Woodle Orange is an heirloom tomato from Iowa with a remarkable story and an even more remarkable flavor. This indeterminate variety produces large, round fruit in a vibrant tangerine-orange color, maturing in 80 to 85 days from transplant. The fruit offers an incredibly rich, sweet, and complex flavor that stands among the best heirloom tomatoes grown today. With consistent full sun and moderate water, this variety rewards gardeners with impressive yields of what seed catalogs have long considered nearly perfect fruit.
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This old Iowa heirloom delivers large, visually stunning tangerine-colored tomatoes with a flavor profile that combines surprising depth and sweetness in every bite. The indeterminate growth habit means you'll enjoy continuous harvests throughout the season rather than a single concentrated flush, and the robust 80 to 85 day maturity keeps harvests coming well into late summer and early fall. Seed catalogs have consistently ranked Woodle Orange among the best-flavored heirlooms available, a reputation earned through decades of devoted gardeners saving and replanting seed.
As a slicing tomato, Woodle Orange excels in fresh applications where its flavor can shine. The large, round fruit and complex sweetness make it ideal for eating fresh from the garden, slicing for salads, and preserving through canning and sauce making. The rich flavor develops particularly well in cooked preparations, making it a strong choice for tomato sauces and soups where that complex sweetness adds depth.
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Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Maintain soil temperatures between 68 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit for germination, which typically occurs within 7 to 14 days. Sow seeds at a depth of 1/8 inch in seed-starting mix kept consistently moist but not waterlogged.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date has passed, when nighttime temperatures consistently reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Plant at the spacing recommended of 24 inches apart in rows or garden beds.
Harvest when the fruit reaches full tangerine-orange color and yields slightly to gentle pressure. The fruit should detach easily from the vine when fully ripe. Begin harvesting around 80 to 85 days after transplanting. For the sweetest flavor, allow the fruit to ripen fully on the vine rather than harvesting early and ripening indoors.
Because Woodle Orange is indeterminate, it will grow and produce throughout the season rather than stopping at a set height. Pruning is optional but can improve air circulation and fruit quality. Remove lower branches and some of the dense interior foliage once the plant is well established to allow better air movement around the fruit.
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“Woodle Orange is an Iowa heirloom, a variety that emerged from and was preserved within the agricultural traditions of America's heartland. Heirloom tomatoes like this one carry forward the work of families and small farmers who recognized their quality and saved seed season after season, passing the variety down through generations before it reached the broader gardening public through heirloom seed catalogs.”