhile.
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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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02 Aug 20, Bruce (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate): Will a plastic grow tent protect seedlings from frost
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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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GardenGrow

Keep your garden growing - see what to plant right now

Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Determinate:

Indeterminate:###

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Tomato

Your comments and tips

GardenGrow

Keep your garden growing - see what to plant right now

Growing Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Determinate:

Indeterminate:###

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Tomato

Your comments and tips

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