The Upstate Oxheart Tomato is a giant slicing variety that produces fruits weighing up to 3 pounds, with a distinctive heart-like shape and dense, multi-layered texture. A local gardener gifted the seeds to Hudson Valley Seed Company, and the variety has become prized for its exceptional sweet flavor and impressive size. Reaching maturity in 84 days, it grows as a vigorous indeterminate plant suitable for zones 3-12, making it accessible to gardeners across most of North America. One quick harvest yields a plateful of tomato for fresh eating, slicing, or cooking.
—
Moderate
3-12
120in H x ?in W
—
High
Hover over chart points for details
These are the biggest oxhearts you can grow, each fruit arriving as a massive, wrinkled-shouldered heart that demands respect from any gardener who pulls it from the vine. The flavor is exceptional and the texture is dense with those characteristic heart-shaped flaps and cavities that make slicing an event. What makes this variety genuinely challenging for seed companies to propagate (very few seeds per fruit) becomes part of its mystique: it's so vigorous and fruitful that it barely bothers with seeds, investing everything into the meat of the tomato instead.
Slicing and fresh eating are where this tomato truly shines. One fruit provides enough meat for a meal, and its dense texture holds up beautifully when sliced thick for sandwiches, salads, or simply served with salt and good oil. The abundance of flesh relative to seeds and cavities makes it excellent for cooking down into sauces, though many gardeners find the fruits too magnificent to process, preferring to eat them fresh.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost, keeping soil temperature between 68 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit for reliable germination. Use seed-starting mix in small containers or cells, keeping soil moist but not waterlogged. Once seedlings develop their first true leaves, provide bright light (a grow light or sunny south-facing window) to prevent them from becoming leggy.
Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions, starting with dappled shade and increasing sun exposure daily. Transplant outdoors once nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees and all danger of frost has passed. Plant seedlings 18 inches apart in rows spaced 36 inches apart, burying them slightly deeper than they grew in their containers to develop stronger roots. These vigorous indeterminate plants will grow 10 feet tall and will require sturdy support or trellising immediately after transplanting.
Pick fruits when they are fully colored and yield slightly to gentle hand pressure, typically 84 days from transplanting. Oxhearts reach full size before they fully ripen, so watch for a deep, even color (usually red or near-red depending on ripeness) rather than relying on size alone. Grasp the fruit gently and twist or cut it from the vine to avoid damaging the plant. Early morning harvesting, when fruits are cool, helps them keep longer.
As an indeterminate variety, this tomato will benefit from removing lower leaves once the plant is established and fruiting to improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure. Prune suckers (shoots that emerge between the main stem and branches) selectively to maintain a manageable structure, but avoid over-pruning, as leaf canopy helps protect massive fruits from sunscald. Stop major pruning by late summer to allow the plant to focus energy on ripening remaining fruit before frost.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“This variety arrived at Hudson Valley Seed Company as a gift from a local gardener in the Upstate New York region, arriving fully formed and beloved. The seed company was instantly smitten with its performance and flavor, choosing to catalog and preserve it for a wider audience of home gardeners. The variety carries the genetics and selection of whoever stewarded it through seasons in the Northeast before passing it on, making it a true community heirloom with deep regional roots.”