Tomato (Yellow Pear)

Yellow Pear is an open-pollinated heirloom indeterminate tomato that goes in after the Mar 28 last frost, climbs and branches all summer with regular sucker management, and pours out huge numbers of small, thin-skinned, pear-shaped yellow fruit from mid-summer right up until the Nov 12 first frost cuts it down.

1. 1

   Sowing Seed Indoors

   Late Jan to mid-Feb, about 6-8 weeks before the Mar 28 last frost

   You'll see Seeds are flat, tan-yellow ovals. Within 5-10 days at 70-80F you will see a pale hook-shaped stem push up, followed by two smooth oval seed leaves (cotyledons), then the true serrated tomato leaf.

   Do Sow 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting mix under grow lights kept 2-3 inches above the tray, with gentle bottom heat if the room is cool.

   Details
2. 2

   Seedling and Hardening Off

   Weeks 2-8 after sowing, roughly mid-Feb through late Mar

   You'll see By 4-6 weeks the plant has several sets of true leaves and a sturdy central stem about pencil width. Leggy, pale, stretched seedlings signal too little light.

   Do Pot up to a larger container once roots fill the starter cell, and begin hardening off outdoors 7-10 days before transplant.

   Details
3. 3

   Deep Transplanting Into the Bed

   After Mar 28 last frost, once soil has warmed and nights stay above 50F

   You'll see A healthy transplant ready for the ground is 8-12 inches tall with thick stems and 4-6 true leaves; the lower leaves may look slightly yellow if the plant has been in its pot too long, which is fine since they will be buried anyway.

   Do Strip off the lower leaves and bury two-thirds of the stem, either straight down in a deep hole or sideways in a shallow trench, so only the top rosette of leaves shows above soil.

   Details
4. 4

   Vegetative Growth and Light Sucker Pruning

   Weeks 3-8 after transplant, roughly mid-Apr through late May, and continuing all season

   You'll see The plant branches vigorously and freely from many points along the stem, quickly becoming a large, sprawling bush of thin stems if left entirely unpruned.

   Do Prune more lightly than a large-fruited slicer: remove the lowest suckers near the soil line and any crowded, crossing, or diseased growth, but let a fair amount of upper branching stand since Yellow Pear's yield comes from many small fruiting clusters.

   Details
5. 5

   Flowering

   Weeks 6-10 after transplant, roughly late May through June, then continuing in flushes all summer

   You'll see Small yellow star-shaped flowers form in long clusters (trusses) that on this prolific variety can carry a dozen or more blooms, far more than a typical large-fruited slicer truss.

   Do Let bees and wind handle pollination outdoors; hand pollinate by gently vibrating trusses only in a screened bed or hydroponic setup where pollinators cannot reach.

   Details
6. 6

   Continuous Fruiting and Harvest

   Roughly 70-80 days from transplant to first ripe fruit, then continuing to first frost, roughly late June through early Nov

   You'll see Small, distinctly pear-shaped fruit about 1-2 inches long forms in long clusters and ripens to a bright, clear yellow with thin, delicate skin, often with fruit at several stages of ripeness on the same truss at once.

   Do Pick ripe fruit every couple of days by the handful, and keep trusses supported as new fruit continues to set further up the vine.

   Details
7. 7

   Seed Saving by Wet Fermentation

   During peak fruiting, from fully ripe, uncracked fruit on a strong plant

   You'll see A fully ripe, bright yellow, unblemished fruit is the right pick for saving seed.

   Do Ferment seeds from several fruit in water for a few days to strip the gel coat, then rinse and dry thoroughly before storing.

   Details

Techniques — transplant, prune, propagate, divide, seed