Growing Tomatoes in Hot Weather

Here in the UK at this time of the year, people who grow tomatoes dream of warm sunny days surrounded by their beloved plants and of course...lots of tomatoes!

However, it is easy to forget that seasons around the world are different, and my winter is someone's summer - I'm thinking of those who live "down-under" that's Australia to English people, or in any other part of the world that is hot right now.

Here are a few tips for keeping your tomato plants in good condition.

1. Don't put small plants in full sun for long periods until they have developed a good root system.
2. Have a mist/spray handy to water through the leaves if plants start to wilt.
3. Soil that dries out too quickly will probably cause blossom end rot in the fruit, so add gel, or perlite to the soil. An automatic watering system is great if you don't mind the expense.
   
4.  Spray flowers to help fruit set.
5. Keep plants shaded if possible. When temperatures reach around 35 degrees C. and over, many varieties of tomato plant will stop growing.

More information about growing tomatoes in hot conditions.

Growing Tomatoes in the Winter

Is it possible to grow tomatoes during the winter period, indoors without any extra lighting or hydroponic methods?

It is an interesting question because the urge to grow tomatoes all year round has tempted many to have a go at growing out of season - including me.

Looking at the little seedlings coming through the soil in a large pot, where a tomato from earlier this season had left its seeds, I decided to save three of the seedlings and put them in a small pot of there own.

Sowing tomato seed in November, and producing successful tomato plants, is possible for the commercial growers, growing in large greenhouses because they can control the temperature and the amount of (artificial) light the plants receive.

I've put the seedlngs in the lightest window in the house - my porch actually - and keep the temperature above freezing at night!

One guy who is doing this, or something similar, and writing about it on his blog is at the link below.

http://thegardenrockstar.com/2009/11/tomatoes-all-year-the-experiment-begins/