How to grow Tomato in Australia

Tomatoes are the most popular home-grown crop in Australia, and the most rewarding when the basics are right: full sun, rich soil, a strong stake and steady watering. Timing matters most. Plant into warm soil after frost in the south, and in the cooler months in the tropics and subtropics.

📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Tomatoes in Australia

At a glance

Sow or plant

Depends on region: see the calendar above

First pick

About 10 to 12 weeks after planting seedlings

Sun

Full sun, 6 to 8 hours a day

Soil

Rich, free draining, pH 6 to 6.8

Spacing

60 to 70 cm between plants

Support

Stakes or cages about 1.8 to 2 m tall for tall types

Pot

At least 40 cm wide and deep

Frost

Killed by frost

When to sow by region

Region	When to sow	Regional note
South East Queensland	February to April, August and September
Northern Rivers NSW	February to April, September	Sow from February to April and again in September. In hinterland frost pockets, wait until mid September for the spring sowing.
Sydney & Coastal NSW	July to September	Sow from July to September, starting seed indoors in July and August. Transplant in September and October once frost risk has passed.
Melbourne & Victoria	October to December	Sow seed indoors Aug to Sep. Plant out from mid-Oct (inner city and bayside) and from Cup Day (first Tue of Nov) for most suburbs, once soil passes 16°C. Hills wait until late Nov.
Adelaide & SA	August to November	Sow Aug to Sep undercover, transplant from mid Oct once frost has passed and soil hits 16C. Oct to Nov sowings still crop well on the plains.
Perth & WA	July to September	Start seed indoors from July to September, then plant out from mid September on the plain and in October in the Hills. Advanced seedlings planted in late February sit outside this calendar and only succeed on the frost free plain, most reliably on the Coastal Strip.
Tasmania	September and October	Start seed indoors with warmth in September, then plant out after the last frost in early October. Choose early types like Stupice or Tommy Toe; a greenhouse lifts yields.
Canberra & ACT	October and November	Start seed indoors or under cover in October, then plant out after the last frost in early November. Direct sowing before November is too risky.
North Queensland	April to September	Dry season window Apr to Sep (Apr to May is bridge month). Heat-tolerant varieties essential. Avoid wet season.
Darwin & Top End	April to July	Dry season only. Sow Apr to Jul so fruit sets before the build up. Transplant seedlings Jun to Jul. Wet season sowings fail.

Where to plant

Give tomatoes the sunniest spot you have, with at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun, and some shelter from strong wind. They need rich, well-drained soil with plenty of compost; pH 6 to 6.8 suits them. Leave room for air to move between plants, which cuts down leaf diseases.

Rotate your beds. Do not plant tomatoes where tomatoes, potatoes, capsicums or eggplants grew in the last three years, as they share soil-borne diseases. Raised beds and large pots both work well.

Southern Australia (Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and inland): plant out after the last frost, once the soil is warm (about 16°C). In Melbourne that is traditionally from Cup Day in early November.
Sydney and Perth: start seed in late winter and plant out in spring once frost has passed.
South East Queensland and the Northern Rivers: plant in late summer to autumn and again in late winter to spring. Midsummer heat and wet bring flower drop, splitting and disease.
North Queensland and the Top End: grow in the dry season (about April to September) with heat-tolerant varieties.

Choosing a variety

Tall (indeterminate) types such as Grosse Lisse and Black Russian keep growing and fruiting all season and need tall stakes.
Bush (determinate) types such as Roma grow to a set size, fruit in one main flush and need little pruning. Good for sauce.
Cherry types such as Tommy Toe are the most forgiving, crop heavily and often outpace fruit fly.
Look for disease resistance codes on the label (for example V and F for verticillium and fusarium wilt) if wilt has been a problem.

How to plant

Raise seed in punnets in warmth about 6 weeks before planting out, or buy healthy seedlings.
Dig in compost and well-rotted manure a week or two before planting.
Put the stake in first, so you do not damage roots later.
Remove the lowest leaves and plant deeper than the pot, burying part of the stem. Roots grow along the buried stem.
Water in well, then mulch with straw or lucerne, keeping it a little away from the stem.
Tie the stem loosely to the stake as it grows.

Watering and feeding

Water deeply at the base, not over the leaves, and keep it even. Long, slow soaks that wet the soil 20 to 30 cm down are better than frequent sprinkles. In mild weather that may be once or twice a week; in hot weather, two or three times a week, and every day for pots. Irregular watering is the main cause of blossom end rot and split fruit.

Feed lightly. Too much nitrogen gives big leafy plants with few fruit. Once flowers appear, feed every 3 to 4 weeks with a liquid fertiliser that is higher in potassium, such as a tomato food or fish emulsion with added potash.

Pruning and care through the year

Tall types: pinch out the side shoots that grow between the main stem and a leaf, keeping one or two main stems. This gives bigger fruit and better air flow.
Bush types: no need to remove side shoots.
Keep tying in the main stems as they grow.
Remove yellowing lower leaves that touch the soil, which helps keep leaf diseases away.
Flowers drop without setting fruit in days above about 30°C, warm nights above about 21°C, or nights below about 13°C. Fruit sets again when the weather eases.

