Tips for choosing and growing tomato varieties during winter | Gardening 101 | Gardening Australia

Jerry shows you how to get a heavenly harvest of winter tomatoes in the subtropics. Subscribe 🔔 http://ab.co/GA-subscribe
Jerry believes a home-grown tomatoes are one of the best reasons to take up gardening, and he’s keen to share his tips for getting the best crops in the sub tropics.

He’s at Old Bishopsbourne in Milton, where a local community garden on the tennis court grows a wide range of tomato varieties.

Timing is Everything:
Fungal and pest attacks are worst in summer so it’s best to grow them in winter.

Choose Your Varieties Wisely:
Pests and fruit fly home in on large-fruited varieties, while cherry tomatoes don’t seem to get as badly attacked.

There are two types of tomatoes – determinate and indeterminate:

Determinate varieties have one central growth point and tend to all fruit at one time, so are favoured by commercial growers.

Indeterminate varieties (including cherry tomatoes) have multiple branches and fruit over a longer period of time.

Tomatoes prefer neutral soil and not too much nitrogen. Jerry adds some compost and half a handful of dolomite per square meter to avoid calcium deficiency, which can cause blossom-end rot. Water it in and wait a fortnight before planting.

Spacing is important to avoid fungal diseases. Small varieties such as ‘Stupice’ can be planted 60cm apart but larger cultivars such as ‘Sweet Bite’ prefer spacing of about 1 metre. Allow a metre between rows.

Plant seedlings a bit deeper than they were in pots to encourage secondary roots up the stem. Mound up the soil to ensure good drainage in heavy rain.

Water in with some potash after planting and apply again two or three weeks later, and then again when the plants start flowering.

Avoid watering the plants’ leaves, as this can lead to fungal diseases.

Don’t mulch – allowing the soil to become a bit dry between waterings will discourage diseases.

Small varieties can be grown in a 30cm pot – place the pot on a saucer so you can water from below. Consistent watering will avoid fruit split.

To protect plants from cold spells, cover them with old net curtains or other protection.

Canker and other diseases may well creep in as the season progresses but if cared for well enough the plants will continue to produce fruit.

Filmed on Turrbal & Yuggera Country | Milton, Qld
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