Your comments and tips

19 Aug 20, Anonymous (USA - Zone 6b climate)

Tomatoes need good rich deep soil. Dig your soil about 40cm deep x about 60cm across. Put some fertiliser in the bottom of the hole and mix with some soil. Keep doing this until the hole is only 10cm deep. Put some Epsom salts in the hole also. When the plant has grown 60-80cm high fill the soil in around the plant and even hill it up a bit. Put some compost/mulch around the plant. Tomatoes need a good deep watering 2-3 times a week.

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10 Aug 20, Gina (USA - Zone 10b climate)

I grow everything in pots due to lack of any place to have a full garden. After the tomato plant is done for the season, what can I grow in the container that will enhance the soil for the next year's tomato plantings? In years past, if I reuse the same soil the plants do not do very well year after year. It is not easy to dump the old soil and start fresh - again, no real space to do so. I had two San Marzano plants that did very well plus one small patio tomatoe Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank you!

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12 Aug 20, colleen (USA - Zone 10b climate)

I suggest growing a legume you like--or a succession of them. You could start with beans and then peas when the days get very short. If you like fava beans, those are very useful--you can eat the tender shoots and leaves, and they make big beautiful plants with pretty flowers that look so cheerful in the coolest months (but they take a LONG time to make beans!). When the beans/peas are done, leave their roots behind in the soil. They'll add a little nitrogen, though not as much if you let them grow to maturity. You will still need to replenish other nutrients with compost or a good tomato-specific fertilizer in the spring. One thing to consider is that tomatoes catch a lot of diseases that accumulate in the soil year after year, so that might be why you have trouble when reusing the soil. You could try solarizing any infected soil by covering it with clear plastic in full sun for a few hot months (March through June minimum), but that's tough when garden space is precious!

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10 Feb 21, Kent (USA - Zone 10a climate)

Maybe consider an organic liquid fertilizer mix.

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11 Aug 20, Sally O'Neil (USA - Zone 10a climate)

Compost and/or Manure

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02 Aug 20, Bruce (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

Will a plastic grow tent protect seedlings from frost

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03 Aug 20, Anonymous (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

Maybe if it is totally air tight. You are really stacking the odds up against yourself. It is recommended to start planting seeds in Oct/Nov in cool/mountain NZ and you are trying to grow them in winter. More chance of a good crop when the conditions are with you than against you.

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31 Jul 20, Dennis Naidoo (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)

I want to plant tomatoes in containers due to know space in my backyard. What size container can I use and what nutrients should I feed my tomato plants. Also what fertilizer can be used. Regards Dennis

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03 Aug 20, Anonymous (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)

My daughter recommends a big container, about 30+ liters. A general all round garden fertiliser, make sure you mix about 2-3 handfuls into the soil before you put the soil in the container.

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30 Jul 20, lisa johnson (USA - Zone 8b climate)

cannot get my tomatoes to form fruit - in large containers - dropping flowers before forming - all varieties - healthy plants but no fruit - extremely hot in Southern Alabama with humidity and good rain - what times of year are best to plant —please advise!

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