Fourth of July
Solanum lycopersicum 'Fourth of July'
An All-America Selections winner bred for extremely early harvests, often producing ripe fruit by Independence Day in most climates. This compact determinate variety delivers full-sized, flavorful tomatoes weeks before other varieties, making it perfect for short-season gardeners and those eager for their first homegrown tomatoes. Despite its early maturity, it doesn't sacrifice flavor for speed.
Harvest
49-55d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
10–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Fourth of July in USDA Zone 7
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Fourth of July · Zones 10–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | May – May | July – August | — | September – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | June – July | — | August – September |
| Zone 11 | January – January | January – February | — | March – May |
| Zone 12 | January – January | January – February | — | March – May |
| Zone 13 | January – January | January – February | — | March – May |
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | August – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | June – August |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | June – August |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | May – July |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | April – June |
Succession Planting
Fourth of July is an indeterminate hybrid that keeps setting fruit until frost kills it, so you don't succession-plant it the way you would lettuce or radishes. Set transplants out once in April–May after your last frost date, stake or cage them early, and they'll carry through summer on a single planting.
If you want a second-season push in zone 7, start a second set of transplants indoors around late June and get them in the ground by late July — they'll start producing around September when the worst heat has broken. Late-planted tomatoes tend to accumulate early blight (Alternaria solani) pressure on older foliage faster than spring plants, so stay ahead of it: strip the bottom 6–8 inches of leaves once plants are established and keep the straw mulch thick.
Complete Growing Guide
With only 49–55 days to maturity, 'Fourth of July' rewards early planting: start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost to capitalize on its speed. Plant seedlings as soon as soil reaches 60°F, even before fully hardened-off transplants from other varieties can tolerate outdoor conditions. This determinate cultivar stays compact, so space plants 18–24 inches apart and avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen, which encourages excessive foliage at the expense of fruit set. The concentrated ripening window means harvest peaks suddenly; check plants every 2–3 days once fruits begin turning color to catch tomatoes at peak ripeness. While generally robust, monitor for early blight in humid climates by removing lower leaves and ensuring good air circulation. A practical tip: succession-plant every two weeks through early summer to extend your early-season harvest beyond the initial July flush.
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 3 feet-6 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: High. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
Harvest "Fourth of July" tomatoes when they reach their signature deep red color throughout, though a slight yield to gentle finger pressure indicates optimal ripeness. At full size—typically 2-3 inches in diameter—the fruit should feel slightly soft but not mushy. This determinate variety produces most of its crop within a concentrated window, allowing for bulk harvesting, though some fruits will continue ripening if you prefer staggered picking. For maximum flavor development, pick tomatoes in early morning after dew dries but before intense afternoon heat, as cooler temperatures help preserve the acidity that defines this early variety's surprisingly robust taste.
The fruits are smooth, shiny, glossy, and are classified as berries. The size, shape, and color will vary depending on the variety or cultivar. The color of the fruits may be red, yellow, orange, green, purple, or pink. The fruits may contain over 100 yellow to light brown seeds.
Color: Gold/Yellow, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy, Variegated. Type: Berry. Length: > 3 inches. Width: > 3 inches.
Garden value: Edible, Showy
Harvest time: Fall, Summer
Edibility: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
Storage & Preservation
Store freshly harvested Fourth of July tomatoes at room temperature away from direct sunlight until fully ripe, as refrigeration below 55°F diminishes their balanced flavor and acidity. Once ripe, they'll keep for 3-5 days at room temperature or up to a week in the crisper drawer if you must refrigerate them. For preservation, these early tomatoes work well frozen whole or as sauce for winter cooking—simply blanch and peel before freezing, or cook down into a concentrated tomato sauce. They're also suitable for water-bath canning as crushed tomatoes or in salsas, though their thin walls mean they break down quickly during processing. Given this variety's notably full flavor for an early cultivar, freezing preserves that taste better than drying, which can concentrate any subtle acidic notes unevenly. Because these tomatoes mature so early in the season, prioritize eating them fresh while they're available rather than investing preservation effort—you'll have plenty of mid-season and late varieties for canning projects.
History & Origin
An All-America Selections winner introduced in the early 1990s, 'Fourth of July' emerged from the seed company Burpee's breeding program as part of their initiative to develop ultra-early determinate tomatoes for American gardeners. Specific breeder attribution and exact breeding parentage remain undocumented in widely accessible sources, though the variety's development reflects broader horticultural trends toward shorter-season cultivars suited to northern climates and gardeners seeking rapid gratification. The variety name itself references the American holiday, emphasizing its signature trait of producing ripe fruit by early July in most regions. While detailed breeding records exist within Burpee's archives, public documentation of its precise origin remains limited beyond its AAS designation and commercial release timeline.
