Pat,
Tomatoes shouldn't go out until after the last frost (if you get them) for
us in Newcastle that is the last week in Sep. They really don't like getting
cold - which may account for your fruit loss. I'll be planting seeds in the
next couple of weeks to have good solid plants ready to go out the first
weekend in Oct. The earliest fruiting and therefore the most likely to beat
the pests are Romas. I found the Rouge took too long to mature. The most
prolific, disease and pest resistant seem to be Tommy Toes (let me know if
you can't find them I think I still have a heap of seed left) - sort of half
way between a cherry and a full sized tomato. - One plant easily covered my
1.5m wide by 2m high trellis and was still fruiting well into Feb. Once the
fruit fly arrive, the only way to survive is with constant spraying with
Lebaycid - or Rogor, which kills the grubs in the plant - you have to start
that while the fruit are still green and continue every 10 days until you
pick - you have to like chemical infested fruit to go through with that
regime.

Also go easy on nitrogen fertilizers - they give plenty of leaf but not much
else. A good fruit-tree fertilizer should be OK, but I good old compost -
with a touch of Sulphate of Potash. Blood and bone is good.

Cheers,
Geoff


"PatC" wrote in message
...
Thanks Jonno
I've printed this list of Toms out & will drive my local nursery nuts if I
can't get a reasonable answer.
I was thinking of putting in some seeds right now that I have, 'Rouge de
Marmande', any idea if it is too early BTW I live in Sydney.
I really do want to get some nice Toms this year, but must admit I have
almost given up after the last two years...getting really vigorous plants
only to have them die as the fruit starts to set... Very depressing!!!
Pat



"Jonno" wrote in message
...
PatC wrote:
Please
any advice please - see earlier replies to other posts


Try googling for "growing disease free Tomatoes"
I found a few sites that were aussie and had long lists of the same
problems and resistant types.


Here one huge list of Tomatoes.

http://www.greenfingers.com.au/servi...s_want_to_grow
/4.htm

Somewhere I read, if you have white fly and thrips the chances of
growing succesful tomatoes are low, due to transmission of diseases by
them. We may also have to thank the tabacco virus for problems. Lime of
sulphur will help somewhat. But the trouble with tomatoes has never been
greater in Melbourne than the last ten years (in my area anyway)