Professional Growing Information We have grown this tomato for 3 years now and we are liking it more and more. The plant stays on the small side but we get a good proliferation of nice tomatoes. They are golf ball sized with a little point on the bottom. We yield guite an abundance of them and they are ready very EARLY! They were even earlier than our Early Girls. We will definitely grow again every year. I couldn’t give it 5 stars as I don’t think it’s terribly disease resistant. However, still very pleased.
Tempting Tomatoes® 'Garden Gem' Solanum lycopersicum
Exposure
- Sun
Flower Season
- Spring
- Summer
Mature Size
Height: 2'6" - 3'6"
Spread: 12" - 20"
Height: 76cm - 1.1m
Spread: 30cm - 51cm
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Details
30 - 42 Inches24 - 30 Inches12 - 20 Inches76cm - 1.1m61cm - 76cm30cm - 51cmFeatures
Garden to Table Goodness. This semi-determinate, snack-size tomato has been hailed as a breakthrough. It was developed to have true heirloom taste, with modern disease resistance and high fruit yield. It has firm, juicy fruit with a smooth, balanced flavor. These plants will produce tomatoes for an extended period of time and thrives in heat and humidity. Fruit ripens in about 60-65 days from transplant. If you grow them from seed, the first mature fruit will take 81 to 93 days.
Taxonomists recently changed the the genus and species for tomatoes. Lycopersicon esculentum has changed to Solanum lycopersicum.
Award WinnerEdibleLong BloomingHeat TolerantCharacteristics
Plant Type:AnnualHeight Category:TallGarden Height:30 - 42 Inches 76cm - 1.1mSpacing:24 - 30 Inches 61cm - 76cmSpread:12 - 20 Inches 30cm - 51cmFlower Colors:YellowFlower Shade:yellowFoliage Colors:GreenFoliage Shade:GreenHabit:UprightContainer Role:ThrillerPlant Needs
Light Requirement:SunThe optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours).
Maintenance Category:ModerateBloom Time:Planting To FrostHardiness Zones:10a, 10b, 11a, 11bWater Category:ConsistentSoil Fertility Requirement:Average SoilSoil Fertility Requirement:Fertile SoilUses:ContainerUses:LandscapeUses:Specimen or Focal PointUses Notes:This is a garden tomato that will prolifically produce snack-sized tomatoes with truly fantastic taste. They grow large in the landscape, but when grown in a container they are more contained in size. They do need to be staked or caged to grow them successfully. This tomato will produce fruit for an extended period of time. If you are growing this plant in a container, a 14" diameter (5 gallon volume) is the minimum necessary size. The ideal size size would be a 16" to 20" (7-10 gallon) container. Be sure to provide support by using a tomato cage or other structure in the container.
Maintenance Notes:Seeds can be started indoors 5-6 weeks before the last frost in your area. Seeds should be planted about 1/8" into the soil then transplant the seedlings outdoors after all risk of frost has passed. You can also direct sow into your garden or pots outdoors after the threat of frost has passed. However, starting seeds indoors will give you a substantial head-start for harvesting your first tomatoes.
When germinating the seeds, be sure to keep the soil temperature at 75-90° until the seeds sprout. The temperatures can be decreased a bit once the plants are up and growing. The number of days to germination is 5-10.
Once the seedlings are a few inches tall and growing well, you may want to thin out the number of seedlings. One plant in a cell or pot would be ideal. If you are direct seeding into the ground, thin seedlings until they are 24 to 30 inches apart. Rows should be about 3 feet apart.
'Garden Gem' fruit ripens in about 60-65 days from transplant. If you grow them from seed, the first mature fruit will take 81 to 93 days.
Determinate tomatoes do not grow as large as indeterminate tomatoes. You will need to use a tomato cage or staking of some sort to support the plants. They will need to be kept from getting excessively dry. Consistent watering and regular fertilization will be key to keeping your plant in full production mode. They can be grown in containers, a minimum of 12 inches in diameter is suggested, but larger is better. If grown in containers they will still need to be given support of a tomato cage or stake of some sort. These plants are quite disease resistant and with proper care should provide fruit throughout the season.
The basics:
- Days to Germinate – 5-10 days
- Transplant to Harvest – 60-65 days
- Planting Depth – 1/8”
- Plant Spacing After Thinning – 24-30”
- Row Spacing – 36”
- Exposure – Full sun (6+ hours)
Tempting Tomatoes® 'Garden Gem' Solanum lycopersicum USPVP 201400052 -
17 Reviews
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7 Awards
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