What tomatoes should i plant

This year, I will be planting similar varieties to yours like Black Krim, Brandywine Pink and also Cherokee if they have it in stock. I plan on starting them in late Winter with afternoon shade protection, as they prefer cooler conditions. On another note, after having planting multiple cherry varieties, I can confirm the Tommy Toe is a jack of all trades and very reliable, all though I actually found the Camp Joy Tomato my favourite because of its sweeter flavour profile.

I would just like to confirm that later that year I went on with my trials. This is what I experienced for Melbourne weather that is not far from the coastal regions. All of these are heirlooms. The context is full sun, with ample amounts of water applied. All plants had rotted cow manure, fish meal, and pot ash applied around the same rate. Tommy Toe. It is indeed the most versatile tomato and, for a cherry variety, they are on the bigger size.

If I had to grow only one variety of tomato, it would probably be this one. The plant has high disease resistance, massive cherry fruit and very good yields. It has yet to fail me. Number 1. Camp Joy. If you prefer a sweet tasting cherry tomato that is slightly behind the Tommy Toe in production and disease resistance, than this is a nice alternative cherry tomato.

Its sweeter taste profile makes it worth growing over the Tommy Toe, which is more on the acidic type tangy profile.

Better taste, but falls in the other categories which puts it at number 2. Grosse Lisse. Very solid producing tomato. The flavour is not as good as the cherries I just mentioned but the size makes up for that and the yields are very good.

It has more juice than I would like. It did not seem to make a large plant and there was not much pruning to be done which was out of place compared to my other tomato plants. The yields are too good to not recommend this one. Comes in at number 3.

Black Krim, I was very surprised with this variety. Even grown in full Australian high UV index sun, it was able to produce a decent amount of medium sized fruit. It ripened the quickest in comparison to other beefsteak varieties, even the Grosse Lisse. Once the tomatoes ripened, I took them in for a taste test and thought they were decent, but nowhere near as good as the beefsteak I will mention next. They are a smoky type flavour and I believe all of the purple varieties are similar.

I would recommend this plant if you are interested in these darker smoky red purple type tomatoes. Number 4. Great paired with Grosse Lisse as a main beefsteak. PS: I grew this one in a test with the Cherokee Purple, which is a similar variety. The Cherokee Purple was the only tomato that did not want to grow in my soil. I tried 3 times. The first one got destroyed at the root level by ants, so I planted it deeper, and the second one did just not grow at all I think.

Beefsteak, that is the name of the variety. Very similar results to last year; produces a vigorous plant but the flowers seem to fall off a lot in full sun. While the yields and success rate are on the lower side, it is a classic and earthy tasting beefsteak that has exceptional flavour.

Its my favourite tasting beefsteak, but the success rate is poor. Lastly, I have Pink Brandywine growing which was started later and is planted right near my fence. So far, I can see the fruit just coming in but it does not look the best as I can see a lot of brown spots on such young fruit.

I will keep you updated at the very of the season if it comes through. I agree that basil suffers a bit from shading if grown next to tomatoes. Use perennial stakes rather than wooden ones which rot out in a couple of years. Many of my pipes were from roadside collections and I have not had to retire any yet — I expect they will outlast me.

Forget about doomsayers who tell you that using pipe will burn the plant because the pipe will get hot. Very little of the plant is in contact with the metal, much of the metal is shaded by the plant, and any effect is so small it can be ignored.

For cheap, gentle ties, I use torn-up strips of old cotton bed sheets. One sheet would be more than enough for most home gardeners for a season. At the end of the season, the weathered cotton can be dug back into the soil where it will rot and be gone before next spring. You can recycle your old pure cotton sheets or buy then very cheaply from secondhand stores e.

While old pantyhose works well, who has enough old pantyhose for a whole patch of tomato plants? The remaining fruit will then get to a better size and has a better chance of ripening before the cool weather sets in. Watch for any diseased plants and pull them out as soon as you suspect they are sick. They will not produce a useful amount of fruit, or the fruit will be diseased, and the disease may spread to your good plants.

A handful of blood and bone in the hole at planting time is probably all they need. After the plant is established you can heap up soil around the stem and the plant will send out additional roots above the original soil level.

For a shallow soil most of Eltham , this will give the plant more effective soil volume to draw nutrients from. Your Comment. Name required. E-mail required. Growing techniques How to plant seeds in punnets Mulch Organic versus non-organic fertiliser Seaweed tonic or liquid nitrogen fertilisers?

Shade cloth The art of watering Why weed? Hello Fresh — is it a sustainable food option? Add comments. Tomato plant spacing At the start of this warm season, my wife and I set up two identical raised beds for growing tomatoes. Michael Dunn says:.

