Top tomatoes to grow now!

Leonie Shanahan lives on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, where she grows heirloom tomatoes suited to a subtropical and tropical climate. Here’s her two of her favourites.

‘Amish Paste’ (below)

The ‘Amish Paste’ is an indeterminate that grows tall and produces prolifically, so ensure a sturdy support. They are similar in shape to romas but larger and with rich, deep flavour. They have lots of flesh and not much seed, so excellent for pasta sauce. 

‘Yellow Pear’ Cherry (below)

I want low-maintenance, easy to harvest food plants and ‘Yellow Pear’ cherry tomato is that. It’s an indeterminate, hardy, vigorous heirloom and a good producer. Stake to allow easy harvesting, increased air flow and to prevent tomatoes from rotting on the ground. Grows in pots successfully. It produces sweet, tangy, bright-yellow fruit in clusters. A vibrant addition to salads, whole or sliced. 

Leonie’s top tip for tomato growing success: Pruning lower leaves
allows more air flow, increases the yield as less energy is used in leaf production, and prevents soil splashing onto the leaves which can promote soil-borne diseases. Healthy pruned leaves can be placed
on the soil to feed the soil microbes which will feed your plant.
Always water the soil not the leaves.

These tips first appeared in out Spring 2022 issue (OG 136), which was filled with our top tomato favourites plus expert tips to help you with a successful harvest. There’s a selection of back issues available here — you can also subscribe and get the most recent issues delivered to your door!