The 'Hillbilly' tomato variety stands out due to its large and colorfully patterned fruits. In this overview we will show you how to properly plant and care for the hillbilly tomato in the garden.
The 'Hillbilly' tomato variety forms large and pretty red, orange and yellow marbled fruits that has been winning the hearts of tomato lovers for more than a hundred years with its fruity-sweet taste delight. Find out more about this historic tomato variety and its cultivation requirements here.
contents
- Hillbilly Tomato: Wanted
- Origin and history of the tomato
- Taste & Characteristics of the ‘Hillbilly’ Tomato Variety
- Planting and caring for hillbilly tomatoes: Our tips
- Harvesting and using hillbilly tomatoes
Hillbilly Tomato: Wanted
| fruit | beef tomato; sunny yellow with orange-red marbling |
| the taste | sweet and fruity |
| maturing time | medium early |
| growth | Stick tomato, up to 180 cm |
| location | Greenhouse, sheltered field |
Origin and history of the tomato
'Hillbilly' was reportedly bred and cultivated as early as the 1880's in the West Virginia area of the USA. Their unique coloring and taste gave rise to these yellow tomato variety preserved and cultivated to this day. The naming, on the other hand, is far less flattering, because 'Hillbilly' means something like a hillbilly or country bitterness.
Taste & Characteristics of the ‘Hillbilly’ Tomato Variety
The tomato variety 'Hillbilly' reaches a height of up to 180 centimeters as a potato-leaved plant. The large, slightly ribbed fruits weigh 500 to 1000 grams and are therefore real heavyweights. The ripe fruit inspires with a sunny yellow basic color and orange to red marbling, especially on the inside. Their coloring and shape are reminiscent of the 'pineapple tomato'. The variety has little acidity, the taste is sweet and fruity. The historical variety 'Hillbilly' is open-rooted. Here's how you can Get tomato seeds yourself and continue to preserve and cultivate this variety.
Planting and caring for hillbilly tomatoes: Our tips
The 'Hillbilly' needs a lot of warmth and should therefore find a place in the greenhouse. Cultivation is also possible outdoors, for example on a house wall with rain protection. For planting, dig a deep hole and put the young plants in so deep that only about half of them are above the surface of the earth. Remove the bottom leaves and fill the planting hole with substrate. Ours is suitable for this Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil especially since it is already pre-fertilized with nutrients. The peat-free potting soil is also suitable for greenhouses and outdoors, because it has a high compost content, which has a long-term positive effect on the soil structure. After planting, the 'Hillbilly' must be well supported and tied due to its sometimes huge and heavy fruits.
Beefsteak tomatoes such as the 'Hillbilly' should be pinched out and grown with a maximum of two shoots. The plant concentrates on flowering and fruit growth, and late-ripening varieties also ripen earlier. The Pinch off the tomatoes must be repeated regularly about every two weeks. From June, the 'Hillbilly' should be fertilized for the first time. Now the flowers that have just been pollinated begin to fruit and the need for nutrients increases. A primarily organic long-term fertilizer like ours Plantura organic tomato fertilizer should be incorporated lightly on the surface. This provides tomatoes and other vegetables with essential nutrients over a longer period of time. With just one more application of fertilizer after two months, your hillbilly tomatoes will be fed all season.
Our tip: A mulch layer of plant materials, such as grass clippings, encourages soil life and reduces evaporation. In this way, many liters of water can be saved in summer. More information on the topic mulching we have compiled for you in this article.
Harvesting and using hillbilly tomatoes
The beautiful 'Hillbilly' is ideal for fresh consumption. A single slice fits perfectly on bread or burgers. The large fruits are also productive in processing and attract everyone's attention, especially as a yellow tomato soup.
Aphids, whiteflies and the like can severely weaken our tomato plants and develop into real plagues. With the help of Tomato beneficial insects you can get the harmful insects under control effectively and naturally.
