Honeybee Tomato

Start Honeybee seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting mix, keeping soil warm at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit for best germination. Provide bright light once seedlings emerge, keeping them under grow lights or in a sunny window to prevent leggy growth.

Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days before transplanting. Move them outside only after your last frost date has passed and soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, ideally 65 to 70 degrees. Space transplants 24 inches apart with rows 36 inches apart.

Pick Honeybee tomatoes when they turn a deep golden-yellow color, which signals peak ripeness and sweetness. Ripe fruits should yield slightly to gentle pressure and detach easily from the vine with a light twist. Because they ripen in clusters, you can often harvest multiple fruits at once. Begin harvesting around 60 days from transplant, and continue picking as clusters mature throughout the growing season to keep the plant producing.

The semi-determinate growth habit of Honeybee requires lighter pruning than full indeterminate types. Remove lower leaves as the plant grows to improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure, but avoid over-stripping foliage, which can stress the plant and reduce fruit quality. Pinch off suckers selectively if the plant becomes too dense, but resist the urge to heavily prune this variety, as it needs adequate leaf coverage to shade and protect its abundant fruit clusters from sunscald.