Origin: Peru
Advantages
- +Produces ripe tomatoes by early July in most climates
- +Compact determinate plant requires minimal space and support
- +Surprisingly full, balanced flavor despite extremely early maturity
- +All-America Selections winner proves reliability and consistent performance
- +Perfect for short-season gardeners with limited growing time
Considerations
- -Susceptible to early and late blight in humid climates
- -Vulnerable to blossom end rot without consistent soil moisture
- -Determinate type produces all fruit at once, not continuously
- -Limited total yield compared to indeterminate varieties
Companion Plants
Basil is the most common tomato companion, and the pest-deterrence claims get a little oversold in seed catalogs — but there's decent evidence it confuses thrips and aphids at close range, and more practically, basil and Fourth of July want the same conditions: full sun, consistent water, and warm soil above 60°F. They're easy to manage together. Marigolds, specifically Tagetes patula (French marigold, not the tall African types), earn their place for a documented reason: their roots release alpha-terthienyl, a compound that suppresses root-knot nematodes in surrounding soil. Plant them as a border or interplanted every 12–18 inches through the bed, not just as a decorative edge.
Carrots and chives slot in well because they draw from different soil depths than tomato roots — less competition for the same moisture and nutrients. Chives also deter aphids. Nasturtiums work as a trap crop, pulling aphids away from your tomatoes onto themselves; the flowers are edible, which is a side benefit your harvest box recipients will notice. Parsley and oregano attract small predatory wasps that parasitize hornworm eggs before they hatch.
Fennel is allelopathic to most vegetables and will stunt anything in its chemical radius — keep it out of the tomato bed entirely, or plant it on the far edge of the garden where it can't spread. Brassicas compete hard for the same soil nutrients and are widely reported to inhibit tomato growth at close range. Black walnut is the most serious problem: the roots and decomposing leaves release juglone, a compound toxic to Solanums, and the effect extends well beyond the visible drip line — keep tomato beds at least 50 feet from any black walnut tree.
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids and whiteflies, may improve tomato flavor
Marigolds
Deters nematodes and aphids with natural compounds
Carrots
Helps loosen soil for tomato roots, doesn't compete for space
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps
Chives
Repels aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Nasturtiums
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Oregano
Repels many pests and attracts beneficial pollinators
Lettuce
Provides ground cover and benefits from tomato's shade
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Releases juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunted growth
Fennel
Inhibits growth of most garden plants through allelopathy
Brassicas
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Corn
Both attract corn earworm and compete for heavy nutrient demands
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Good resistance to verticillium wilt and fusarium wilt
Common Pests
Aphids, flea beetles, cutworms, tomato hornworm
Diseases
Early blight, late blight, bacterial speck, blossom end rot
Troubleshooting Fourth of July
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Lower leaves developing dark brown bullseye-ringed spots, starting around day 40–45 after transplant, working upward
Likely Causes
- Early blight (Alternaria solani) — a soil-borne fungus that splashes onto lower foliage during rain or irrigation
- Crowded canopy blocking airflow, especially if you skipped suckering
What to Do
- 1.Strip affected leaves and bag them for the trash — don't compost them
- 2.Lay 3–4 inches of straw mulch under the plants to stop soil splash
- 3.NC State Extension recommends rotating nightshades out of the same bed for at least 3–4 years; for some tomato diseases the rotation window is 5–7 years
Large patches of foliage turning gray-green and collapsing fast — sometimes within 48 hours — with water-soaked brown rot appearing on fruit
Likely Causes
- Late blight (Phytophthora infestans) — spreads explosively in cool, wet weather around 60–70°F
- Infected transplants or nearby potato plantings acting as a reservoir
What to Do
- 1.Remove and bag affected plants immediately — do not compost
- 2.NC State Extension's Plant Disease and Insect Clinic (PDIC) tracks late blight outbreaks seasonally; check their alerts before assuming it's something less serious
- 3.Next season, avoid overhead irrigation and maintain the full 18–24 inch spacing to reduce how long leaves stay wet
Dark, sunken, leathery patch on the blossom end of fruit, usually showing up on the first flush when fruits are 1–2 inches in diameter
Likely Causes
- Blossom end rot — calcium deficiency in the developing fruit tissue, typically triggered by inconsistent watering rather than absent calcium in the soil
- Drought stress followed by heavy rain or irrigation causing rapid, uneven uptake
What to Do
- 1.Water consistently — Fourth of July needs high, steady moisture; let the top inch dry slightly, then water deeply rather than shallow-and-often
- 2.Mulch heavily to buffer soil moisture swings between rain events
- 3.If your soil pH is below 6.0, lime to bring it into the 6.0–7.0 range so calcium stays available; get a soil test before adding anything
Fat, green caterpillars up to 4 inches long stripping whole branches overnight, leaving bare stems and piles of dark pellet-shaped frass on the soil
Likely Causes
- Tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata) — the UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar lists it among the top priority pests to scout for once transplants are in the ground
- Single hornworms can defoliate a plant fast; they're easy to overlook against green foliage until the damage is obvious
What to Do
- 1.Hand-pick in early morning or evening and drop them in soapy water
- 2.If you see white rice-grain-shaped cocoons attached to the caterpillar's back, those are braconid wasp pupae — that hornworm is already neutralized, leave it in place
- 3.Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray works on young larvae; apply in the evening and reapply after rain
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Fourth of July tomato take to grow?▼
Can you grow Fourth of July tomatoes in containers?▼
Is Fourth of July tomato good for beginners?▼
What does Fourth of July tomato taste like?▼
When should I plant Fourth of July tomato seeds?▼
Fourth of July vs Early Girl tomato - what's the difference?▼
Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
Where to Buy Seeds
Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.