Over 5,000 tomato plants, with over 90 varieties, are currently awaiting their new owners in Cal Poly’s greenhouses.
Cal Poly’s Horticulture Unit is set to host the annual Tomato Spectacular sale April 4, from 10 a.m to 4 p.m at Environmental Horticultural Sciences Building (No. 48) on Via Carta Road off Highland Drive, near the Poly Plant Shop.
The Tomato Spectacular is an annual Cal Poly event, existing for over ten years, where students grow tomatoes from seed to plant for the community. This year, they are also offering varieties of basils, peppers and tomatillos.
Nick Deinhart, the lead horticulture technician, said student workers begin the process with planting tomato seeds in cell trays, and check them daily — ensuring they have enough water to get them through the germination process. Once they get to a certain size, they transport them into pots, ready for the sale.
Deinhart said they try to have a variety of tomatoes to account for the lower temperatures in the Central Coast.
“You know tomatoes typically like really warm inland climates and that can be challenging here,” Deinhart said. “So, what’s kind of the cool thing here is [that] we’ve grown several varieties meant for cooler climates.”
Having a range of varieties for specific purposes is one of the factors that make the Tomato Spectacular unique. Whether you are looking for a variety that is better for hot climates, small gardens or produce fruit in less than 55 days — it will be at the Tomato Spectacular.
Jacob Acosta, a biological sciences senior and a new student worker at the Horticulture Unit said that he’s excited to work the sale.
“I’m excited to see all the people, and let them know that we put a lot of hard work into [the sale],” Acosta said.
The four inch potted plants are sold for $7 each, and are first come, first serve. It is recommended to arrive early for the best selection. Detailed information regarding plant varieties can be found in a catalog on the Poly Plant & Floral Shop website. All the proceeds from the event go directly back into the horticultural and plant science unit.