Natural, untreated and GMO-free seeds. Hybrid seeds
Vine-ripened tomatoes taste the best. Pick fruits as they ripen and eat them as soon as possible. Never store tomatoes in the refrigerator as this destroys the intensity of their flavor. When the weather cools in the fall, pick any remaining fruit and ripen it in a bowl indoors. Avoid placing them on a sunny windowsill to ripen as they may rot. When picking, gently pull the tomatoes by holding the stem in one hand and the fruit in the other, snapping the stem just above the calyx.
POTTING: Repot young plants in increasingly larger pots as they grow. In late spring, begin acclimating plants to outdoor conditions by moving them outside for longer periods each day. After two weeks they can be left out overnight. When repotting, avoid holding young plants by the stem, which can easily be damaged.
PLANTING: Choose a container at least (23 cm) in diameter and fill it about (5 cm) from the top with potting soil enriched with compost or composted manure. Once the risk of frost has passed, plant the young tomatoes in the chosen location a little deeper than they were growing in their original pots; water well.
WATER: At first, water potted plants regularly, but avoid overwatering. Plants in the ground initially only need watering in dry weather. Once flowers form, water regularly to keep the roots consistently moist or install a drip irrigation system that efficiently delivers water directly to the base of the plants. Potted plants will need to be watered daily.
