How to Grow Santorini Tomatoes
Santorini tomatoes are an exotic type of cherry tomato from Greece's Santorini Islands. These sweet and incredibly flavorful tomatoes thrive in Santorini's hot, dry weather and volcanic soil. Simple, no-fuss tomatoes in their native environment, Santorini tomatoes require special care in the cooler climates of the United States. Though Santorini tomatoes can be grown successfully in the United States, their appearance and flavor may vary from their exotic, Santorini-grown counterparts. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Santorini tomato seeds
- Volcanic lava rock
- Volcanic lava sand
- Loam
- Square planting container
- Pencil
- Watering can
- 4- to 6-inch planting containers
- Tomato fertilizer
Instructions
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Germinating Santorini Tomato Seeds
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1
Purchase Santorini tomato seeds from a reputable seed supplier. Wash fresh Santorini tomato seeds in warm water to remove any tomato pulp.
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2
Start your Santorini tomato seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last spring frost.
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3
Blend equal parts volcanic lava rock, volcanic lava sand and loam to create a well-draining growing medium that mimics the volcanic Santorini soil. Fill a square-shaped, 4-inch-deep planting container with the volcanic growing medium.
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4
Use a pencil to create 1/4-inch-deep furrows in the growing medium, spaced at least 2 inches apart. Drop Santorini tomato seeds in the bottoms of the furrows, spaced 1 inch apart. Cover your Santorini tomato seeds with 1/4 inch of the volcanic growing medium.
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5
Water your Santorini tomato seeds lightly to moisten the volcanic growing medium. Move the planting container near a sunny window in a warm room that is kept between 75 and 80 degrees F to encourage the seeds to germinate.
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6
Transplant your Santorini tomato seedlings to individual planting containers when they are 3 to 4 inches tall. Use planting containers that are at least 4 to 6 inches in diameter to provide enough growing room for your Santorini tomatoes. Plant your Santorini tomato seedlings at the same level that they were growing in their previous container and plant in fresh volcanic growing medium.
Santorini Tomato Care
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Position your potted Santorini tomato plants in a full sun location where they can receive six to eight hours of sunlight per day. Transition Santorini tomato seedlings to the full sun location gradually, moving them into the sun for two or three hours at a time over the course of a week, to prevent your seedlings from experiencing transplant shock.
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8
Water your Santorini tomato seedlings and plants lightly and infrequently to mimic the hot, dry conditions of the Santorini islands. Provide your Santorini tomatoes with just a 1/2 inch of water per week and only in the absence of rain.
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9
Fertilize your Santorini tomato plants with an application of a specially formulated tomato fertilizer when the first cluster of tomato flowers produce fruit. Apply a second fertilizer application two weeks after you see the first ripe tomato and a third application one month later. Use the tomato fertilizer according to package directions to avoid damaging your Santorini tomato plants.
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Tips & Warnings
Move your Santorini tomato plants indoors overnight if the temperature is expected to drop below 55 degrees F.
Santorini tomatoes grown in the United States may vary in flavor from those grown in the Santorini Islands.
