Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum

Common Name: Tomato 'Tropic'

Family: Solanaceae

Origin:

This open-pollinated heirloom tomato variety was bred in the 1960's in the USA for growing in the warm, humid climate of Florida.

Culinary Uses:

Tropic is a great medium-sized, all-rounder red tomato variety.  Excellent sliced on sandwiches, diced and added to salads or cooked in stews and sauces. 

Growing Tips:

Choose a growing site that receives full sun for best fruit production, but tomatoes will also produce well in very light shade.  Add organic fertiliser, worm castings, compost or well rotted manure to the soil prior to planting.  Leggy seedlings can be planted deep into the soil up to their first set of leaves, they will root all the way along the buried stem creating a strong, healthy root system.  Tropic is an indeterminate tomato variety that grows as a vine which will need staking or caging to support the weight of fruits and keep plants off the ground.  Water tomatoes evenly and regularly to prevent fruits from cracking, splitting or rotting.  Avoid watering the leaves to prevent fungal diseases, you can trim off a few of the lower leaves to prevent water splashing on them.  Hand pollination may be required if fruit set is poor, using an electric toothbrush can help to provide the vibrations that cause tomato flowers to release their pollen.  Native blue banded bees are excellent pollinators of tomatoes and can be attracted to your garden by planting perennial salvia plants around your tomato patch.  Tropic tomatoes have resistance to several forms of disease that cause blight and wilting.  This variety is well suited to growing in warm, humid climates.

When To Sow:

In temperate areas of Australia sow Tropic tomato seed in September or November.  In subtropical areas of Australia sow from March to September, but avoid sowing during Winter if there is any chance of damaging frosts.  In tropical areas of Australia sow Tropic tomato seeds from May to July.

How To Sow:

Sow Tropic tomato seeds 6mm deep spacing tomato vines about 60cm apart to allow plenty of room for growth.

Germination Time:

Tomato seeds take between 7 and 13 days to germinate once sown.

Time To Harvest:

Your first Tropic tomatoes should be ripe and ready to harvest 11 to 14 weeks after sowing the seed.