1 Organic Australian Red Tomato Plant in a 80mm biodegradable peat pot.
This plant is grown from Organic Tomato Seed, potted in Organic Mineralised Nutrient Rich (Blood bone and fish free (vg)) Soil, Fertilised with Compost (vg), Worm castings (poop) and Kelp Powder (read more about the soil).
The pot reduces plastic waste and transplant shock (I commit to zero waste where I can, everything is recycled or reused or upcycled). There is no transplanting required, plant directly into the soil in its pot.
Plant in compost in full sun.
Plants need staking. Prune plants to two main stems. Keep well watered. Pick when mature to encourage more fruit. To reduce the risk of disease do not water overhead.
Australian Red Tomato
Lycopersicon esculentum
Climbing (indeterminate). Large flat red fruit. Excellent flavour. Good all purpose variety.
Tomatoes are warm season tender annuals in the Solanaceae family which includes eggplants, peppers, tomatillos, potatoes and ground cherries.
Indeterminate varieties bear fruit over a long period of time and typically require trellising or staking. Tomatoes yield best in clay or loam soils that are well drained and high in organic matter. They can tolerate acid soil as low as 5.5, but they prefer to grow in 6.0-6.8 range. Using calcitic lime or gypsum can help to maintain a base saturation for calcium or 65-80 percent. Use a high phosphorus fertilizer for transplants. Take care not to over-fertilize with Nitrogen as this can result in more foliage but lower yields.
For varieties requiring staking, place stake in row every two or three plants, tie twine to end stake and walk down one side of the row, looping twine around each stake until the end. Return down the other side of row, again looping twine around each stake, so that plants are sandwiched between two sides of twine.
Harvest tomatoes fully ripe for best flavor. Tomatoes can also be harvested green or at first blush and ripened off the vine at temperatures above 70°F.
Store between 55° - 70°F at 95% relative humidity. Storing below 50°F can result in chilling damage.
Aphids can be washed off plants with a hard stream of water. They have several natural predators that control populations including parasites (aphids appear grey or bloated), lady beetle larvae and lacewings.