Turkey Creek Tomato Seed

Why Grow Turkey Creek Tomato?

A Gem for Tomato Lovers We first grew Turkey Creek Tomato in 2022 and it was the best tasting tomato amongst the 20 different varieties we grew that year. This indeterminate, heirloom tomato variety produces large, beefsteak tomatoes that are very meaty. Turkey Creek is a true gem for tomato lovers and gardeners alike.

Signature Heirloom Flavor Turkey Creek is a robust, meaty tomato with very little gel or seeds inside. It is packed with rich flavor and embodies that characteristic acidic taste that we expect from an heirloom tomato. These large tomatoes are perfect for slicing into sandwiches, adding to salads, or enjoying straight from the vine!

Turkey Creek Tomato Growing Tips

• When to Plant Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a "warm season" vegetable that should be transplanted in the garden once the risk of frost has passed in the early spring months. Start the seeds in a greenhouse or seed starting room approximately 6 weeks before your intended in-ground planting date. Give each of these plants approximately 4' or more of space in your garden.

Timely planting is important for those in southern climates, as hot summer weather can be rough on tomato plants. Gardeners in warmer climates should aim to get their plants in the ground as soon as possible in early spring. Gardeners in areas with milder summers have the advantage of a longer tomato season, and don't have to be as timely with planting.

Turkey Creek is an indeterminate tomato variety, which means the plants will continue to grow and produce tomatoes throughout the growing season -- except in warmer climates where 90°F temps and higher can be tough on tomato plants. These large, indeterminate plants will need a substantial trellis as they continue to grow. Because the fruits get so large, be sure to support these well so the vines don't break as the fruits enlarge.

• How to Fertilize Tomatoes

It's always a good idea to apply some pre-plant fertilizer to the soil when planting tomatoes. We like to add a handful Coop Gro organic fertilizer in the planting hole for each tomato plant. This ensures the plants have the right nutrients to put down roots in their new soil.

Fruiting vegetables like tomatoes will benefit from something called "spoon feeding." This process involves frequent fertilizations at lower concentrations, as compared to fertilizing them heavily once.

Once your tomato plants start to grow after transplanting, feed them every 2-3 weeks with a relatively balanced fertilizer. We like to sprinkle Coop Gro around the plants or make a liquid solution of AgroThrive Fruit & Flower and pour that alongside the plants. Tomato plants will also benefit from "hilling" when they grow to approximately 12-18" tall.

*To learn more about how to hill tomatoes, watch this video.

• Harvesting Tomatoes

While there is much hype about the quality and flavor of "vine ripe" tomatoes, allowing tomatoes to ripen on the vine can be a risky proposition. As they ripen, they become susceptible to attacks from birds or pests like tomato hornworms.

As a result, we prefer to harvest our tomatoes when they start to turn pink. We then set them inside on a counter so they can continue to ripen. This does not compromise the flavor, but it does save our tomatoes from being eaten by pests. If you have minimal pest pressure, feel free to let your tomatoes ripen on the vine.