Tomatoes are an excellent addition to any garden. With ample cooking uses tomatoes can bring any dish to life with their rich and bold flavour. So how do you grow tomatoes at home?
Climate
The beauty of living in this wonderful part of the world certainly has its advantages. Did you know that you can grow tomatoes any time of the year here in Queensland, but that isn’t the case in many other Australian states. Tomatoes require warmer temperatures to thrive, so even during winter, our climate is still ideal, where southern states will need to wait till spring and summer.
Where to plant
When choosing an ideal location to plant your tomatoes you need to consider that tomatoes love sunlight and will require a minimum of 4 hours of direct, daily. Having said this, once the temperatures begin to soar in summer, they will require protection, we suggest using shade cloth, that way the light can still penetrate without your tomatoes feeling the harsh bite of a summer sunburn.
Avoid frosty areas and locations with a lot of wind flow.
Soil preparation
Tomatoes are heavy-feeding plants. To produce high yields of delicious fruit they need a lot of nutrients to draw from and be in well-draining soil. That is why soil preparation will be the key to your success.
Make sure you dig through plenty of high-quality compost into your veggie patch. We recommend using Searles Premium Compost Mix and Rocky Point ActivGrow Soil Improver. Or if you are planting into pots, you can use a regular premium potting mix or a speciality mix such as Searles Herb & Vegetable.
These are all available in-store and will help you give your tomatoes their best start to life.
Climbing support
One thing you will learn quickly about tomatoes is their need for support, whether that is a frame, stake, teepee, or trellis is up to you, but without one you will find that your tomatoes will quickly spread and risk suffocating the surrounding plants.
Planting
When you are ready to plant your tomatoes, make sure you plant them slightly deeper than how they arrived in the seedling pots. This will encourage extra root growth, higher up the stem.
Use a liquid seaweed tonic, such as Seasol and wait at least 2 weeks before fertilising, to give your seedlings time to adjust. Use a fertiliser high in potassium to encourage fruit growth. Not high in nitrogen, as that will stimulate leaf growth and minimal fruiting.
Varieties
Tomatoes come in an enormous range of sizes, colours, flavours and growing patterns. Come in today and check with our friendly team, to see what kind suits your needs. Maybe you fancy the sweetness of cherry tomatoes. The earthy freshness of truss. The richness of Roma, is perfect for your pastes, and sauces. The Big Beef is known to have more flesh and less pulp. Grosse Lisse has a high yield over a longer period. And Apollo Improved is the best for disease resistance.
Larger varieties of tomatoes take between 10-14 weeks to mature and be ready to eat. Small varieties take between 11-13 weeks.
Water
When it comes to watering make sure your soil stays moist. Avoid wetting the leaves if possible because that can lead to fungal issues.
Pests and diseases
Keep an eye out for caterpillars and aphids as they may choose your tomato plants as their next feast, combat them with an eco-friendly pest oil or better yet co-plant them with deterrent herbs such as basil, oregano, parsley, chives, and mint.
Pro tip – Co-plant basil with your tomatoes to enrich their overall flavour.
Tomatoes are a great addition to any home garden and are so rewarding to grow. If you’ve been thinking about growing your own, this is your sign, to come in-store and grab your favourites today.
Happy Gardening!