Tomato growing tips and testing your tomato knowledge | Gardening 101 | Gardening Australia
Josh tests our knowledge with tomato trivia and shares tips on growing these wonderful fruits. Subscribe 🔔 http://ab.co/GA-subscribe One of the things that we love about gardening is the rhythm and ritual of jobs that come with each season. In preparation for summer, it’s planting tomatoes. They're great performers, rewarding you loads of fruit for your efforts. Josh shows us how to grow them and tests your tomato knowledge! There are hundreds, if not thousands of cultivars of tomatoes available worldwide. To keep it simple and maximise versatility, Josh likes to grow one large variety and one small ‘cherry’ variety. ‘Grosse Lisse’ means ‘large and smooth’, which is exactly what it is! This classic big red tomato has fruits up to 200g which are often used for sandwiches and sauces. ‘Tommy Toe’ are extremely delicious and sweet 3cm fruits held in a truss of 7-9. These are a joy to snack on and kids love them in their lunchboxes. These are both ‘indeterminate’ varieties, which means they grow on long, tall vines and fruit continuously through the season. They’ll need a good study frame to climb on. ‘Determinate’ tomatoes grow as a bush and all the season’s fruit will ripen around the same time and are perfect for pots. Tomatoes are vigorous and high yielding plants but there are some basics to keep in mind. These plants need at least six hours of full sun each day. Congested plants are more likely to succumb to pests and disease, so space them about a metre apart so they get plenty of light and air movement. Josh preps the bed by working in some compost and organic fertilizer. As the tomato plants grow, tie the stems to the frame with natural twine, keeping it fairly loose to leave room for the stems to thicken up. Ideally, allow at least two seasons before replanting tomatoes or their relatives in the same spot, these include eggplants, capsicums, chillies or potatoes, as they share common pests and diseases. You can plant tomatoes a little deeper than you would other plants. That’s because roots will grow from the stem once it’s buried in the soil, resulting in stronger plants. Be sure to pinch off the lower leaves first. Mulching is a must to keep the root zone cool in hot weather. They'll need regular watering and liquid feeding every two to three weeks, plus a monthly side dressing of potash to improve fruit quantity and quality. Once the main harvest is over, pull the plants out and compost them. In areas with mild winters like Perth, the plants can carry through, but they'll never be as productive as that first season and are more likely to end up diseased. Instead, start fresh next spring. Planting tomatoes is a favoured garden ritual and summer wouldn't be the same without it. ___________________________________________ Gardening Australia is an ABC TV program providing gardening know-how and inspiration. Presented by Australia's leading horticultural experts, Gardening Australia is a valuable resource to all gardeners through the television program, the magazine, books, DVDs and extensive online content. Watch more: http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/gard... Facebook:   / gardeningaustralia  Instagram:   / gardeningaustralia  Web: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening ___________________________________________ This is an official Australian Broadcasting Corporation YouTube channel. Contributions may be removed if they violate ABC's Online Conditions of Use http://www.abc.net.au/conditions.htm (Section 3).
