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Growing Polish Paste Tomatoes in the Vegetable Garden

Begin seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your estimated final spring frost date. Use a well-draining potting or germinating mix to start the seeds. Plant two seeds per cell and cover the seeds. Water them in with a gentle stream such as a mister or spray bottle to avoid rinsing the seeds away. Water regularly and use a clear plastic dome to increase humidity and moisture. As soon as the first seedling emerges, ensure the tray receives full sun either in a bright windowsill or with artificial lights positioned just a few inches above the tray. If using, remove the humidity dome once the seedlings have developed true leaves. Thin the seedlings to one per cell by removing the weaker seedlings when they have reached two inches tall. Fertilize once they have two sets of true leaves. Transplant the seedlings into larger, 4 or 6-inch pots once their root systems have developed beyond the cell’s capacity. Using biodegradable pots will make transplantation into the garden faster.

Practice crop rotations to avoid soil-borne diseases and resource depletion from year to year. Before moving the seedlings into your garden soil, the seedlings should be hardened off gradually to acclimate to the sunnier, windier conditions. Transplant the seedlings into the garden once the danger of frost has passed. Add a calcium supplement in the soil beneath the seedlings before planting them out. Bury the stems a few inches deep to encourage more root development. Remove the lower leaves that can’t reach the sunlight and any suckers growing in between fruit-bearing branches. Fertilize with compost, worm castings, or another fertilizer of choice when planting into the garden. A 4-6-8 blend is typically a good balanced mix for tomatoes. Use a sturdy structure like a tomato cage to support the plant as it starts to get larger. Prune the bush periodically throughout the season to remove suckers and bottom leaves. Fertilize once more in mid-season. The best soil pH is between 6.2 to 6.8. Water regularly to ensure proper nutrient uptake and avoidance of disease. Prevent standing water by not overwatering and improving soil drainage if necessary. Limit disease spread by not getting water or mud on the leaves. Protect the plants from any cool weather; they are not cold-tolerant. Garden quilts or other covers should be used if cool weather below 45 F is expected.

Harvesting Polish Paste Tomatoes

Tomatoes are ready to harvest when entirely red with no green left on the fruit. Gently clip or twist the fruit off the stem. Polish paste is an indeterminate bush and will continually fruit throughout the season. The harvest can last 8-16 weeks or right up until the first frost of fall. Harvest the tomatoes promptly to encourage more fruit to set on and ripen before the end of the season.

About Polish Paste Tomato Garden Seeds

Polish Paste tomato plants are suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. They are delightful when eaten fresh, cooked into sauces or soups, or canned for preservation.

Tomatoes are great sources of vitamin C, even after being processed for preservation. They are a great way to ensure proper nutrient consumption throughout the winter. Tomatoes are also low in fats and sugars, making them an easy addition to various diets with numerous restrictions.

Indeterminate variety tomatoes need more structural support than determinate tomato plants. Indeterminates will continue to grow all season long until the frost kills them. There are multiple solutions to finding the right support system, but popular choices include stacking tomato cages for single plants and the string and post method for rows of plants.

Polish paste tomato plants are known for their large size. They can grow to be 6.5 inches in diameter! These unique and delicious pear-shaped fruits can weigh up to one pound. Just a few of these gargantuan tomatoes can sauce up some pasta or fill a jar for canning.

Tips From Our Gardeners

"Those who have tried to grow tomatoes know that they can be a bit picky. Soil health, consistent watering, and plenty of sunlight are absolutely crucial to good fruit production. If your plant is not progressing as you’d like, check into those three factors before calling it quits!"

- Lara Wadsworth, True Leaf Market Writer

Other Resources

• Guide to Tomatoes

Polish Paste Tomato Seeds Per Package:

• 300 mg packet - Approximately 65 Seeds
• .25 oz - Approximately 1,700 Seeds
• 1 oz - Approximately 6,800 Seeds
• 4 oz - Approximately 27,200 Seeds

Non-GMO Polish Paste Tomato seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.