Tomatoes

Tasty Tomatoes

Tomatoes really are the king of the summer vege garden and there is nothing quite like the taste of eating home grown tomatoes. From the large beef steaks to the bite-sized cherries, tomatoes are an essential addition to kiwi summer meals.

Getting Started

There are many tomato varieties available. The following are our recommendations for the best varieties of each tomato type.

Large meaty varieties which produce the largest tomatoes

Beefsteak– fleshy and full of flavour
Grosse Lisse– lots of large fruit

Regular sized tomatoes

Money Maker - heavy cropper
Russian Red - compact, strong grower

Cherry tomatoes which are the very tasty bite-sized tomatoes

Sweet 100 - good cropper, tasty fruit, long trusses

Reduced acid tomatoes which have a lower acid level than most varieties

Dr Walters—medium to large fruit
Roma - pear-shaped fruit, good for preserving

Super Toms

For exceptional growth grow a Super Tom tomato plant. These are grafted tomato plants and produce more than twice the yield of regular tomato plants. All the regular varieties can also be bought as the grafted Super Tom.

When to plant

In Taranaki tomatoes are best planted in late spring when the weather is warm and frosts have finished. Labour weekend in October is the traditional planting time.

Where to plant

Tomatoes require a sunny sheltered position in your garden with well drained soil. Tomatoes also require support as they grow.
Tomatoes can be grown straight in the ground or in containers.
If planting in the ground dig in lots of Daltons compost as tomatoes require lots of nutrients for good growth.
For containers, use Daltons Tub Mix.
Plant seedling tomatoes about 40 cm apart and water in.

Training

Tomatoes require support. This can be achieved using a trellis fence, netting or staking. This supports the plant and the tomatoes which it will produce.

Pruning

Tomato plants need pruning to aid air circulation which prevents disease. Remove all lateral growth as the plant grows.

Tending

Watering: For good plant growth and fruit development water regularly. It is best to water the soil around the plant rather than the foliage to prevent blight.
Feeding: Tomatoes are gross feeders, so fertilise regularly. Feed with Tui Tomato Food at recommended rate.
To boost your plants use Miracle Grow once a week. Miracle grow is excellent for container grown tomatoes.

Plant protection

Tomatoes may be prone to blight in wet weather, this is seen as black blotches on leaves and/or stems. Control with Yates Champion Copper or Greenguard spray at recommended rate.
Keep area weed free.

Harvesting

Pick tomatoes just before they are ripe and allow them to fully ripen inside on a windowsill.

Tomatoes are best stored at room temperature.