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Tomatoes...

Homestead Health's passion for chillies is second only to our passion for tomatoes. We believe the two to be the perfect combination and use them as the foundation for the vast majority of our meals. Our dehydrated tomato powder is legend for all those who have had the rare opportunity to taste it, and given it contains over 15 different tomatoes, there's no wonder. Our current collection of 15 varieties is set to increase this season to over 40, and we're not talking about 40 shades of red... we have green, white, orange, black, and even some blue's on the way. In fact, we seek out the most interesting, unusual, and great tasting tomatoes we can find.


Most of our tomatoes are heirlooms, you'll see which ones they are because they are clearly marked with a [H] in the title. But we have also sourced some new and exciting varieties that are incredibly difficult to find here in Western Australia. As with our chillies, in time we aim to have the largest collection of tomatoes in the Southwest, if not WA... so keep an eye out and get your own collection of these incredible tasting, eye catching varieties started... You'll never buy supermarket tomatoes again!


Remember, all Homestead Health seeds are grown under organic conditions with rainwater irrigation, no chemicals, pesticides, herbicides or nasties... that's a great foundation for you to start from in creating your own "food bowl" at home. And they are all grown right here at Homestead HQ, not purchased from unknown sources. So what you purchase is a local product, acclimatised to Australian conditions lovingly tended to, harvested, dried, packed and shipped all from our premises. This is one incredibly tiny carbon footprint!

As always, if there is a variety you are interested in that you can't see in our webstore, drop us a line, we may be able to source it for you. Wholesale enquiries are also welcome. We'd love to share our seeds for you to sell in your own store, and are also happy to discuss growing selected varieties for wholesale purposes to wineries, cafes, etc. in the area. Please click on the image above to enter the tomato section of our webstore. 

Growing your tomatoes...

Here at Homestead HQ we germinate all our seeds in sectioned seedling pots with coir peet. We find it to be the best way to keep the seeds moist without drenching them. It is also a medium which contains no chemical additives or fertilisers, so it is perfect for our organic requirements. Tomatoes are incredibly easy to germinate, often sprouting within the week, two on the outside with an optimum temperature of 20-24 degrees. They can then be divided into individual pots to develop before placing in the garden, or larger pots. They can easily be started in the warmth of an indoor position to get the longest possible growing season.


In the past we have followed the calendar when it came to putting our tomato seedlings in the garden, with little regard for the weather conditions. We have found it critical to the optimum development of the tomatoes to WAIT until all winter chills and winds have passed prior to planting. Here in Cowaramup, we often have to wait until December to remove the seedlings from the greenhouse, however, this results in much quicker developement to full size and fruiting often into june/july. So keep your eye on the weather, not the calendar!


Note that most of our tomatoes are vine varieties, they will need to be supported as they grow, especially for the varieties with large, heavy fruit. It is beneficial to have tomato cages or stakes in place while the plant is still small as trying to arrange and secure branches after growth can result in damage and loss of developing fruit. Adequate support of plants also assists in the flow of air through the foliage, reducing the potential for the spread of mildew.


The final location for your tomatoes is best in full sun, even in the blistering heat of Australia. Be sure to water consistently, this will prevent the fruit splitting, and add blood and bone to the soil to prevent blossom end rot. If you are growing multiple varieties, separation is necessary to reduce the potential for cross-polination... of course, if you'd like some really interesting results that are not necessarily true to type, feel free to mix it up!


You may also be interested in going to our Facebook Page, where there is plenty of information, and we are easily accessible to answer your questions.


Happy planting...

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