Green Sausage Tomato

Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds at a depth of approximately 1/4 inch in seed-starting mix kept warm and moist. Provide bright light once seedlings emerge.

Transplant seedlings outdoors after your last frost date when soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Harden off plants by exposing them gradually to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Space plants 24 inches apart with 36 inches between rows, and install stakes or cages at planting time to support the indeterminate growth habit.

Pick Green Sausage tomatoes when they have matured to full green color with faint yellow striping, typically 100 to 109 days after transplanting. The fruit should feel slightly yielding to gentle pressure but still firm. Harvest by gently twisting and pulling the fruit from the vine, or use pruners to avoid damaging branches. Continue harvesting regularly to encourage the plant to produce more fruit. Green tomatoes can continue to ripen off the vine in a warm location if needed.

As an indeterminate variety, Green Sausage will continue growing and producing fruit throughout the season. Remove the bottom 6 to 8 inches of foliage as plants mature to improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure. Pruning suckers (shoots that emerge between the main stem and branches) is optional but keeping a few on the plant can increase yields without sacrificing quality. Focus pruning efforts on maintaining clear access to fruit and ensuring light reaches the center of the plant.