What is Oxheart Tomatoes? (How to grow them)
Have you heard of oxheart tomatoes before? Well, I hadn’t, and that’s why I got interested in learning about them in detail so I could grow them in my garden. Are you interested in growing them? Based on my experience, I think you should give it a try.
Before you start growing them, it’s important to understand how to grow them, what they require, and what they don’t, so that you achieve the best results. Don’t worry, I’m here to help you with growing oxheart tomatoes.
In this informative guide, you will learn all about oxheart tomatoes, ensuring your garden blooms with maximum fruit without any struggle. If you have any further questions, just ask me in the comment section below.
Quick takeaways:
- The oxheart tomatoes are known for their versatility just like the beefsteak varieties.
- The tomatoes are large with their shapes like the heart of an ox or beef.
- The bottom is v-shaped and the large upper portion makes them look different thus they are popular.
- The seed portion is small and the meaty portion is large just like the beefsteak.
- The color is vibrant and the fruit looks tasty with a savory Swedish flavor.
- Other than this, dwarf-sized tomatoes called dwarf purple oxheart are also available in the market.
Oxheart tomatoes origin
The Italian oxheart tomatoes were first noticed and discovered in 1925 when they were framed by cross-pollination which was accidental but now deliberately is being made under tomato breeding programs.
They can be grown in any season with proper care and pruning for maximum yield.
Growing oxheart tomatoes
They are usually indeterminate varieties that grow at any time whether it is harvesting time or when tomatoes can still be planted.
They mature within 2 to 3 months. So, you can see they have a long growing season
Growing from seeds
You can sow them in moist soil inside the house in a container 30-60 days before the last frost. A good amount of light needs to reach the soil or you can grow light. Give them water with the watering hose and don’t make the seedlings wet. Don’t let the soil get dry and not too saggy which will cause rot.
As the seedlings appear and you want to transplant them make sure the temperature is not too low like above 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Regarding the pests, they don’t need much care as they are pest and disease-resistant and usually attack regular tomatoes.
1. Fertilizer
Tomatoes need a good amount of feed to grow well. Use a good quality all-purpose fertilizer in the soil. A fertilizer that has a high range of potassium and phosphorus with a low amount of nitrogen can do well for fertilizing the soil.
Fertilize every one or two weeks to keep them nourished. You can also look at the instructions on the packet or consult the nursery expert.
2. Sunlight
Full sun is needed for them to grow properly. The sunlight for 8 hours is more than enough.
In the afternoon direct sunlight is too strong, then you move the plant if it’s not pot. The plants also need partial shade to make sure the spot is like that only.
3. Spacing
Don’t plant the oxheart tomatoes too close to the garden. This will call for fungal infections as the air will not circulate properly.
Proper space should be there between the tomato plants. Growing the tomatoes close also makes them compete for nutrients and both will lose energy.
Varieties of oxheart tomatoes |
1. Pink Oxheart tomatoes |
2. Giant Red Oxheart tomatoes |
3. Striped Oxheart |
4. Japanese Oxheart |
5. Cuore di Bue Heirloom |
6. Dwarf Purple Oxheart |
7. Anna Russian |
8. Giant Oxheart |
4. Mulching
It is advised to grow oxheart tomatoes with pepper mulching. Adding 1-2 inches of mulch onto the soil once a time in a month will help plants by creating warm and moist conditions for the tomatoes.
You can use cedar mulch to protect the plant from high temperatures and heat waves.
5. Planting at a depth
The advantage of planting the tomato plants at a depth is that the side roots emerge and better circulation will happen.
How this happens by cutting the bottom three branches and planting them into the ground. The side roots will make the stem more firm and fitted providing support and protecting them from harsh winds.
6. Pollinating the oxheart tomato plants
As the plant gets mature it shows flowers for about 10-12 days and pollinates them either naturally or manually if the pollinators are not visiting the garden that often.
7. Pests and problems
- The Oxheart tomatoes usually are attacked by worms like cutworms, hornworms, and armyworms.
- Aphids, birds, squirrels, rabbits, and rats also feed on these juicy tomatoes.
- For aphids, you can need oil to keep aphids away from the garden.
Oxheart Tomatoes uses:
The following are some different ways you can use Oxheart tomatoes:
- You can easily use the Oxheart tomatoes for sandwich salads adding some meteor flesh with a few seed pockets inside and making it tasty.
- They do contain enough flesh in them which makes them good for processing and Canning as they are not paste tomatoes so you can easily paste or sauce the thickened tomatoes.
- The Oxheart Tomatoes are larger in size which makes them easy to stuff and you can also use the scope out me Meety for making sauces.
- Oxheart tomatoes do come in incredible flavors and you can use them in many dishes.
- The oxheart tomatoes are delicious just like other tomatoes but have more flesh than seeds and can be enjoyed in dishes like sandwiches, salads, pasta, etc.
List of Oxheart Tomato Varieties:
Many varieties of oxheart tomatoes have developed since 1920 through tomato breeding and the following are some most popular varieties of oxheart tomatoes:
Name | where to find |
Hungarian Heart (80 days) | Baker Creek (US), Incredible Seeds (Canada) |
Upstate Oxheart (84 days) | Hudson Valley Seed (US) |
Japanese Oxheart (80 days) | Reimer Seeds (US), Renaissance Farms (US) |
Livingston’s Giant Oxheart (85 days) | Victory Seeds (US) |
Livingston’s Yellow Oxheart (90 days) | Victory Seeds (US) |
Dwarf Purple Oxheart (85 days; dwarf variety) | Renaissance Farms (US) |
Health Benefits:
Following are some health benefits that you can get by eating oxheart tomatoes:
- The Oxheart tomatoes are a great source of vitamins and nutrients like other tomatoes but they do have low calories and fat in them.
- Basically in one pound of tomatoes, they are about 82 calories which is less than 1 gram of Fat.
- These tomatoes contain about 5 grams of fiber.
- You can find them good to complete your Vitamin C in your body which is considered an antioxidant and important vitamin for cell growth and repair.
- These tomatoes are really high in potassium and do contain Vitamin K.
Wrapping up the context
These heart-shaped oxheart tomatoes are a great addition to your garden as they are big in size, yummy, and look too red. The tomatoes are about 3 pounds heavy and these plants are not that difficult to grow. They are indeterminate and can be grown anytime. We have uploaded all the things required to grow these oxheart tomatoes with absolute results. We hope you find this helpful. Happy planting!
FAQs
1. How tall do oxheart tomato plants get?
The oxheart plants reach a height of about 2 meters with oxheart tomatoes that are like Beefheart tomatoes. The plants produce a good yield when planted in the garden and get full sun with a good amount of water and rain too.
2. Where did oxheart tomatoes originate?
The oxheart tomatoes originated in Virginia accidentally but later became popular among many countries and are produced widely in many cities.
3. Why are my tomatoes pointed at the bottom?
The tomatoes, if pointed and large, are meaty than the tomatoes oxheart tomatoes which are particular species or <a href="http://<strong>7+ Best Tasting Hybrid Tomatoes to Growhybrid tomatoes to grow. The tomatoes in regular cases are round, if pointed that might be due to exposure to such low temperatures.
4. Do oxheart tomatoes make good sauce?
Yes, oxheart tomatoes make delicious thick sauce being meaty and having fewer seeds. These tomatoes are also juicy enough to make some sauce out of them.
5. Are oxheart tomatoes low in acid?
The Oxheart tomatoes have a larger proportion of flesh or meat than seeds. So there is less chance of them having too much acid in oxheart tomatoes. They have a rich flavor to make yummy salads, sandwiches, etc.