Please
any advice please - see earlier replies to other posts

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..._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)

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)

In article
,
"PatC" wrote:

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.

You can start tomato seeds this month, but not in open ground; it's too cold
for them to grow properly. You'll have to plant them up in punnets and cosset
them for a couple of months.

Last time I tried early tomatoes (to avoid the post-Christmas fruit fly
problem), the later-planted seedlings overtook the earlier ones. This year
I'm going to plant some cherry tomatoes early as well as the bigger types.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

Chookie wrote:

You can start tomato seeds this month, but not in open ground; it's
too cold for them to grow properly. You'll have to plant them up in
punnets and cosset them for a couple of months.

Last time I tried early tomatoes (to avoid the post-Christmas fruit
fly problem), the later-planted seedlings overtook the earlier ones.
This year I'm going to plant some cherry tomatoes early as well as
the bigger types.

I used to be an avid tomato grower (in canberra that's always an adventure).
Up here on this hill though the wind and stuff upsets them (and I'm gone in
late spring anyway). If i'm here for a summer, I'd be back into it though,
it's a lot of fun.

What I used to do, to get them going while the ground was too cold, was to
plant them up in pots you could put in the ground. Was those peat-pots, and
I believe now there's some more teckernological ones with holes. so I'd get
them going, feed them up with nitrogen to get them big and leafy, then soak
them in water and plant them when the soil was warm enough, water the crap
out of them until they seemed happy, and then start with the potassium to
get the flowers going.

--
ant

PatC wrote:
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)



You wont drive them nuts. (Its usually the other way round) Chances are
you will be very helpfull in getting them to stock the tomatoes they
should be stocking.
They probably havent seen such a list. We the public inform them and
they make money by getting them in for you..
Tell em theyd better not fail or you want them for free next year....
Make sure you get the right types...

ant wrote:
Chookie wrote:


You can start tomato seeds this month, but not in open ground; it's
too cold for them to grow properly. You'll have to plant them up in
punnets and cosset them for a couple of months.

Last time I tried early tomatoes (to avoid the post-Christmas fruit
fly problem), the later-planted seedlings overtook the earlier ones.
This year I'm going to plant some cherry tomatoes early as well as
the bigger types.


I used to be an avid tomato grower (in canberra that's always an adventure).
Up here on this hill though the wind and stuff upsets them (and I'm gone in
late spring anyway). If i'm here for a summer, I'd be back into it though,
it's a lot of fun.

What I used to do, to get them going while the ground was too cold, was to
plant them up in pots you could put in the ground. Was those peat-pots, and
I believe now there's some more teckernological ones with holes. so I'd get
them going, feed them up with nitrogen to get them big and leafy, then soak
them in water and plant them when the soil was warm enough, water the crap
out of them until they seemed happy, and then start with the potassium to
get the flowers going.

If you have wind problems, try growing a small hedge around them, or
take some bicarb....

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)

Hi Geoff & Thanks
We've lived here 14 years & gave never seen a frost, the minum temp that I
have seen is 4C
I really love big fat toms, so have hesitated about growing the smaller
varieties as though they don't seem to have that good flavour that I'm
looking for. But seeing as my last efforts have resulted in so much
disappointment I am open to any suggestions.
Strange that we have had fantastic results with enormous plants & amazing
fruit produce with as many as 10 - 12 per bunch until 2 years ago, when
every plant died after a few weeks despite rotation & lots of care.
I don't have much problems with fruit flu (I use a Dakpot), I also check &
handpick off any caterpillars (only a tiny garden so not a big effort
involoved).
I do use blood & bone but have found it hard to find a nursery that knows
what sulphate of potash is! All they do is give me some liquid potash that
you are supposed to water the plants with but only at certain stages of the
growth.
Any way I will try once more this year, but have prepared myself for a big
cry if they go toes up once again.
Cheers
Pat
"Geoff & Heather" wrote in message
u...
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)

Interesting about taste and tomatoes. Tommy Toes won the big Burke's
Backyard tomato-off years and years ago. They are a smallish tomato, and I
confess to be underwhelmed by their taste. That said, I suspect the smaller
tomatoes will be the better bet for taste.
This last season in the US, my local (huge) supermarket had some of those
"on the vine" tomatoes on special. A bag of them still cost me 7 bucks...
they were attached to the stem/bunch thing, and the smell was exactly like
the tomatoes you grow at home. I chopped them up with onion and mixed them
with vinegar adn oil and salt and pepper. And, the juice was pink! quite a
strong pink too. I haven't seen that in years. They tasted divine. I wish I
knew what they were, probably came from Mexico, but they were exceptional.

