SunLive Competition

If you only grow one crop this year make it tomatoes. They can be used in so many meals and will produce loads of juicy fruit.
The health benefits of fresh produce are endless, the flavour can’t be beaten and the satisfaction of successfully growing your own is immense. By Rachel Vogan

Labour Weekend is the traditional tomato-planting time. Get prepared now to make sure you are eating your own tomatoes as soon as possible. If you are growing your own plants from seed, note that the plants need to be acclimatised – hardened off before they can be planted outside in the garden. The shock of going from a cosy windowsill to a windy outdoor garden can be too much for some soft tomato plants.

Garden centres are already well stocked with a wide range of tomato plants.

Tips to success:
Garden Planting
Choose a sunny place, sheltered from strong winds. Prepare the soil by digging it over, then blend in compost or well-rotted manure and Tui Tomato Food. Next, incorporate Tomato Mix to the area. Using a specialised planting mix ensures tomato plants get the best possible start and enjoy sustained growth. Water well to ensure the soil is moist and ready for planting. If planting in rows, place 60cm – 80cm apart to allow plenty of air movement.

Support
Most tomato plants require staking to provide the plants with support as the fruit ripens and becomes heavy. Put the stake in place before you plant, then plant the tomato beside the stake, rather than the other way round. This prevents damaging the delicate young root ball.

Container Planting
The container it needs to be at least 30 litres in size for each tomato plant - that’s three times the size of an average kitchen bucket. Haxnicks Tomato Patio Planters are ideal if you are low on space. Simply fill with Tui Tomato Mix and start planting.

Protect
Protect soft young seedlings as they establish themselves by placing some sort of protection around the tender plants. A common method in the past was to use evergreen branches pushed into the ground to provide a shelter for a few weeks. Conifer branches work well. Haxnicks poly tunnels or shade cloth are reliable options.

Feed
Tomatoes enjoy a lot of fertiliser, but be careful not to overload them with fertilisers high in nitrogen. Apply Tui Tomato Food, which is high in potash. Potassium is essential for enhancing fruit, flower production, and enhancing the ‘juiciness’ of the fruit. Water plant food in well after application

Maintenance
Water tomatoes regularly, preferably in the morning two or three times a week, but never in the middle of the day. Apply Saturaid to soil surrounding plants as this will draw water to the roots where it is needed most.
Remove laterals. These are the side branches that appear above the leaves on the main trunk of the plant. Laterals suck a lot of goodness from the plant and limit fruit production. Tie the main stem to the stake as it gets taller to protect it from wind.

Popular varieties:
Beefsteak – possibly the tastiest large tomato ever, needs lots of room.
Cherry tomatoes – easy to grow, ideal for pots, kids love them!
Heirloom – numerous varieties, cropping ability varies, generally very tasty.
Money maker – the eternal favourite for many gardeners, tasty, reliable and abundant cropper.
Patio Prize – small dwarf variety perfect for pots.
Roma – Acid Free. As the name suggests low acid varieties, pear-shaped.
Taupo – popular, reliable and a prolific fruiter

For more information, watch the Tui Time How To Grow Tomato video at www.tuitime.co.nz

Win:  A tomato growing kit valued at $56, featuring 60 litres of Tui Tomato Mix, 1.5kg of Tui Tomato Food, and 2.5 litres of Debco Saturaid with SunLive. Only people registered on SunLive are eligible to win.

Competition Results

Judy McCartain