Sweetie Tomato Seeds

This prolific early cherry tomato was first introduced to the seed market in 1980 by the Petoseed Company, based in Ventura, California. As the name suggests, this variety produces very sweet cherry tomato, probably the sweetest you will ever taste. With a sugar content of 12-14 percent on average, you won’t even need to add sugar if you make juice or preserves!

This open-pollinated indeterminate plant can grow up to 8 feet tall, so good support is essential. Sweetie is so productive, in fact, you will need a bucket or a wheelbarrow to harvest the tiny fruits that keep popping up until the first fall frosts. The plants can still produce in less-than-ideal conditions, and they are tolerant of cool and wet climates. This prolific producer will reward you with tons of 1-inch tiny fruits, usually ranging from 12-25 per cluster, maturing to orange and turning bright red when fully ripe. Spectacular and very productive when grown on a paneled trellis, sweetie is adaptable to container gardening as well. You could even plant them in hanging pots and conveniently harvest the tomatoes dangling towards the ground.

 

- Latin Name: Solanum lycopersicum
- Life Cycle: Annual
- Days to Maturity: 50-80
- Planting Depth: 5 mm - 1 cm
- Plant Spacing: 45-60 cm
- Row Spacing: 120 cm
- Growth Habit: Indeterminate

GROWING INSTRUCTIONS

For most folks, tomatoes are an indispensable summer fruit. There are scores of heirloom varieties showcasing different shapes, sizes, colors, flavours and textures. Tap into this large selection when starting from seed. You have the ability to grow and eat your perfect tomato!

Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last spring frost date. In flats or individual pots, plant seeds at 1 cm. Make sure soil stays warm and moist. The ideal temperature for germination is 21°C. Keep seedlings under lights, a few centimeters away from the top of the plants and adjust as needed. An oscillating fan will provide the young plants some resistance. This will result in stockier stems and more structurally sound tomato plants. Seedlings should be hardened off a week prior to transplanting.

When the soil is 16°c and all danger of frost has passed it is time to transplant. Pinch off any sets of lower leaves that are yellow or faded so more of the stem can be buried. Place roots deeply into the hole to the point that the bottom leaves are just above the surface of the soil. Roots will sprout from the stalk and provide a stronger base for the plant.

Provide a site with full sun and well-drained soil. Water well, about 5cm/week, mulch and feed every two weeks. Leave fruits on the vine to ripen as long as possible.

There are two main categories of tomato plants: determinate and indeterminate.

A determinate tomato is a bush-type plant, usually reaching about three to four feet tall, making them ideal for the small-space gardener. The fruits of a determinate tomato plant ripen all at once, which is useful for those who want to grow tomatoes for canning.

Indeterminate tomatoes grow continuously until the first frost and can reach six to twenty feet in height. Indeterminate plants produce tomatoes all season long for a continuous harvest.

If indeterminate varieties are being grown, be sure to set up tall trellises or cages to support the wandering vines. One sturdy stake and some twine should suffice for determinate varieties.

Tomatoes can easily be frozen whole, but never refrigerate a tomato. This will deteriorate its fresh garden taste and texture. Enjoy fresh throughout the season and make multiple batches of sauce and salsa to savour through the winter.

QUICK FACTS

- The ancestor of the tomato is native to South America, where the wild versions are the size of peas. The Spanish first introduced tomatoes to Europe during the 1500s. Unique varieties were developed over the next several hundred years to improve production, size, shape, colour, and flavour.

- Tomato seeds will remain viable for 5 years if stored in a cool, dark place, ideally between 4 and 10⁰C. After that, the germination rate may start to go down.