DALIDA - Open Pollinated Field Tomato Seeds

Fill cells or pots with seed-starting mix and make a dent about ¼ in (5 mm) deep in the center of each. Drop one seed into each dent, cover, water well, and allow to drain. Place the pot in a propagator with a clear lid or cover it loosely with a clear plastic bag: both act like a mini-greenhouse, keeping in heat and moisture. Place on a warm, bright windowsill early in spring and plant outdoors as soon as the risk of frost has passed. Alternatively, the plants can be kept indoors for an earlier crop. When seedlings emerge, remove the lid or bag to reduce humidity. Water regularly and turn pots daily to prevent seedlings bending toward the light. 

POTTING ON: Repot young plants into progressively larger pots as they grow, space them out as much as possible on the windowsill. In late spring, begin acclimatizing the plants to outdoor conditions by moving them outside for longer periods each day; after two weeks they can be left out overnight. When potting on, avoid holding young lants by the stem, which can bruise easily. 

PLANTING OUT: Choose a container at least 9 in (23 cm) in diameter and fill it to about 2 in (5 cm) from the top with potting mix. Alternatively cut two planting holes in the top of a grow bag or prepare a bed of soil, enriched with well decomposed compost or manure. Once the risk of frost is over, plant the young tomatoes in your chosen spot slightly deeper than they were growing in their original pots; water in thoroughly. 

WATER: At first, water plants in pots regularly, but avoid overwatering. Plants in the ground initially need watering only during dry weather. Once the flowers form, water regularly to keep the roots consistently moist, or install a drip irrigation system which delivers water efficiently directly to the base of the plant. Container plants will need watering daily. 

FEED: Use a high potash fertilizer, such as liquid tomato fertilizer, at alternate waterings once the first fruits form. 

PROTECT: Cover plants with fleece if a cold night is forecast. Manually remove slugs and snails from around the plants.  

Vine-ripened tomatoes have the sweetest taste; pick fruits as they ripen and eat as soon as possible. Never store tomatoes in the fridge as it destroys the intensity of their flavor. As the weather cools in fall pick all remaining fruit and ripen in a bowl indoors. Avoid placing on a sunny windowsill to ripen because they may rot. When picking, pull tomatoes gently by holding the stem with one hand and the fruit with the other, breaking the stalk just above the calyx.