Purple Heart Tomato is a striking variety from the Dwarf Tomato Project that delivers deep purple, reliably heart-shaped fruits with meaty flesh and well-balanced flavor. These vigorous, multi-branching plants grow 44 to 54 inches tall and reach harvest in just 70 days, thriving across hardiness zones 3 through 12. Unlike sprawling indeterminate types, Purple Heart stays more compact while remaining highly productive, and its medium size makes it equally suited to slicing, saucing, or growing in containers.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-12
54in H x 24in W
—
High
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Dark purple heart-shaped tomatoes with substantial, meaty flesh distinguish this variety from typical garden tomatoes. The plants are remarkably vigorous and multi-branching without becoming unmanageably sprawling, a rare balance in the tomato world. Seventy days from seed to first fruit means you're harvesting in the height of summer, and because these tomatoes slice beautifully and cook down smoothly, you can move seamlessly from fresh eating to canning.
Purple Heart excels as both a fresh slicing tomato and a processing variety. The meaty texture and well-balanced flavor make these tomatoes excellent for thick tomato sauces, salsas, and preserves, while the reliable heart shape and medium size are perfect for slicing fresh. Their suitability for container growing opens them to gardeners with limited space, from patios to small urban plots.
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Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last expected frost date. Keep soil temperature between 68 and 82°F for reliable germination, using a heat mat if necessary. Maintain moist (not waterlogged) seed-starting mix and provide bright light as soon as seedlings emerge.
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days before transplanting. Move them to the garden only after the last frost date has passed and soil temperature reaches at least 60°F. Plant at the spacing indicated (24 inches apart, rows 36 inches apart), burying the stem slightly deeper than it was in the pot to encourage a stronger root system.
Harvest Purple Heart tomatoes when they reach full deep purple color and yield slightly to gentle pressure. At 70 days from transplanting, your first fruits should be ready to pick. Slice fruits from the vine with pruning shears or a knife rather than pulling, which can damage the plant. Continue harvesting as fruits ripen throughout the season; picking ripe fruit encourages the plant to set more flowers and fruit.
Because Purple Heart is described as multi-branching and vigorous without becoming sprawling like true indeterminates, you'll have flexibility in your pruning approach. Light pruning of lower leaves after fruit sets will improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure without compromising productivity. Avoid aggressive pruning, which can stress the plant and reduce yield.
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“Purple Heart emerges from the Dwarf Tomato Project, a collaborative breeding effort dedicated to creating productive, manageable tomato varieties for home gardeners and small-scale growers. Rather than selecting purely for dwarf size, the project prioritized vigor and yield without sacrificing the sprawling growth habit that makes indeterminate varieties difficult to support and prune. Purple Heart represents this philosophy: it's larger than typical dwarf cultivars but far more restrained than standard indeterminates, giving gardeners genuine choice in how they structure their growing space.”