Tomato - Esmeralda Golosina

Minimum Seed Count: 10

The Esmeralda Golosina tomato looks like a handful of polished gemstones scattered across the vine. Each fruit is small and round, about the size of a golf ball, and shines with a smooth, glossy skin. The base color is a glowing emerald green! a delicious green-when-ripe tomato that makes fried green tomatoes so much better! Plants get very tall and load up with these mid to later in the season! Indeterminate 

🌱 Planting Guide:

1. Starting Seeds Indoors

• Timing: Begin seeds 6–8 weeks before your last expected frost date.

• Soil Mix: Use a light, well-draining seed-starting mix.

• Depth: Plant seeds about ¼ inch deep.

• Temperature: Keep soil at 75–80°F (24–27°C) for best germination.

• Light: Provide 14–16 hours of bright grow lights or a sunny windowsill.

• Thinning: Once seedlings have 2–3 sets of true leaves, thin to the strongest plant per cell/pot.

2. Transplanting Outdoors

• Timing: Move seedlings outside after danger of frost has passed and soil temperatures are consistently above 60°F (16°C).

• Hardening Off: Acclimate plants by setting them outdoors a few hours a day, gradually increasing time over 7–10 days.

• Spacing: Plant 18–24 inches apart in rows or beds, with at least 3 feet between rows for airflow.

• Soil Prep: Work compost or aged manure into the soil. Ideal soil is loamy, fertile, and slightly acidic (pH 6.0–6.8).

• Planting Depth: Bury transplants deep, covering the stem up to the first set of true leaves — this encourages strong root development.

3. Care & Maintenance

• Watering: Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy. Water deeply at the base, 1–2 inches per week, preferably in the morning. Avoid overhead watering to prevent disease.

• Mulching: Apply straw, shredded leaves, or compost around the base to conserve moisture, regulate temperature, and reduce weeds.

• Staking/Support: As an indeterminate variety, vines can grow 6+ feet tall. Use cages, stakes, or trellises to keep fruit off the ground.

• Pruning: Pinch off suckers (side shoots) to direct energy into fruit production and improve airflow.

• Fertilizer: Feed with a balanced organic fertilizer (5-5-5 or similar) at planting, then side-dress with compost or a tomato-specific fertilizer every 3–4 weeks.

4. Pests & Diseases

• Watch for: Aphids, hornworms, whiteflies, and flea beetles. Remove by hand or use neem oil/insecticidal soap if needed.

• Disease Resistance: Not immune — rotate crops yearly and avoid planting where tomatoes, peppers, or eggplants grew the year before.

• Prevention: Good spacing, mulching, and watering at the soil level help prevent blight and fungal issues.

5. Harvesting

• Maturity: Ready in 70–80 days from transplanting.

• When to Pick: Fruits are ripe when their emerald-green base glows with a greenish/yellow hue. A softness to the touch indicates ripeness.