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Gardener’s Sweetheart Cherry Tomato
Indeterminate
60 days to maturity
Solanum lycopersicum
We love the endearing heart-shape of these super sweet, crack-resistant cherries that melt in your mouth.
Gardener’s Sweetheart Cherry Tomato also has some of the most marvelous trusses we’ve ever seen, some hanging 18 inches and splitting into two separate trusses for dramatic cascades of fruit, often 20 to 25 per truss. With Gardener’s Sweetheart’s crack-resistance, we sometimes wait for an entire truss to ripen for the most impressive “on the vine” tomatoes we’ve ever seen.
Honoring thousands of years of indigenous seedkeeping as the foundation, we are so thankful for our dear friend and mentor Will Bonsall, legend farmer/breeder/philosopher in Maine, who developed and generously offered this variety to Fruition to share with you. Ten percent of this variety’s sales will return to Will so he can continue breeding fantastic open-pollinated varieties for the Northeast.
Organic Gardener’s Sweetheart Cherry Tomato
Planting Method: Transplant Only
When to sow: 6-8 weeks before last frost
Seed Depth: 1/8 inch Days to Germination: 7-10 at 80°F (27°C)
Sowing and seedling care: Don’t start too early! Sow indoors 2 seeds/cell or soil block, & thin to 1. We recommend sowing on a heat mat at 80°F to emergence, 75°F after. Good light is essential: Younger, less stressed seedlings are healthier and more abundant than older, more stressed seedlings. Pot up to 3-4” pots when first true leaves, submerging 3/4 of the stem below soil.
When to transplant: Harden off & transplant outdoors after frost, again burying stem. Water soil, not leaves. Prune lowest stem “suckers” as they emerge.
Transplant Spacing: 2.5 feet Sun Needs: Full
Days to Harvest: 60
Height: Indeterminate
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Carolyn –
This is an incredible tomato. Disease resistant and very heavy producer. I wouldn’t really call it a cherry tomato. Much bigger than a cherry close to what a commercial vine ripened tomato looks like. I have 8 plants and have picked a bushel this week with another half bushel ready tomorrow. They hold very nicely and are not as juicy as a regular or cherry tomato so I have been using then for sauce to can. Compared to all the other tomatos I have in this year they are outpacing them all.
Robert Slate (verified owner) –
These were a huge hit, with not only the adults, but the children. I had three plants grow, all producing an extraordinary amount of sweet morsels.
I will definitely be growing more plants next year, probably around 10. I had roughly 1000 of these and did not see one of them split, like my regular sweet 100 cherry do.
Sylvia –
We’re so glad to hear they were enjoyed by all Robert! Thank you for being part of our community! -Sylvia and the rest of the Fruition Crew
liz (verified owner) –
absolutely splendid! Out of all the tomatoes I’ve grown this year, this has been the heaviest producer, and that says a lot as it was put up to competition with cherry ember and Italian heirloom. To start, the taste of these tomatoes is just marvelous. It has a nice outer layer that isn’t too squishy but has that perfection. The flavor is ever so sweet, and creamy. Delicious raw and or cooked. Is guaranteed to please anyone. Not only are they delicious, but they are cute as a button! They look adorable on the vine in such a particular shape, just waiting for them to ripen, and when they do, they beam this magnificent fiery red. The plants are extremely healthy, boasting above my height, and extremely sturdy. I highly recommend this variety.