Tomato 'Soldaki' (Organic)
Whilst this exceptional Polish heirloom pre-dates the 1900s, it was originally introduced to the United States in the early 1900s by Polish immigrants and most of it's history starts from this point. A dark pink beefsteak with exceptional sweetness due to it's low acid fruit, it is a vigorous plant that needs room to grow, but will certainly reward you with ample fruit over a long season. Introduced by The Diggers Club, from seed preserved in our seed archive which was noted as exceptional in a trial at Heronswood in 2002, this heirloom was made available to Diggers members in 2022, thanks to the efforts of our seed production program and seed vault.
Tomatoes are a warm season crop requiring temperatures of 15-29 degrees Celsius to grow and germinate successfully. Seed germinates best at 20-25 degrees Celsius, while the seedlings thrive from 15 degrees Celsius. Sow seed 6-8 weeks before you want to plant out your tomatoes. Sow in punnets or trays and maintain consistent moisture and temperature. Prick out and place in individual pots once true leaves appear and harden off at least one to two weeks before planting out. Plant tomato seedlings out when soil temperature reaches 15°C or more, and after risk of frost has passed. Plant in full sun and enrich the soil with compost and well-rotted manure. In pots, use a premium organic potting mix. Mulch and water regularly, especially during hot weather. Stake at planting and train to the stake as plants grow. Avoid overhead watering.