Chelsea OP Tomato

Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in warm soil kept at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Seedlings will emerge in 5 to 10 days. Provide bright light once sprouted, and maintain consistent moisture without waterlogging.

Transplant seedlings outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil temperatures reach at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, ideally wait for 65 to 70 degrees for faster establishment. Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Space plants 24 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart. Bury the stem deep if it's leggy; tomatoes will root along buried stem sections for a stronger plant.

Pick cherry tomatoes when they reach full color and yield slightly to gentle pressure but are still firm. For Chelsea OP, this typically occurs 60 to 69 days after transplanting. Harvest in the early morning when the fruit is coolest for best flavor and shelf life. Leaving the vine to fully ripen develops maximum sweetness, but you can pick tomatoes at the breaker stage (just beginning to show color) and ripen them indoors if frost is approaching. Continue harvesting regularly throughout the season; this encourages the plant to keep producing new flowers.

As an indeterminate variety, Chelsea OP will grow indefinitely until frost stops it, so light pruning helps direct energy to fruit production and improves air circulation. Once the plant is 12 to 18 inches tall and flowering, remove suckers (shoots growing between the main stem and branches) on the lower portion of the plant to focus energy upward. Remove lower leaves once the plant is established to reduce disease pressure and improve airflow. In late summer, consider removing the top 4 to 6 inches of new growth to redirect energy from new flowers toward ripening existing fruit before frost arrives.