Zapotec Oaxacan Ribbed Tomato

Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date, sowing at a depth of approximately 1/4 inch in warm, moist seed-starting mix. Keep soil at 70-75°F for consistent germination. Provide bright light immediately after sprouting to prevent leggy seedlings.

Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost has passed and soil temperatures reach at least 60°F, ideally 65-70°F. Harden off plants over 7-10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Plant at 24-inch spacing with rows 36 inches apart, burying the stem deeper than it was growing in the pot to encourage strong root development.

Harvest fruits when they reach their full pink color and yield slightly to gentle pressure, typically 80-89 days after transplanting. The distinctive ruffled shape becomes most apparent as the fruit matures. Pick tomatoes in the morning when they're coolest, twisting gently or using pruners to avoid damaging the vine. You can harvest fruits at the breaker stage (when color first shows) and ripen them indoors if needed.

As an indeterminate variety, this tomato will grow continuously throughout the season and benefits from selective pruning to manage size and improve air circulation. Remove suckers (shoots that emerge where branches meet the main stem) on lower portions of the plant to reduce disease pressure and direct energy toward fruit production. Prune away lower leaves once fruit has set to improve air flow around the base where moisture problems often begin.