Tempting Tomatoes® Bellini – Cocktail Tomato – Solanum lycopersicum

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 6-14.

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 36 inches apart. Rows should be about 3 feet apart.

Once you transplant the seedlings, it will take about 65-70 days for the first fruits to ripen.

Bellini is best suited to be grown in large patio planters, garden beds and raised beds. The cocktail sized tomatoes that it produces are great in salads, are perfect for appetizers and can be used in cocktails as well. Tomatoes will do best with a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun a day, although the more sun you give them, the happier they are.

The basics:

• Days to Germinate – 6-14 days
• Germination Rate – 94-99%
• Transplant to Harvest – 65-70 days
• Planting Depth – 1/8”
• Plant Spacing After Thinning – 24-30”
• Row Spacing – 36”
• Exposure – Full sun (6+ hours)