Pride of the Trials Tomato

Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost, sowing them 1/4 inch deep in warm soil kept at 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintain consistent moisture and provide bright light as soon as seedlings emerge. Once seedlings develop true leaves and are 3 to 4 inches tall, pot them up into larger containers to encourage strong root development before transplanting outdoors.

Transplant hardened-off seedlings outdoors after the last frost date, when soil has warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, spacing them 24 inches apart with 36 inches between rows. These indeterminate vines will benefit from immediate trellising or staking, so set up support structures at planting time rather than later in the season.

Harvest when fruits reach their full apricot color and yield slightly to gentle pressure, typically 70 to 79 days after transplanting. Because the fruits grow in clusters of 6 to 8, you can often harvest multiple ripe tomatoes at once. Pick in the morning when the fruit is coolest, and continue harvesting throughout the growing season to encourage ongoing flower and fruit production on the indeterminate vine.

As an indeterminate variety that can reach 3 to 8 feet tall, this tomato benefits from selective pruning of suckers (shoots that grow between the main stem and branches) to direct energy toward fruit production and improve air circulation. Remove the lowest leaves once the plant is established to prevent soil-borne diseases from splashing onto the foliage. Regular pruning of excess foliage also helps ripening fruit receive adequate light.