🌱 Make this Your Best Tomato Season Ever with Hannah Moloney
In our very first episode, your host Paul West is joined by permaculture gardener, educator, and tomato-loving legend Hannah Moloney. Hannah takes you on a deep dive into the wonderfully complex (and joyfully chaotic) world of growing tomatoes at home. From choosing seeds to building microclimates and preserving your harvest, Hannah shares decades of hands-on wisdom. Whether you’re a first-time grower or seasoned gardener, this episode is packed with tips, hacks, and inspiration to help you grow better tomatoes
“There’s about 100 right ways to grow a tomato — find the one that works for you.”
Hannah Maloney
🧭 In This Episode
- The importance of seed diversity and how to access heirlooms
- Choosing between determinate vs. indeterminate tomato varieties
- The lowdown on heirloom vs. hybrid seeds (and busting myths about GMOs)
- Hannah’s go-to DIY seed-raising mix (including regional tweaks)
- How to build microclimates: from sunny kitchen benches to DIY cold frames and greenhouses
- The trench planting technique that will change your tomato game forever
- Fertilising tips: when, how, and how much
- A practical, no-fuss approach to trellising tomatoes
- Dealing with pests, blossom end rot, and the dreaded fruit fly
- How to harvest, ripen, and preserve your crop (even the green ones!)
- Seed saving 101 — and the funky trick involving paper towels
💡 Top Tips from Hannah
- “There’s about 100 right ways to grow a tomato — find the one that works for you.”
- “Lay them down, not deep! Trench planting in the topsoil layer = more roots, better plants.”
- “Be ruthless with seedlings. If they’re floppy or pale, let them go.”
- “Good soil and a biodiverse garden are your best defense against pests.”
- “Preserve your harvest — future-you will thank you in the depths of winter.”
🛠️ Resources & Mentions
- DIY greenhouse ideas using salvaged windows and bricks
- Seed saving using fermentation method
- Favourite heirloom: the elusive ‘George’ tomato from Tassie
- Liquid feeds: worm juice, seaweed, weed teas
- Wicking beds & warm-climate mulch tips
- Garden folklore: eggs in the planting hole and tomatoes that grow sideways!
🗣️ Listener Q&A Highlights
- Fresh sawdust? Only if it’s aged — fresh can suck nutrients and suppress growth.
- Best potting-up mix? Boost compost and add seaweed or worm juice once true leaves appear.
- Wicking beds? Brilliant for dry regions — just match bed depth to tomato type.
- Fruit fly? Healthy plants + netting + good garden hygiene.
Cockatoos? Netting, dog patrol, and “cosh” covers.
If you enjoyed this episode:
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- 🧑🌾 Tag us @growitlocal on Instagram with your tomato tips and garden setups
🎙️ About Our Guest
Hannah Moloney is a permaculture designer, educator, and author based in nipaluna/Hobart. She’s the founder of Good Life Permaculture, a passionate advocate for climate-positive gardening, and a familiar face from ABC TV’s Gardening Australia.
📚 Learn more at www.goodlifepermaculture.com.au
This episode was made possible by our Local Government Partners from around Australia, as well as our friends at Cyclone Tools, Pope and Backyard Farmer