August 6, at Anthony Butler says:. August 17, at Guy Palmer says:. Paul says:. August 20, at August 21, at Annie Lennox says:. August 22, at Beck says:. July 9, at Days are short during winter, so even placing them near a sunny window may not provide them with sufficient natural light. Unless you are growing them in a greenhouse, your best option is to use some type of artificial plant lighting for 14 to 18 hours every day. To ensure the tomato plants grow stocky, not spindly, keep the young plants only a couple of inches from fluorescent grow lights.

You will need to raise the lights or lower the plants as the seedlings grow. When you're ready to plant them outside, choose the sunniest part of your vegetable garden as their location.

Tomato plants need to move and sway in the breeze to develop strong stems. That happens naturally outdoors, but if you start your seedlings inside , you need to provide some type of air circulation. Create a breeze by turning a fan on them for five to 10 minutes, twice a day. That small amount of time will make a big difference.

Another option is to ruffle the tomato plants by gently rubbing your hand back and forth across their tops for a few minutes, several times a day.

It's a bit more effort, but their wonderful tomato scent will rub off on you as a bonus. Tomatoes love heat. They won't really start to grow until both the soil and air temperatures remain warm. You can speed things up in the soil by covering the planting area with black or red plastic a couple of weeks before you intend to plant.

Those extra degrees of soil warmth will translate into earlier tomatoes. You can lift the plastic before you plant, but some research contends that red plastic mulch has the added benefit of increasing your tomato yield.

Plant your tomato plants deeper than they come in the pot, all the way up to the top few leaves. When planted this way, tomatoes are able to develop roots all along their stems. And more roots make for a stronger plant. You can either dig a deep hole or simply dig a shallow trench and lay the plant sideways.

It will quickly straighten itself up and grow toward the sun. Just be careful not to drive your tomato stake or cage into the buried stem. If you are not going to leave plastic on the soil, hold off on putting down mulch until after the ground has had a chance to warm up. Although mulching conserves water and prevents the soil and soilborne diseases from splashing up on the plants, if you put it down too early, it will also shade and cool the soil.

Because tomatoes love heat, allow the sun to warm the soil in the spring. After temperatures remain warm, both during the day and at night, you can add a layer of mulch to retain moisture.

After your tomato plants reach about 3 feet tall, remove the leaves from the bottom foot of the stem. These are the oldest leaves, and they are usually the first leaves to develop fungus problems.

As the plants fill out, the bottom leaves get the least amount of sun and airflow. Because these leaves sit close to the ground, soilborne pathogens can easily splash up onto them. Removing them helps prevent fungal diseases from taking hold.

See instructions on how to build stakes, cages, and tomato supports. When you transplant tomatoes, add a handful of organic tomato fertilizer or bone meal a good source of phosphorus to the planting hole.

Do NOT apply high nitrogen fertilizers such as those recommended for lawns, as this will promote luxurious foliage but can delay flowering and fruiting. When planting seedlings, pinch off a few of the lower leaves. Here are two ways to set seedlings in the soil: Place each root ball deep enough such that the bottom leaves are just above the surface of the soil.

Plant seedlings 2 to 3 feet apart. Alternatively, lay long, leggy transplants on their sides in trenches 3 to 4 inches deep. Bury the stems up to the first set of true leaves. Roots will develop along the buried stem. If you plant this way, consider setting four tomato plants in compass-point positions north, south, east, west. This formation enables you to fertilize and water the plants in the middle.

Remember to allow enough space for the plants to spread out. Water well to reduce shock to the roots. Growing Tomatoes in Containers Use a large pot or container at least 20 inches in diameter with drainage holes in the bottom. Use loose, well-draining soil e. A tray of some sort should be placed under the pot to catch any excess water that drains out the bottom.

Choose bush or dwarf varieties; many cherry tomatoes grow well in pots. Taller varieties may need to be staked. Plant one tomato plant per pot and give each at least 6 hours of sun per day. Keep soil moist. Containers will dry out more quickly than garden soil, so check daily and provide extra water during heat waves. Tomato Plant Care Watering Water in the early morning so that plants have sufficient moisture to make it through a hot day. Water generously the first few days that the tomato seedlings or transplants are in the ground.

Then water with about 2 inches about 1. Deep watering encourages a strong root system. Avoid overhead watering and afternoon watering. Mulch 5 weeks after transplanting to retain moisture, keep soil from splashing the lower leaves, and control weeds.

