"Lycopersicon lycopersicum: No doubt a lot of cherry tomatoes go straight from the vine to the gardener’s mouth. Ahhh! These easy-to-grow small tomatoes come in various plant sizes, flavors, and fruit characteristics. Some plants are small, like Early Cherry, and are suitable for large pots. Other plants, like Sun Gold, are viney and suited to trellising. Eating qualities vary distinctly from sweet to tart, fruity to tomatoey, juicy to meaty. You are sure to find one, or several, you prefer. Even people with brown thumbs can grow a good crop of cherry tomatoes!

CULTURE: Sow seeds indoors into sterile seedling mix 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost. Plant 1/4-1/2 inch deep, water lightly, and cover with plastic or a Propagation Dome to keep the seeds from drying out. Optimum soil temperature for germination: 70-90°F. Days to emergence: 6-14. When the first set of true leaves has emerged, up-pot into 3-4 inch pots and place in an area with full light and cooler temperatures (60-70°F). This will help prevent legginess. Water carefully, allowing the soil to dry on the surface between watering, but don’t let the plants wilt. Fertilize with fish emulsion every 10-14 days. Seven to ten days before you want to transplant outside, set the plants in a sheltered area outdoors to harden off. Bring in or cover at night to protect from frost. After the danger of frost has passed, transplant into well worked garden soil. Blend 1/4 cup of our complete fertilizer into the soil around each plant. If you have acid soils or have been bothered by blossom end rot, a handful of bone meal should also be added. Space determinate varieties 18-24 inches apart and indeterminate varieties 20-30 inches apart. Allow 36-48 inches between rows. If your plants have become leggy, plant them deeper; the stems will actually sprout roots. Water very lightly at first, allowing the stems to adapt. To promote early growth and better yields use season extending products such as Wallo' Waters, Kozy Coats, Solar Bell Cloches, or Red Plastic Mulch. Refer to the Garden Accessories section of this catalog.
DETERMINATE/INDETERMINATE: Determinate varieties spread laterally and therefore do not require staking. Determinate varieties ripen at once so are a good choice for gardeners who love to can. Indeterminate varieties grow vertically until the bitter end and need to be staked or trellised for best production. They produce fruit until frost, leaving you some green tomatoes at the end of the season.
INSECTS/PESTS: Use Rotenone-Pyrethrin or crop row covers to discourage flea beetles early in the season, when they can be most destructive. Tomato hornworms can be controlled with Bacillus thuringienses (a bacteria also known as BT) sold as Thuricide.
DISEASES: Natural genetic plant resistance is the best form of disease control. For diseases like early and late blight, a strict 3 year rotation and a sanitation program that includes destroying all the vines at the end of the year are your best defenses. Contact your local county extension agent for more information.
SEED SPECS: Minimum germination standard: 80%. Usual seed life: 3 years. Days to maturity are calculated from date of transplanting; add 30-35 days if direct seeding. Approximately 35-40 seeds per 1/8 gram, about 300 seeds per gram; 1/4 ounce is 7 grams.

Sampler: 1/8 gram
Packet: 1 gram
Unless otherwise noted.

KEY TO TOMATO DISEASE RESISTANCE AND TOLERANCE
ASC...Alternaria Stem Canker
EB...Early Blight
F1...Fusarium Wilt, Race 1
F2...Fusarium Wilt, Race 2
LB...Late Blight, Types US8 and US11
N...Nematodes
St...Stemphylium - Gray Leaf Spot
TMV...Tobacco Mosaic Virus
ToMV...Tomato Mosaic Virus, Strains 0, 1, and 2
V...Verticillium Wilt, Race 1"