How to grow tomatoes in a raised bed

Tomatoes are the most popular crop in the Aussie backyard, and a raised bed is about the best home you can give them — warm soil, deep root room and no bending to tie them up. Here's how to grow a cracking crop.

Quick facts:

• Position: full sun, 6+ hours a day.
• Spacing: 40–60 cm apart.
• Tub depth: our 35 cm or 41 cm depth suits them best — tomatoes are hungry, deep-rooted feeders.
• Time to harvest: roughly 10–14 weeks from planting.
• Support: a stake or trellis — they need something to climb.

When to plant: in most of Australia tomatoes go in from after the last frost in spring through summer; in frost-free and tropical areas the window is longer. Our free planting calendar shows the right months for your postcode.

Growing them in a raised bed: fill with a good premium potting mix and plant your seedlings deep — bury two-thirds of the stem and they'll grow roots all the way up for a sturdier plant. Add a trellis or stake at planting time so you're not disturbing roots later, and tie the stems in as they grow. A raised bed's warm, free-draining soil is exactly what tomatoes love.

Watering and feeding: water deeply and consistently — irregular watering is the main cause of split fruit and blossom-end rot. A drip watering system makes it easy. Tomatoes are heavy feeders, so once the fruit sets, feed every couple of weeks; a pelletised food like Dynamic Lifter is ideal.

Common pests: keep an eye out for aphids, caterpillars (including tomato fruitworm), whiteflies and thrips. Most are easily managed — our safe pest guide walks through the gentle-first approach.

Common diseases: the main ones are powdery mildew, blossom-end rot and early blight. Good airflow, morning watering and steady moisture prevent most of them.

Companion plants: basil, marigolds and carrots are classic tomato companions — see our companion planting guide.

Harvest and storage: pick when the fruit is fully coloured and gives slightly to a gentle squeeze. Keep tomatoes on the bench, not in the fridge — cold kills the flavour. Any green tomatoes at season's end will ripen indoors.

Plan your patch: our free planting calendar shows what to plant now where you live. Ready to grow? Browse our raised garden beds or build your own with the garden bed builder.

Image: Kolforn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.