WILLVINE XLL-443 Bush Goliath Tomato Seeds Seed  (200 per packet)

PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS Sow seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the tether end of the winter-spring. Two weeks before transplanting seedlings outdoors, till the soil to about 1 foot and mix in aged manure, compost, or fertilizer. Harden off transplants for a week before planting them outside. Transplant after the last spring frost when the ground is warm. Establish tomato cages in the ground at the time of founding. Support is recommended. Plant seedlings two feet apart. Pinch off a few lower branches of the transplants, and plant the root ball deep enough so that the remaining lowest leaves are barely above the surface of ground. GROWING REQUIREMENTS WATERING Water thoroughly to encourage the tomato roots to look for water and nutrients deep in the ground. When watering, soak the soil to a depth of at least 6 to 8 inches. PESTS The pests that attack tomatoes might cause symptoms like chewed stem, defoliation, holes in leaves etc. Main pests which prove harmful to the plant are: Aphids, Flea Beetles, Tomato Hornworm, Whiteflies, Blossom-End Rot, Late Blight, Mosaic Virus. SOIL Tomatoes like a well drained, deep and loamy (rich with sand, silt and clay) soil with a pH ranging between 6.0 to 6.8 SPOT Tomatoes need a minimum of 6 hours of sun to produce fruit, but 8 or more hours of sun will produce the best results. TEMPERATURE Tomatoes need consistent night temperatures between 12 degree Celsius and 24 C (55°F and 75°F) to set fruit. Fruit will not colour properly when night temperatures stay above 29 C (85°F), and plants will cease growing when temperatures go above 35 C (95°F). WATERING Water thoroughly to encourage the tomato roots to look for water and nutrients deep in the ground. When watering, soak the soil to a depth of at least 6 to 8 inches. HOW TO HARVEST Leave your tomatoes on the vine for as long as possible. If a tomato falls off before they are ripe, place them in a paper bag with the stalk up and store them in a cool, gloomy spot. Never place tomatoes on a sunny windowsill to ripen; they may rot before they are ripe! The perfect tomato for picking will be solid and very cherry in gloss, regardless of size, with maybe some yellow remaining around the shank. A ripe tomato will be only slightly soft. Never refrigerate fresh tomatoes. Doing so spoils the texture that makes up that garden tomato taste. To freeze, core fresh, unblemished tomatoes and put the entire produce in freezer bags or containers. Seal tightly, label, and freeze. The peels will slide away when they defrost. You can harvest seeds from some tomato varieties.