Harvesting

Pick when the fruit is fully coloured for its variety and gives slightly to a gentle squeeze. Tomatoes keep ripening after picking, so where fruit fly or birds are a problem, pick at the first blush of colour and ripen them on the kitchen bench. Plants of tall varieties keep cropping for weeks, so pick every few days.

Keep picked tomatoes at room temperature, not in the fridge, for the best flavour.

Growing in pots

Use a pot at least 40 cm wide and deep for a full-size tomato; cherry and dwarf types cope with a little less. Fill it with a premium potting mix, give each plant a stake or cage, and water daily in hot weather, as pots dry out fast and uneven watering causes blossom end rot.

Saving seed

Heirloom (open-pollinated) varieties come true from saved seed. Scoop the seeds from a ripe fruit, let them ferment in a little water for two or three days, rinse, dry on paper and store in a cool, dry place. Seed from hybrid (F1) varieties will not grow the same as the parent.

Companion planting

Most companion planting for tomatoes is about bringing in pollinators and helpful insects, and using space well. Keeping relatives apart matters more, because they share diseases.

Good companions

Basil Likes the same sun and watering, fits between plants, and its flowers bring in bees.
Marigold French marigolds grown thickly in a bed beforehand can reduce root-knot nematodes, and the flowers draw hoverflies.
Nasturtium A sacrificial plant that draws aphids away from nearby crops.
Borage Its blue flowers bring in bees.
Parsley A low herb that fits underneath. Left to flower, it feeds hoverflies and tiny wasps that eat pests.
Carrot A low root crop that uses the space between tomato plants.
Chives A small herb that fits around the base, with flowers bees like.

Keep apart

Avoid planting these close to tomato.

Potato Same family. They share late blight and other diseases, so keep them apart and rotate beds.
Fennel Is said to hold back the growth of many vegetables nearby. Grow it in its own corner.
Brassicas Hungry crops that compete for the same food and space. Give them their own bed.
Rosemary Prefers drier, leaner soil, so the two are hard to water together.

Pests and diseases

Fruit fly is the main pest in Queensland, New South Wales and the Perth area. Most diseases are kept down by rotation, spacing and watering at the base.

Pests to watch for

Fruit fly Small sting marks on colouring fruit, then soft, rotten patches with maggots inside. Queensland fruit fly in the east, Mediterranean fruit fly in Western Australia. Net plants or pick at first colour.
Tomato grub (heliothis) Neat round holes in green fruit, with a caterpillar inside or nearby.
Whitefly Clouds of tiny white insects fly up from the undersides of leaves.
Russet mite Lower stems and leaves turn bronze and dry from the bottom up in hot, dry weather.

Diseases to watch for

Early blight Brown spots with target-like rings on older, lower leaves.
Late blight Greasy grey-green patches that spread fast in cool, wet weather. Remove affected plants.
Fusarium wilt Leaves yellow and wilt, often on one side of the plant first. Grow resistant varieties.
Blossom end rot A dark, sunken patch on the base of the fruit. Caused by uneven watering, not a germ.
Root-knot nematode Stunted plants with knobbly, swollen roots, worst in sandy soil.

All pests and diseases

Common questions

Why are my tomato flowers falling off without making fruit?

Usually the weather. Tomato flowers drop instead of setting fruit when days are above about 30°C, nights stay above about 21°C, or nights fall below about 13°C. Water stress and too much nitrogen fertiliser make it worse. Fruit sets again when temperatures ease.

What causes the black patch on the bottom of my tomatoes?

That is blossom end rot. It comes from uneven watering, which stops calcium reaching the developing fruit. Water deeply and regularly, mulch to keep the soil evenly moist, and in very acid soil add a little lime or dolomite before planting.

Why are my tomatoes splitting?

Splitting happens when dry soil is followed by heavy watering or rain, and the fruit swells faster than its skin can stretch. Steady watering and mulch help. Pick ripe fruit before a big downpour.

When should I plant tomatoes?

It depends on where you live. In the south, plant out after the last frost once the soil is warm. In South East Queensland, late summer to autumn and late winter to spring work best. In the tropics, grow them in the dry season. Choose your region at the top of the page for the months.

Should I remove tomato side shoots?

On tall (indeterminate) varieties, yes: pinching out side shoots and keeping one or two main stems gives bigger fruit and better air flow. Bush (determinate) types such as Roma do not need it.

How do I protect tomatoes from fruit fly?

Cover plants with fine insect netting or exclusion bags from when the fruit sets, pick fruit at the first sign of colour and ripen it inside, and collect and destroy any stung or fallen fruit. Cherry tomatoes are less affected than large ones.

Can I grow tomatoes in a pot?

Yes. Use a pot at least 40 cm wide and deep with premium potting mix, a stake or cage, and water daily in hot weather.

Sources we checked: Gardening Australia: Tip Top Tomatoes; Gardening Australia: Tomato Pests and Problems; Agriculture Victoria: Protect your summer tomato harvest; Penn State Extension: Heat stress and tomatoes; University of Maryland Extension: Poor blossom and fruit set of vegetables.