VegetableTomato
Dutchman Tomato
Dutchman Tomato is a 1920s heirloom beefsteak that brings substantial, meaty fruit to the summer garden. Large pink oblate tomatoes weighing 1 to 2 pounds develop on indeterminate vines over 60 to 69 days from transplant, making it a reliable producer across hardiness zones 2 through 11. Sweet, solid flesh and an open-pollinated heritage mean you can save seeds year after year, connecting you to a century of gardening tradition.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-11
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Growth Stats
96 in
Height
TypeIndeterminate
Spacing
24
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-11
Size
96in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
This 1920s heirloom produces substantial 1 to 2 pound beefsteak fruits with remarkably sweet, dense meat that slices cleanly. The indeterminate growth habit means continuous harvest throughout the season once the plants get going, and the open-pollinated lineage lets you save seeds to perpetuate your own strain. Its resilience against multiple serious diseases, including Fusarium Wilt, Verticillium Wilt, and Tobacco Mosaic Virus, makes it a particularly reliable heirloom choice.
Common Uses
Dutchman Tomato shines as a slicing tomato, where those large, meaty fruits show off their sweet flavor and solid texture on sandwiches, salads, and fresh summer plates. The substantial size and dense meat make it less suitable for sauce work than paste varieties, but gardeners often preserve these fruits whole or in chunks for cooking projects where you want the fruit to hold its shape.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 7 to 9 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds in warm soil and keep consistently moist until germination. Seedlings need strong light to prevent legginess.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date when soil has warmed. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Plant deeply, burying the stem up to the first true leaves to build a stronger root system.
Harvesting
Pick fruits when they reach full pink color and yield slightly to gentle hand pressure, typically 60 to 69 days after transplanting. For best flavor, allow tomatoes to fully ripen on the vine rather than harvesting green. Twist and gently pull the fruit away from the stem, or use pruners to avoid damaging the plant.
Pruning
As an indeterminate variety, Dutchman Tomato benefits from selective pruning to manage its vigorous growth and redirect energy into fruit production. Remove suckers (shoots that grow between the main stem and branches) when they're small to maintain a more open plant structure and improve air circulation. Once the plant has set a good crop and you're in late summer, you can pinch off new flower clusters and growing tips to encourage the plant to focus on ripening existing fruit rather than producing new blooms that won't mature before season's end.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Solanum lycopersicum
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Solanum
Growth Habit
Indeterminate
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)HI (I)PR (I)VI (I)CAN (W)
History & Origin
“Dutchman Tomato emerged as a cultivated variety in the 1920s, a period when American gardeners were preserving and perfecting regional tomato strains. Its name hints at Dutch agricultural influence, though the variety became established in North American gardens where it earned its reputation for large, flavorful fruit. As an open-pollinated heirloom, it has survived a century by being grown, saved, and replanted by successive generations of gardeners who recognized its value and shared seeds forward.”