Yellow Plum Tomato is an indeterminate heirloom variety that produces abundant small, golden fruits resembling elongated lemons over a 75-80 day season. Open-pollinated and non-GMO, this prolific tomato grows 3 to 8 feet tall and thrives in full sun with moderate water, making it equally at home in garden beds, raised beds, or containers. The mild, sweet flavor and convenient snack-sized fruits (roughly 1 to 2 inches long) have earned this cultivar a loyal following among gardeners seeking reliable productivity without fussy care.
24
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
96in H x ?in W
—
High
Hover over chart points for details
Golden plum tomatoes cascade from vigorous vines in abundant waves, each fruit small enough to pop straight into your mouth as a garden snack. The mild, sweet taste comes through clearly without the acidity some tomato lovers find off-putting, and the prolific harvest means you'll have plenty to share, preserve, or enjoy fresh throughout the season. Unlike many heirloom varieties prone to splitting or disease, this one tolerates blossom end rot and resists a serious roster of fungal and viral threats including late blight, fusarium wilt, and tobacco mosaic virus.
Yellow Plum Tomato shines as a fresh eating tomato, particularly prized for snacking straight from the vine thanks to its compact, pop-in-your-mouth size. The mild sweetness and low acidity make it well-suited to fresh salads, where its golden color adds visual appeal alongside red and orange varieties. The prolific yields and small fruit size also make this cultivar practical for small-scale preserving projects; the uniform dimensions suit canning whole or halved, and the dense flesh holds up reasonably well to cooking.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow seeds indoors approximately 6 to 8 weeks before your last expected spring frost. Maintain warm soil temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit for consistent germination. Press seeds lightly into moist seed-starting mix at a depth of 1/4 inch, then cover with a humidity dome or plastic wrap. Provide 14 to 16 hours of bright light daily once seedlings emerge, and reduce watering to avoid damping off while keeping soil lightly moist.
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days before transplanting. Move seedlings outdoors after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperatures have reached at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, typically 2 to 3 weeks after your region's last frost date. Space transplants 24 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart, burying the stem up to the first true leaves to encourage stronger root development. Water gently after transplanting and provide afternoon shade for the first week if temperatures exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pick fruits when they reach full golden yellow color and yield slightly to gentle pressure; they should feel warm from the sun and smell pleasantly tomato-like at the stem end. Most fruits will be ready between 75 and 80 days from transplanting, though continued harvests often extend through fall if the plant remains healthy. Twist gently or snip fruits with a small knife, leaving the stem attached; this variety's small fruits make harvesting quick and easy. Check plants every two to three days during peak production, as the prolific bearing means new ripe fruit appears constantly.
As an indeterminate variety, Yellow Plum Tomato benefits from moderate pruning to improve air circulation and direct energy toward fruit production. Pinch out suckers (shoots that grow between the main stem and branches) when they are small and tender, focusing on lower suckers while leaving those higher on the plant to maintain fruit production. Remove lower leaves once the plant reaches 2 to 3 feet in height to reduce disease pressure and improve air flow around the base. Avoid heavy pruning that strips the plant of too much foliage, as the dense canopy protects fruits from sunscald.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Yellow Plum Tomato belongs to the open-pollinated heirloom tomato family, a lineage preserved by home gardeners and seed keepers across generations. The catalog sources identify it as an heirloom variety, meaning it has been maintained and passed down through seed saving rather than commercial breeding. Its plum-like form and yellow color suggest ancestry among European and Mediterranean tomato traditions, though the variety's exact origin remains undocumented in the available sources. What matters most is that it has survived to reach modern gardeners as a stable, true-breeding cultivar that rewards careful seed saving.”