Plant Library

Group/Class:  Heirloom-Indeterminate

Description:

An heirloom, beefsteak variety that is early to produce large, lobed red fruit; acidic tomato flavor with less seeds, ideal for slicing and canning; thriving in heat, it performs wonderfully in containers and gardens; staking is recommended

Edible Qualities

German Johnson Tomato is an annual vegetable plant that is typically grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. It produces red oblong tomatoes (which are technically 'berries') with red flesh which are usually ready for picking from early summer to early fall. This is an indeterminate variety, which means it produces fruit throughout the growing season. The tomatoes have an acidic taste and a fleshy texture.

The tomatoes are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Eating When Cooked/Prepared
• Cooking
• Canning
• Sauces

Planting & Growing

German Johnson Tomato will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 3 feet apart. Because of its vigorous growth habit, it may require staking or supplemental support. This fast-growing vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.

This plant can be integrated into a landscape or flower garden by creative gardeners, but is usually grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and it is considered by many to be an heirloom variety.

German Johnson Tomato is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.