Grapette Tomato

Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting mix, keep soil at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and provide bright light once seedlings emerge. Transplants will be ready to move outdoors once they have several true leaves and nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees.

Transplant outdoors after your last spring frost date, when soil has warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor light and wind over 7 to 10 days. Space plants 24 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart, burying the stem deeper than it grew indoors to encourage a stronger root system.

Pick Grapette tomatoes when they reach their full red color and feel slightly soft to the touch; at just 0.5 ounces each, they ripen quickly and should be harvested regularly to keep the plant producing. Since they grow in clusters of 16 to 40, you can often pick an entire cluster at once when all fruits on it have colored, making harvest remarkably fast and satisfying. Begin picking around day 70 to 79 from transplant, and continue harvesting every 2 to 3 days during peak season to encourage the plant to keep flowering and fruiting.

As a semi-determinate hybrid, Grapette naturally stays more compact than indeterminate varieties, but light pruning helps. Remove the lowest leaves once the plant is established to improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure. You can also remove some of the many side shoots in early season to channel energy into the main stem and fruit clusters, though Grapette is so prolific that even moderate pruning won't significantly reduce your harvest.