Garden Gem Tomatoes

Garden to Table Goodness. This semi-determinate, snack-size tomato has been hailed as a breakthrough. It was developed to have true heirloom taste, with modern disease resistance and high fruit yield. It has firm, juicy fruit with a smooth, balanced flavor. These plants will produce tomatoes for an extended period of time and thrives in heat and humidity. Fruit ripens in about 60-65 days from transplant. If you grow them from seed, the first mature fruit will take 81 to 93 days.

STARTING SEEDLINGS
Start indoors about 8 weeks before outdoor night temperatures are reliably in the 55° (13°C) range. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart in a container of seed starting mix. Keep moist but not soggy and very warm, 75°F (24°C). Provide a strong light source until seedlings are ready to plant outside. When they are 2 inches tall, transplant into 4 inch pots, burying stems up to base of leaves. Maintain around 70°F (21°C). Feed with half-strength fertilizer every 2 weeks until weather is warm enough to gradually acclimate seedlings to outdoor conditions. Transplant these vigorous indeterminate climbers 3 feet apart into rich soil in full sun.

HARVEST AND USE
Pick fruits when fully colored for best flavor. Enjoy for sweet snacks right out of the garden, in salads or stuffed with herbed cream cheese.

GROWING NOTES
Prepare soil well with aged manure or compost. Plant tomatoes several inches deeper than they were growing in pots. Provide strong stakes or tall wire cages at planting time as plants grow tall with heavy fruit loads. Mulch to provide the even moisture that prevents cracking. Don’t overwater once fruit begins to ripen.

Soil temperature: 75 - 80 degrees fahrenheit
Seeding depth: 0.25 - 0.5 inches
Germination days: 6 - 14 days
Grow on temperature day: 60 - 65 degrees fahrenheit
Weeks indoor: 5 - 6 weeks
Maturation days: 65 days