Juliet Hybrid Tomato Seeds

Days to Maturity: 60 from transplant

All-America Selections (AAS) Winner 1999

Indeterminate

Somewhere between a grape and a Roma tomato is Juliet, the delectable saladette-type tomato that won top honors from the All-America Selections and has been a home gardener favorite ever since. Plump, deep red, ultra-sweet yet meaty little fruits just 2 inches long and about 1½ inches in diameter, they hold up to 2 weeks on the vine, resist cracking, and offer nonstop production all season long.

Juliet is a larger version of the old favorite Santa, but it greatly improves on Santa's flavor and yields. You can expect clusters of a dozen to a dozen-and-a-half fruits all over this plant, which grows vigorously and bears right into autumn in warm climates. It's not unusual to find 50 to 80 tomatoes at once on the plant, so you can imagine what your total yields will be.

Juliet is irresistible straight from the vine, but if you can restrain yourself, it's also a good size for salads and sauces. Many "paste" tomatoes are too meaty for fresh eating, but Juliet strikes a balance between gels and solids that is simply delicious.

Start seeds indoors 5 to 6 weeks before the last frost date. Plant outdoors when danger of frost is past and night temperatures consistently remain above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. If an unexpected late frost is forecasted, protect young plants with plastic sheeting or other cover. Set plants 2 to 2½ feet apart, and plan to cage or stake them—they're going to keep growing all season long.