Sowing tomatoes in Brisbane

[Elsiej]

I’m interested to hear other people’s experience growing tomatoes in Brisbane.

In 2020 I grew tomatoes for the first time (like so many people I suppose).

The process went like this:
- Started seeds in early April. Tropic variety.
- Planted out seedlings about 4 weeks later in early May
- Picked our first tomato in late August (about 3.5 months after planting out)
- by October pest pressure was high and we lost a lot, even after I started bagging fruit sets.
- Pulled the plants out in late October

in 2021 I tried to be clever by starting my seeds a month earlier in early February, thinking I’d get tomatoes for longer before the pests overwhelmed us, but instead the seeds were slow to germinate and slow to grow and we ended up not having tomatoes until much later anyway. Maybe it was still a good idea but not a good year in general?

If you grow in Brisbane what timeline do you find works best for you?

I might try direct seeding this year too.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

I personally live around 12hrs north from Brisbane, having a much more tropical climate, so I can grow tomatoes year-round. My biggest pest issues are grasshoppers and fruit flies.

Some tomatoes are much better in certain climates, some varieties are more pest resistant that others too.
Last year many people struggled with growing. It was a bad year for many (even experienced) growers. Don't get too disheartened!

I learned the hard way with tomatoes and my 'failures' actually taught me lots about tomatoes. They aren't particularly hard to grow, but they do have a little set of requirements for a succesful harvest!

What pests did you struggle with the most?
Did you fertilise your plants?
Did you have a watering schedule for your tomatoes? (They can crack, sometimes leaking juices and attract even more pests simply by the smell)

 

[KathrynJN]

I'm out Ipswich (Queensland) way, and I bought tomato seeds in March 2020, when the panic buying was on. I also planted them at that time. I don't know the rest of the timeline, but I did get a decent harvest. I'll be organising them at the same time this year to see if it works again.

 

[Davidwood1983]

I let rouge seeds germinate mostly where they fall from last year and tend to get a good harvest and reduced pest pressure vs more formal monoculture

 

[Drockerr]

Hey guys, I am in newcastle and have just planted roma tomatoes like a month back but they seem to be growing so slow, is that normal? and what fertilizers are you all using?

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Hey guys, I am in newcastle and have just planted roma tomatoes like a month back but they seem to be growing so slow, is that normal? and what fertilizers are you all using?

What soil are you using? And are you growing potted or straight into the soil?
I'm using this soil from Bunnings (click on this) and never had a problem. Grows like a charm.
For fertiliser I use blood and bone, also from Bunnings.

 

[Noosagardener]

April works for me. I’m only an hour and a half from brisbane. Cherokee purple are always my top pick for the season followed by black russian and black krim. As soon as the flowers have formed I bag them before the fruit fly can get stuck in.

 

[Mark]

It depends on the weather at the time - you really have to assess it yearly to see if you have a wet hot summer or milder summer when you can start tomatoes earlier and have them fruiting through late autumn and into winter before the fruit fly and other pests smash them in spring.

Even in hot wet conditions, you might still get away with starting tomatoes early in Brisbane. It depends on the break in the weather, the position or protection of the crop, the fertility and soil structure, and of course, the variety - keep experimenting with different types.

I've had some great crops of tomatoes starting in March and ripening into winter. In fact, I reckon the best chance for a successful crop of larger varieties (like beefsteak) is to start them early and harvest through winter. If the crop runs into spring and the fruits are developing nicely it is best to bag or insect net the fruit/plants or the bugs (especially fruit fly) will decimate the ripening fruits.

If you get everything right such as position, soil, nutrients, weather, good management, and a bit of luck you can absolutely grow big tomatoes in Brisbane or SEQ.

Just remember to always grow some cherry toms as a backup!

 

[Elsiej]

Oh gosh I forgot about this.

I started my seeds on the weekend. I hear it might be a cool and wet winter ahead so I’m just going to hope for the best.

In 2020 it was some kind of caterpillar that struck first (they got into some of the fine mesh exclusion bags too grrr), as well as what I presume was a disease causing a rusty look to stems and leaves, though the plants kept producing for months with it. Still we got a harvest that far exceeded my expectations so not complaining too much.

Last year they were just slow. They didn’t set as many fruit and they didn’t ripen until there was lots of fruit fly about. We still ate plenty of tomatoes but after the previous bounty it was a bit of a let down.

As for fertilizing. Plenty of aged cow manure and compost into the beds at the start. Both times were fresh no-dig beds so planted into 15cm or so of compost. The first year we applied some more manure once and the odd seaweed solution and that was it because they were powering on without it. Last year we also did some extra carp juice feeds and topped up compost during the season.

I was definitely better at watering consistently in 2020. That’s something to focus on this year!

🤞for decent harvests

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Fingers crossed for a good harvest!