Tomatoes

Tomatoes fall into two main types: determinate or ‘bush’ tomatoes and indeterminate or vining tomatoes.

Determinate Tomatoes generally grow to about 0.5-0.6 m tall (some over 1 m tall) and produce fruit that mature all around the same time (generally over a 2-3-week period). Once they have finished fruiting, the plant will not continue to produce and will slowly decline in vigour, so it’s best to remove once they’re done. Due to their height, they don’t require staking, but you can prop them up with stakes or a cage made from sturdy chicken wire. This is particularly helpful in windy sites or if the plant is heavily laden with fruit. These are good tomatoes for saucing. Varieties include: San Manzarno, Patio, and Tiny Tim.

Indeterminate Tomatoes can grow anywhere between 1.8–3 m tall. They produce fruit throughout their growing season and finish up in autumn. Although, you may find cherry Tomatoes will continue to produce until it becomes too cold. Popular indeterminate varieties include: Grosse Lisse, Improved Apollo, and Tommy Toe. All indeterminate Tomatoes require stakes or similar for support. You can also use round or triangular Tomato cages for support in both garden beds and containers. Look for them at your local nursery or garden centre.

Tomatoes grow in all climate zones of Australia. In tropical and subtropical climates, they can be grown all year round, but are best in autumn and winter. Growing at other times of the year may result in increased pest and disease control and issues with heat stress. In temperate and cool climates, sow from spring. To get a head start on the season, you can sow seeds indoors in late winter and transplant them into pots or garden beds once the last chance of frost has passed. Wait until seedlings are at least 5 cm tall before transplanting.

Choose a spot in full sun – at least 6-8 hours a day. In areas with particularly hot summers or if a heat wave is expected, it’s a good idea to provide some form of heat protection to help reduce the chance of sunburn and moisture stress. It doesn’t need to be a permanent fixture – a 50% shade cloth secured to star pickets is ideal.

Tomatoes grow best in rich, well-drained soil. Improve the soil with plenty of organic matter, like Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. If growing in pots, choose a pot at least 40 cm wide and deep and fill with Yates Premium Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter.

Feed Tomatoes regularly throughout the growing season with Yates Thrive Tomato Liquid Plant Food. This potassium-rich fertiliser will help promote healthy leaf growth as well as encourage lots of flowers that will turn into delicious, juicy Tomatoes. Alternatively, you can also use Yates Thrive Flower & Fruit Soluble Fertiliser – this product is widely available and will also help boost plant growth and fruit. 

Water regularly throughout the growing season. Add a layer of organic mulch, like sugarcane or pea straw to help retain soil moisture and suppress weeds too.

As indeterminate Tomatoes grow, they produce side shoots or ‘laterals’ that sprout between the joint of the main stem and fruiting branches. Remove these laterals by pinching them off with your thumb and index finger. If these laterals have already developed into thick shoots, use secateurs or a sharp blade to remove.

Pruning these shoots prevents plants from becoming too unruly or congested with stems. It also increases air flow between leaves and stems, reducing the likelihood of diseases like Powdery Mildew.

You’re not the only one who will be feasting on Tomatoes. Caterpillars, Aphids and Whiteflies find Tomatoes irresistible. To help control them in your garden, spray at first sight with Yates Baythroid Advanced Garden Pest Insect Killer Ready to Use Spray. Spray foliage thoroughly, including the undersides. This product works by contact action, so good coverage of insects is essential.

If you live in an area with Fruit Fly you will need to protect your plants against this dreadful pest. Begin applications of Yates Nature’s Way Fruit Fly Control while fruit are still small and before they have changed colour. Otherwise, you will end up with little, cream-coloured ‘worms’ in your fruit. You can try harvesting Tomatoes a bit earlier, when just changing colour, and bring them inside to safely complete ripening. Also try growing cherry sized Tomatoes instead, as these are much less susceptible to Fruit Fly attack.

Tomatoes can also succumb to diseases such as Powdery Mildew, Rust, Early Blight or Target Spot and various Leaf Spot diseases. These can all be treated with Yates Tomato & Vegetable Dust and is best applied as a preventative treatment. Dust seedlings approximately 7 days after transplanting and repeat at 7-10-day intervals. Apply uniformly, ensuring that the upper leaf surfaces of foliage are covered.

Once the season has finished, follow our Post Tomato Plan. Remove plants from pots or garden beds and add to the compost or green waste bin. Prepare for your next crop by refreshing the soil with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser.

When you plant next season’s Tomatoes, ensure you choose a garden bed where Tomatoes have not been previously planted. Certain Tomato diseases are carried in the soil, so it’s a good idea to practice crop rotation and plant in a different spot each year. Avoid planting in the same part of the garden for at least four years.

1. Choose a sunny spot in the garden with well drained soil and enrich with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. Add Yates Hydrangea Pinking Liquid Lime & Dolomite to help sweeten the soil and help prevent Blossom End Rot.
2. Sow seeds, lightly cover with Yates Seed Raising Mix and water well. If growing from seedlings, they can be planted a little deeper, so that the bottom few centimetres of the tomato stems are covered with soil. Water in well. 
3. Tall growing tomatoes will require stakes for support, so it’s best to put these in now to avoid damaging plant roots later.
4. As seedlings emerge and grow, feed weekly with Yates Thrive Tomato Liquid Plant Food. Mulch around the base with organic mulch like sugarcane or pea straw, keeping it away from the main stem.
5. As larger staked tomatoes grow, gently tie the main stems to the stakes with a plant tie or old piece of hosiery.
6. Harvest tomatoes when the fruit is plump and red (or yellow, depending on the variety).

1. If you don’t have room in your garden to grow tomatoes, grow them in pots! Choose smaller varieties, such as Yates Tiny Tim, which is compact enough to grow in a pot.
2. Choose a pot at least 400mm wide and deep and position in full sun. Fill with quality potting mix, such as Yates Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter. 
3. Sow seeds, lightly cover with Yates Seed Raising Mix and water well. If growing from seedlings, they can be planted a little deeper, so that the bottom few centimetres of the tomato stems are covered with soil. Water in well.
4. Tall growing tomatoes will require stakes for support, so it’s best to put these in now to avoid damaging plant roots later.
5. Potted plants dry out quicker than in-ground plants, so it’s important to water potted plants regularly.
6. As seedlings grow, feed weekly with Yates Thrive Tomato Liquid Plant Food to encourage growth.
7. As larger staked tomatoes grow, gently tie the main stems to the stakes with a plant tie or old piece of hosiery.
8. Harvest tomatoes when the fruit is plump and red (or yellow, depending on the variety).

If you have purchased a hybrid Tomato, like Improved Apollo, we do not recommend saving the seed from the ripened fruit. The resulting fruit from that seed aka ‘F1 progeny’ will not be the same Tomato as the one you bought.

However, if you would still like to experiment with saving seed, try it with store-bought Tomatoes or heirloom varieties. Here’s how:

1. Remove the seeds from a ripe Tomato.
2. Place the seeds on a dish or paper towel. Leave to sit in an open area for a few days.
3. Rinse the seeds under water to remove the pulp. Repeat until the seeds are clean.
4. Spread the seeds on a dish or paper towel and let dry.
5. Once dry, store the seeds in an air-tight container until ready to plant.