--
ant

Pat,
I didn't realise your success had suddenly stopped - very strange :-(
Geoff
"PatC" wrote in message
...
Hi Geoff & Thanks
We've lived here 14 years & gave never seen a frost, the minum temp that I
have seen is 4C
I really love big fat toms, so have hesitated about growing the smaller
varieties as though they don't seem to have that good flavour that I'm
looking for. But seeing as my last efforts have resulted in so much
disappointment I am open to any suggestions.
Strange that we have had fantastic results with enormous plants & amazing
fruit produce with as many as 10 - 12 per bunch until 2 years ago, when
every plant died after a few weeks despite rotation & lots of care.
I don't have much problems with fruit flu (I use a Dakpot), I also check &
handpick off any caterpillars (only a tiny garden so not a big effort
involoved).
I do use blood & bone but have found it hard to find a nursery that knows
what sulphate of potash is! All they do is give me some liquid potash that
you are supposed to water the plants with but only at certain stages of
the
growth.
Any way I will try once more this year, but have prepared myself for a big
cry if they go toes up once again.
Cheers
Pat
"Geoff & Heather" wrote in message
u...
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)

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


hello pat,
don't know if this will help you but i read something interesting today in a
slightly old gardening australia magazine: when the plants get to be 1/3
metre high and as thick as your little finger (or mine, or someone's ;-)
push a short piece of copper wire through the stalk near the ground, and
your tomatoes will be "disease free".

i can't believe it's _quite_ as easy as all that, but pete c. speculated
that the copper is taken up & prevents fungal diseases (so there's part of
the battle). certainly worth experimenting with if nothing is working &
nothing left to lose!
kylie

0tterbot wrote:
"PatC" wrote in message
...

Please
any advice please - see earlier replies to other posts



hello pat,
don't know if this will help you but i read something interesting today in a
slightly old gardening australia magazine: when the plants get to be 1/3
metre high and as thick as your little finger (or mine, or someone's ;-)
push a short piece of copper wire through the stalk near the ground, and
your tomatoes will be "disease free".

i can't believe it's _quite_ as easy as all that, but pete c. speculated
that the copper is taken up & prevents fungal diseases (so there's part of
the battle). certainly worth experimenting with if nothing is working &
nothing left to lose!
kylie


Yep that could work. Remember seeing something like this for lemons as well.
Wouldnt be sure though...You can bet some of australias commercial
tomato growers have something up their sleeves, even if its flwoers of
sulphur and regular dusting or this trick..

"Jonno" wrote in message
...
0tterbot wrote:
"PatC" wrote in message

...

Please
any advice please - see earlier replies to other posts



hello pat,
don't know if this will help you but i read something interesting today
in a
slightly old gardening australia magazine: when the plants get to be 1/3
metre high and as thick as your little finger (or mine, or someone's ;-)
push a short piece of copper wire through the stalk near the ground, and
your tomatoes will be "disease free".

i can't believe it's _quite_ as easy as all that, but pete c. speculated
that the copper is taken up & prevents fungal diseases (so there's part
of
the battle). certainly worth experimenting with if nothing is working &
nothing left to lose!
kylie


Yep that could work. Remember seeing something like this for lemons as
well.
Wouldnt be sure though...You can bet some of australias commercial
tomato growers have something up their sleeves, even if its flwoers of
sulphur and regular dusting or this trick..

Kylie many thanks
I'm willling to try anything & my handy hubbie tells me he has some copper
wire - so all you diseases beware- I'm on my way this weekend as the first
plant is exactly at that height & as thick as my little finger, hubbies is a
littler thicker but I won't let that stop me...wiil let you know how I go.
I'm all excited now & can't wait to see if we get some tasty toms once
again! Certainly as you say nothing to lose.

Pat