Growing Tomato Stupice
in Northeast Florida Vegetable Gardens
Stupice ( Victory seeds says it is pronounced Stu-peek-a)is a great spring tomato plant for the Northeast Florida area. It’s an early producer and pretty trouble free in my experience. Perhaps it does so well because it produces fruit in less than two months time, keeping it well away from our summer heat! Stupice produces loads of smaller 6 oz 2 inch wide perfect looking fruits, really pretty dark red tomatoes! It is one of my new favorite tomatoes for adding to sauces and stews for Florida because it is such a reliable plant. Never grown tomatoes before? Try a Stupice, they are perfect for beginners, just plant them and pick them! Compact Determinate tomato vine selection. Harvest begins in as little as 55 days!
Origins, Foliage, Fruit and Use of Tomato Stupice for Northeast Florida vegetable gardens:
Stupice tomatoes were introduced by Milan Sordormka to the United States from Czechoslovakia sometime near 1976.
Uniform fruits ripen at 2 inches across to a dark shiny red. Great tomato fruit for cooking or eating fresh as they will be the first tomatoes in your garden! The compact foliage has a maximum height of about 4 feet. Very compact grower!
Planting Season for Stupice Tomato in Jacksonville and St. Augustine Florida and the surrounding areas:
Tomatoes are considered a warm season crop, they are frost sensitive and should only be planted in frost free months in Northeast Florida vegetable gardens. However, tomato growing season is split into two seasons in Northeast Florida as tomato production will slow to nearly nothing during the hottest summer months of June and July.
Start your tomato plants in February from seed, and February straight through March and April from S & J Nursery transplants. The second growing season for tomato plants in the Jacksonville and St. Augustine area garden is August and September, Stupice tomatoes can be planted out again in those months and allowed to fruit up until the first killing frost.
Sun Exposure for Growing Stupice Tomatoes in Northeast Florida Vegetable Gardens:
Plant your Tomato Stupice in a full sun or afternoon sun location for the Jacksonville and St. Augustine area garden. Make sure they will receive a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight for best results.
Soil Preferences for Tomato Stupice in the Jacksonville and St. Augustine Florida areas:
Stupice tomato plants will do best in the Northeast Florida garden when grown in soils that have been generously amended with compost and cow manure. Be sure to plant into well drained soils and not in an are that will have standing water after a hard rain.
Care of Tomato Stupice in the Northeast Florida Vegetable Garden:
Staking your Stupice Tomato plant:
Stupice tomato is a determinate variety that will grow to only 4 ft high and requires no pruning. A medium sized store bought tomato cage should suffice.
Watering your Stupice Tomato Plants:
Newly planted tomato plants will require watering daily for the first few days to a week after being planted from seed or transplanted from an S & J Nursery container.
Once the tomato plants are established and growing, be sure to keep the soil moist by watering at least twice per week if rainfall is scarce. Container grown tomato plants will need watered 3 to 4 times per week, or every time the top two inches of soil is dry to the touch.
Mulching your Stupice Tomato Plants:
For maximum growth potential, mulch plants generously, this will help conserve moisture.
Fertilizing Your Stupice Tomato plants:
Feed every two to three weeks with an all purpose fertilizer like 6-6-6.
Or for an organic approach, try fertilizing with a mixture of fish emulsions and seaweed (kelp) at one ounce each per gallon of water. Apply semi weekly as a foliar spray.
If your vegetable plants look like they could use a boost, give them a good watering with homemade compost tea as soon as the top few inches of soil around your plant is dry to the touch!
Harvesting Your Stupice Tomato in the Northeast Florida Vegetable Garden:
Stupice tomatoes can be harvested when green and allowed to ripen indoors if needed but best flavor will develop when they are allowed to ripen on the plant and picked when fully red.
Store at room temperature for 2-3 days once picked from the vine. For best results do not refrigerate.
Expect tomatoes to be ready to harvest from your Stupice tomato plants in as little as 55 days from planting.