No, I’m not talking about my tomatoes – thank goodness. All of which have survived the transfer window and will soon hopefully be putting on leaf and height with aplomb.
I’m talking instead about growing tomatoes in Australia – they’ve done 2011. I enjoyed this review of their season. It seems somehow nation appropriate that their most popular variety is “Mighty Red” – but Roma and heritage varieties also get a look in – with Black Russian and Black Cherry getting a special mention.
And have you come across the notion of growing tomato plants in washing machine tubs before ? – perhaps that’s for the Mighty Whites!?
I liked the detail on soil preparation – cow manure, blood and bone. Followed by Suphate of Potash at planting out time. And feed of fish fertilizer and probiotics – which are described as “worm juice and liquids containing microbes and growth substances”. Hearty appetites those Aussie Tommies!
But better than a failed harves which would result in a shortage of tomatoes – resulting in the substitution of bananas for tomatoes in ketchup. I like bananas and actually banana ketchup sounds fine in it’s own right – but instead of tomato….
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I see that this is from Adelaide, which didn’t have the flood problems that Victoria and Queensland had, which would probably have sent tomatoes right to the bottom of the agenda. It’s good to see the ‘heirloom’ varieties becoming more popular, and great to see ‘Black Cherry’ up there in Antipodean Tomato Land. But Aussie is a huge country.
BTW, those ‘side of the road’ tomatoes I mentioned were in Bellingen, N.S.W., one of the ‘currant’ varieties – tiny and very tasty. I can give you directions to the plant if you wish… j/k
I don’t want to sound endlessly smug, but I have an old washing machine tub, salvaged from my friends. It’s all Bob Flowerdew’s fault; he says that’s the best way of growing figs, which fruit better with constricted roots. Now, I’ve gone and started building my tomato greenhouse where the fig would have gone, so I need to either find another place for it, of a different use…
I’ve done a bit of – lazy from my armchair internet travelling – and it looks the most beautiful spot. From Google maps it looks as if there are a couple of roads in and out- that meet in the middle at a crossroads? – so maybe one of them is where the tomatoes grow?! If the photos on-line are anything to go by then whilst you’re taking time out to munch on tomatoes – the views around would be as mouthwatering.
Tomatoes in washing machine spare parts was one thing! But something as exotic as a fig (although who knows they might be cheaper than tomatoe in the Selfridges food hall!) seems far too poetic a plant to be grown that way! But on the other hand if it means lots of figs…! Restricted roots and productivity is a connection I knew somewhere in the back of mind but good to be reminded of these seemingly counter-intuitive principles.
Yes, Bellingen is in a beautiful setting; rainforest, farmland and eucalyptus forests and a river. The tomato plant, if I remember correctly, is on Ford Street, although to be honest I forgot its exact location! I expect it was planted by birds, or somebody throwing a tomato into the roadside. You’re right, the scenery there is visually delicious!
There was some weird children’s tv programme that was in B&W and shot in some Eastern European country?? which I think featured some spooky magic bush? – I am now imagining the Ford Street Tomato Plant – as the much less sinister – full technicolour – Aussie equivalent!