Oxheart Tomatoes Are Perfect for Slicing, Stuffing or Sauce

The name says it all—oxheart tomatoes are shaped just like a heart, and they can be enormous, with some fruit tipping the scales at three pounds. They're incredibly meaty with very few seeds, which makes them outstanding slicing tomatoes. (My dad always said the best tomato is one where a single slice covers the whole slice of bread, and oxhearts deliver on that front.) Their generous size also makes them natural stuffers, and that low-seed, meaty flesh is exactly what you want for a rich sauce or salsa.

You've got plenty of oxheart varieties to pick from—'Yellow Oxheart', 'Pink Oxheart', 'Orange Oxheart', 'Bull's Heart', 'Giant Oxheart', 'Japanese Oxheart', the classic red 'Oxheart' shown above, and more. Each one brings its own size and color to the table. All are indeterminate, meaning they keep producing right through the season. (More on indeterminate vs. determinate tomatoes here.) I'll be straight with you: the yield on oxhearts isn't as generous as some other types, but we still make room for one or two every season simply because the flavor is that good—juicy, rich, and worth every square inch of garden space. The good news is that seed breeders are working on improving production, so yields should keep getting better over time.

One thing that sets oxhearts apart in the garden is their foliage. The leaves look different from your typical tomato—some are delicate and fern-like, while others are what's called potato-leaf types. Combined with those massive fruits, oxheart plants make quite the statement in any garden row.

Botanical name:Lycopersicon esculentumoxheart varietiesStart seeds:Indoors 6 to 8 weeks before last expected frost; transplant after danger of frost has passedPurchase transplants:When soil temperatures are at least 50˚FSpacing:18 to 24 inches apartDays to maturity:80 to 90 days after transplantingGrowth habit:Indeterminate; trellis or stake oxheart tomato plants to keep their fruit off the ground

Gardening Jones is a Pennsylvania-based master gardener.Read her other Horticulture posts hereandlearn more at gardeningjones.com/._____________________________________________Get all the info and advice you need to grow your best vegetable garden yet, from starting seeds to harvesting and storing your crops, all in one book:The Everything Grow Your Own Vegetables Book.

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