Description
An ancient variety that traces its pre-contact origins to the indigenous Zapotec people of the mountain valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is heavily fluted with a flat bottom resembling a pouch purse. When cut on the horizontal, the slices look like star bursts. The flavour tends to be on sweet side, but otherwise it is well balanced with a very good bold tomato taste. Very meaty with solid flesh. Great for salsa, sauce, dried and much more.
If you’re looking for a genuine tomato from the time before, this is it.
- Seed Count: 25-30
- Collection Date: August 2026
- Hardiness Zone: annual
- Height and Width: indeterminate
- Germination test type: hand sort
How to germinate Zapotec tomato seeds:
Sow 5 mm deep. Keep moist; plastic cover improves success. Opt. germination temp: 18-25 C. Days to germ: 5-10. We use warmed moist medium (25-28C) when sowing. Equally warm water is used to mist in the seeds so there is good seed/medium contact. This jump starts the germination process. When watering your tomatoes ALWAYS use warm 25-28C water. This keeps the root mitochondria happy and vigorous. After all a plant is only as good as its roots. Give strong indirect light. After the 3rd true leaf, they’re transplanted from plug trays into individual containers. Medium is amended with rock phosphate, Gaia Green 4-4-4, and green sand. Once a week, the warm water is amended with 1 tbsp soluble kelp powder (2-2-16) and 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses per 5 gallon bucket. BTW: blossom end rot is a nutritional disorder caused by a lack of calcium causing fruit to rot from the blossom end. Use mulch to retain moisture. Never hit them with cold water.
