Growing Roma (italian) Tomatoes

[Smithson]

I recently returned from farangland and bought back some Roma tomatoes, which I prefer from to the local variety.

I've grown these before, but not in Thailand. I'm concerned that it may be too hot here. The packet recommends full sun, but I'm concerned it'll be too hot, especially with the hot season approaching.

Does any one have any advice? I'm also looking to grow rocket salad, sweet basil, oregano and italian parsely.

[sbk]

Roma should be ok, they tend to handle hot weather fairly well, don't know about full sun tho

Don't know that Rocket will grow (Arugula) as I believe it is a cool climate herb.

[chownah]

shade cloth will cut the sunlight to whatever level you want...it is readily available throughout thailand

[Pink Mist]

keep the afternoon sun away, shade cloth as mentioned or place in a north south facing location

the western sun is the killer

[COBBER]

They will grow , but the biggest problem is keeping out the bugs. They look perfect untill you slice them and find little bugs. Dont really know what the solution is.

[Smithson]

Thanks alot for all the help. Has anybody tried oregano, basil and Italian parsley?

To keep away the bugs I might try spraying a mixture of chillies and garlic.

[sbk]

I've grown basil before, not commercially mind you, just a few plants for the backyard but of different kinds. Biggest problem can be aphids but usually the plants are ok.

I've never been able to get oregano to germinate

[Somtham]

I've grown basil before, not commercially mind you, just a few plants for the backyard but of different kinds. Biggest problem can be aphids but usually the plants are ok.

I've never been able to get oregano to germinate

In the US they sell what is called "Thai Sweet Basil" but I'm not sure what that is called in Thailand. We grow "grapow" and "holapa" sp? here in KPP and they both do well. The grapow which I think is the Thai basil is much spicier that the holapa.

Like sbl we just grow a half dozen of each for home consumption. Pad grapow gai is my favorite Thai dish.

rgds

[macb]

my wife has got some herbs growing in the garden and sugar cane for cooking she did plant the small tomatoes similar to I think its money maker and they were good, planted under one of the fruit trees same as her chilli bushes planted under mango trees

[sbk]

I have lots of the Thai basil --but I meant Italian type sweet basil. Large leaf has grown well for me in the past, as has the cinnamon.

Like the oregano, I brought the seeds from home. Shhh...

[Smithson]

I'm also just growing for home, I like pasta and it's difficult to get ripe tomatoes over here, the Roma ones are great.

[sceadugenga]

Depends on where you are, I buy tomatoes here so cheap it's not worth growing them; including Roma the best tomato for sauce. They grow them in the mountains around Chiang Rai but I think that the more tropical you get the more problem you're going to have with humidity rather than heat. Fungus will flourish on both the fruit and the leaves and you'll need to watch for it constantly. My father taught me the art of tomato growing and he always said they should only be watered at the roots, not from overhead, for this reason. Personally I'd be looking at some thing a bit hardier like Gross Lisse probably the best flavoured of them all anyway.

[Smithson]

Depends on where you are, I buy tomatoes here so cheap it's not worth growing them; including Roma the best tomato for sauce. They grow them in the mountains around Chiang Rai but I think that the more tropical you get the more problem you're going to have with humidity rather than heat. Fungus will flourish on both the fruit and the leaves and you'll need to watch for it constantly. My father taught me the art of tomato growing and he always said they should only be watered at the roots, not from overhead, for this reason. Personally I'd be looking at some thing a bit hardier like Gross Lisse probably the best flavoured of them all anyway.

thanks for the tips, any idea where I can get Gross Lisse seeds from?

[sceadugenga]

Depends on where you are, I buy tomatoes here so cheap it's not worth growing them; including Roma the best tomato for sauce. They grow them in the mountains around Chiang Rai but I think that the more tropical you get the more problem you're going to have with humidity rather than heat. Fungus will flourish on both the fruit and the leaves and you'll need to watch for it constantly. My father taught me the art of tomato growing and he always said they should only be watered at the roots, not from overhead, for this reason. Personally I'd be looking at some thing a bit hardier like Gross Lisse probably the best flavoured of them all anyway.

thanks for the tips, any idea where I can get Gross Lisse seeds from?

Your profile's not very forthcoming about where you're from of where you live now, but Gross Lisse seeds are readily available in Australia but possibly they have a different name else where. Every Thai city or larger town have shops that sell garden products and seeds. I've seen a number of tomato seeds in packets but if you don't read Thai you'll have to take a translator. From my way of thinking the tomatoes from these seeds would be suited to Thai conditions. I wouldn't recommend saving seed from market tomatoes as if they're hybrids the seed won't throw true.

[loong]

Re- awakening an old thread.

Any reports on successful tomato growing?

The best results I have had are with gartenperle - a small bush tomato. But very short lived compared to growing in england.

[bubbaba]

I'm also just growing for home, I like pasta and it's difficult to get ripe tomatoes over here, the Roma ones are great.

I am planting my first garden ever in Thailand now so I don't know how the old tricks that I know work. Anyway, back home in Florida I would pick my tomatoes when they first started turning red. Then I put them upside down on a sunny window ledge until fully ripe. You get an added benefit--you get the tomato before the bugs do.