Tomato Camp Joy Cherry – Renee’s Garden

Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme

Heirloom Tomatoes

EXCLUSIVE Camp Joy cherries offer full, well-rounded tomato taste in a cherry tomato, not just sugar-lump sweetness without depth of flavor. This special heirloom is propagated for us by an organic family farm that grows Camp Joys each summer and sells them to devoted customers at our local farmers market. The strong growing vines bear big, heavy clusters of large-sized luscious red cherries, whose taste becomes an annual summer passion.

Seed Count: Approx. 35-45 / Weight: 0.1 g

STARTING SEEDLINGS

Start indoors about 8 weeks before outdoor night temperatures are reliably in the 55 (13C) range. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart in a container of seed starting mix. Keep moist but not soggy and very warm, 75F (24C). Provide a strong light source until seedlings are ready to plant outside. When they are 2 inches tall, transplant into 4 inch pots, burying stems up to base of leaves. Maintain around 70F (21C). Feed with half-strength fertilizer every 2 weeks until weather is warm enough to gradually acclimate seedlings to outdoor conditions. Transplant these vigorous indeterminate climbers 3 feet apart into rich soil in full sun.

HARVEST AND USE

Pick fruits when fully colored for best flavor. Enjoy for sweet snacks right out of the garden, in salads or stuffed with herbed cream cheese. For a delicious side dish, briefly saut Camp Joy Cherries in a garlicky olive oil, then sprinkle with chopped fresh chives and basil.

GROWING NOTES

Prepare soil well with aged manure or compost. Plant tomatoes several inches deeper than they were growing in pots. Provide strong stakes or tall wire cages at planting time as plants grow tall with heavy fruit loads. Mulch to provide the even moisture that prevents cracking. Dont overwater once fruit begins to ripen.