Description
| Seeds | 25 seeds $1.99, 100 seeds $4.75 |
|---|
Ruffled Red Cup (Red, Ruffled Stuffing/Slice Tomato)
Heritage: New Jersey, USA
Listed in the Rutgers University (New Jersey) Agriculture list as a specialty, open-pollinated variety. It is unclear how long these tomatoes have been growing in North America, however, they are considered to be an old-fashion home garden variety among seed savers.
Medium-sized plants produce teacup shaped lobed/ruffled fruits varying in size from 2-4” (5-10cm) in diameter. Skin is bright red, sometimes displaying a light pink blush from the bottom. Excellent stuffer with an easy to remove seed cavity and thick-walled flesh. We found them to be particularly tasty eaten fresh stuffed with crab and avocado salad! Also very satisfying as a slicing tomato! They can be susceptible to cracking with heavy rains. Indeterminate. Matures in 80-90 days. (310 seeds/g)
Indeterminate plants are tall and sprawling continuing to grow and produce fruit until they are eventually killed by frost. This could be your preference if you are looking for a few tomatoes ripening at a time throughout the entire growing season. However, “a few” will vary with the variety you choose. It could mean three-four at a time for the larger varieties, or fifty-sixty at a time for the smaller crudités.
Tips for Growing Tasty Tomatoes!
Tomatoes are heat loving plants that can adapt themselves to almost any growing zone providing there is ample sunshine and the season is long enough to allow the fruits to fully mature. Start seeds indoors in small pots 6 weeks before last frost date by planting them just below the surface of the soil. As the weather warms, harden-off the plants by setting them outside in the sun for a few hours each day. When the ground has fully warmed and the season has stabilized transplant to a sunny area of the garden. Remove all yellow leaves and any buds or flowers that have formed. This allows the plant to concentrate on developing a good deep root system in its new home. Plant deep burying the stem up to the first set of leaves. Plants should be at least 12-18” (30-45cm) apart to allow for ample circulation and room to grow. Most tomatoes do best when support is provided either by using poles, cages or trellising. The most suitable companion plants for tomatoes are; asparagus, chives, onions, parsley, marigolds and carrots. Do not plant near potatoes, corn, turnips, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Tomatoes usually germinate within 5-7days (75-95ºF/24-35ºC).