Apply 2 to 4 inches of organic mulch such as straw, hay, or bark chips. To help tomatoes through periods of drought, find some flat rocks and place one next to each plant. The rocks prevent water from evaporating from the soil. Fertilizing You should have already worked compost into the soil before planting, and added some bonemeal to the planting hole when transplanting.

If you are using an organic granular formula such as Epson Tomato-Tone or , pull mulch back a few inches and scratch 2 to 3 tablespoons fertilizer around the drip line of the plant. Water in, and replace mulch. Continue fertilizing tomatoes about every 3 to 4 weeks until frost.

Note: Avoid fast-release fertilizers and avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers. As stated, too much nitrogen will result in lush foliage but few flowers and little or no fruit. Pruning, pinching, staking If growing vining tomatoes, pinch off suckers new, tiny stems and leaves between branches and the main stem.

This aids air circulation and allows more sunlight into the middle of the plant. Gently tie the stems to stakes with rags, nylon stockings, twine, or soft string. As a plant grows, trim the lower leaves from the bottom 12 inches of the stem. No flowers, no fruit?

Low humidity can also affect pollination; the ideal is 40 to 70 percent. If humidity is low, mist the plant to help pollen to stick. To avoid overpopulation of insect pests, follow these basic tips: Monitor tomato plants daily, checking under leaves, checking fruit, and checking near the soil. To dislodge many pests like aphids, spray plants with with a good jet stream from the hose.

Handpick insects bigger insects like tomato hornworm with gloves on, dropping into a bucket of soapy water. Apply insecticidal soap directly to the insect on the plant; this works for smaller pests such as aphids and spider mites. Apply horticultural oils or sprays diluted in water. If you choose as a last resort to use insecticides like Sevin, keep in mind that you may be killing beneficial insects as well.

Tomato Pests Tomato cutworm early in the season. Indicated by a chewed stem Aphids will cause yellow curling leaves and white sticky residue Flea Beetles cause holes in leaves Tomato Hornworm and tobacco hornworm cause defoliation Whiteflies indicated by sticky white residue.

Leaf miners are indicated by tunnel or zigzag patterns on leaves Corn earworms aka tomato fruitworms , stink bugs, and slugs cause holes in fruit When it comes to tomato diseases and other problems, most of the work is in prevention. Here are some tips to avoid tomato diseases: Plant disease-resistant tomato varieties. Rotate crops at least every three years in the same spot.

Avoid planting Solanaceous family members as well potato, pepper, and eggplant. Ensure well-draining soil. Always mix in compost or organic matter. Water consistently! Do not overwater if you forget nor underwater. Destroy infected plants.

Unfortunately, you often need to remove and discard infected plants or the disease will overwinter. Do NOT put in a compost pile. Solarize the soil. If the problem is really bad, you can treat your soil by covering it with plastic during the hottest part of the summer for 6 to 8 weeks; the sun will destroy the bacteria.

Tomato Diseases and Problems Blossom-End Rot causes the bottom side of the tomato to develop dark, sunken spots, due to a calcium imbalance. See the link for remedies and prevention. Early Blight is a fungal disease that causes leaves to drop. In July, the risks of blight increase, due to the combination of high humidity and warm days and nights. If you catch it early and destroy infected leaves, you plant may survive.

The best defense for outdoor tomatoes is good ventilation and stripping off the lower leaves as the fruits develop helps this, as well as helping the ripening tomatoes have maximum exposure to sun. Late Blight is a fungal disease that causes grey, moldy spots on leaves and fruit which later turn brown.

The disease is spread and supported by persistent damp weather. Fusarium Wilt starts with yellowing and wilting on one side of the plant and moves up the plant as the fungus spreads. Unfortunately, once this disease strikes, the plant needs to be destroyed.

Powdery Mildew is a fungal disease which leaves white spots or a dusting of white on the leaves. It can be managed. See the link to learn more. Cracking: When fruit growth is too rapid, the skin will crack. This usually occurs due to uneven watering or uneven moisture from weather conditions very rainy periods mixed with dry periods. Keep moisture levels constant with consistent watering and mulching. See our article all about Tomato Diseases and Disorders.

How to Harvest Tomatoes Leave tomatoes on the vine as long as possible. Harvest tomatoes when they are firm and very red in color, regardless of size, with perhaps some yellow remaining around the stem. Harvest tomatoes of other colors orange, yellow, purple, or another rainbow shade when they turn the correct color. Place mature, pale green tomatoes stem up, in a paper bag and loosely seal it. Or wrap them in newspaper and place in a cardboard box. Cooler temperatures slow ripening; warmth speeds it.

Check weekly and remove soft, spotted, diseased, or ripe fruit. Never place tomatoes on a sunny windowsill to ripen; they may rot before they are ripe!