VegetableTomato
Tastemaster Improved Tomato
Tastemaster Improved is an F1 hybrid tomato bred by George Emery in Hollister, California, that delivers deep pink fruits weighing 6 to 7 ounces on vigorous indeterminate vines. Ready to harvest in just 60 to 69 days from transplant, this warm-season annual thrives across hardiness zones 2 through 11 and performs equally well in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Its robust disease resistance package and reliable production make it a dependable choice for gardeners seeking both flavor and resilience.
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
George Emery's careful breeding work produced a tomato that balances productivity with disease resistance, packing impressive resistance to bacterial canker, fusarium wilt, late blight, powdery mildew, tobacco mosaic virus, and verticillium wilt. The deep pink fruits are medium-sized at 6 to 7 ounces, making them easy to handle and use in the kitchen. Its indeterminate growth habit means consistent production throughout the season rather than one heavy flush, so you'll enjoy harvests from midsummer through fall frost.
Common Uses
As a medium-sized slicing tomato, Tastemaster Improved suits fresh eating, salads, and sandwiches where its deep pink color and modest 6 to 7-ounce size offer convenience and visual appeal. The consistent production from indeterminate vines throughout the season makes it practical for households that want steady supplies for cooking, sauce-making, or canning rather than a single large harvest.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in warm soil (70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit) under bright lights. Keep soil moist but not waterlogged, and expect germination within 5 to 10 days. Thin seedlings to strong individual plants and provide 14 to 16 hours of light daily.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Transplant outdoors after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperature reaches 60 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Space plants 24 inches apart in rows set 36 inches apart. Plant slightly deeper than they grew indoors to encourage strong root development.
Harvesting
Harvest when fruits reach full deep pink color and yield slightly to gentle pressure, typically 60 to 69 days after transplanting. Pick fruits regularly once they show mature color; this encourages the plant to continue producing rather than diverting energy to ripening a few heavily loaded branches. You can also harvest mature-green fruits if frost threatens and ripen them indoors on a windowsill.
Pruning
As an indeterminate variety, Tastemaster Improved will grow indefinitely until frost, and pruning is optional but beneficial. Many gardeners remove lower leaves once the plant is established to improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure from soil splash. Pinching out the growing tip 4 to 6 weeks before your first expected frost redirects energy into ripening existing fruit rather than producing new flowers that won't mature before cold arrives.
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
“Tastemaster Improved was developed by George Emery, a California tomato breeder working in Hollister during a period when home gardeners were demanding varieties that could withstand common tomato diseases without sacrificing yield. The F1 hybrid designation indicates a cross between two carefully selected parent lines, engineered to bring together the disease resistance traits scattered across different heirloom and breeding lines. Emery's work reflected the mid-to-late 20th-century shift toward practical home-garden hybrids that could handle real-world growing conditions while still producing quality fruit.”