German Johnson
Solanum lycopersicum
Recommended for higher productivity in a pink heirloom. Earlier, more uniform, and slightly smaller than Brandywine at 8-16 oz. Fruits have lots of deep, acidic tomato flavor and a rich, creamy texture. This is the regular-leaf strain, which is earlier and more productive than the potato-leaf strain. Indeterminate.
Harvest
75d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
10–10
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for German Johnson in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 tomato →Zone Map
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German Johnson · Zones 10–10
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | September – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | September – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | June – August |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | May – July |
| Zone 1 | May – May | July – August | — | October – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | June – July | — | September – September |
| Zone 11 | January – January | January – February | — | April – June |
| Zone 12 | January – January | January – February | — | April – June |
| Zone 13 | January – January | January – February | — | April – June |
Complete Growing Guide
Recommended for higher productivity in a pink heirloom. Earlier, more uniform, and slightly smaller than Brandywine at 8-16 oz. Fruits have lots of deep, acidic tomato flavor and a rich, creamy texture. This is the regular-leaf strain, which is earlier and more productive than the potato-leaf strain. Indeterminate. According to Johnny's Selected Seeds, German Johnson is 75 days to maturity, annual, open pollinated, indeterminate growth habit. Notable features: Organic Seeds, Plants, and Supplies, Heirloom, Easy Choice.
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
German Johnson reaches harvest at 75 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. Expect 8-16 oz. at peak. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.
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 German Johnson tomatoes at room temperature (68-72°F) away from direct sunlight until fully ripe, which preserves their complex flavor better than refrigeration. Once ripe, they'll keep for 3-5 days at room temperature or up to two weeks if refrigerated, though chilling dulls their characteristic sweet-tart profile—best eaten fresh or processed shortly after harvest. These tomatoes excel at canning whole or crushed, as their juiciness and balanced acidity make them ideal for sauces and pastes that develop deeper flavor during processing. They also freeze well when crushed or chopped, or can be dried slowly in a dehydrator to concentrate their rich sweetness. Given their exceptional flavor when cooked down, prioritize canning or sauce-making over long-term storage of whole fruit. Their thin skins split easily when heated, so blanching briefly before processing prevents skins from separating in the finished product.
History & Origin
German Johnson is an heirloom variety with documented breeding heritage. German Johnson is open-pollinated, meaning seed saved from healthy plants will produce true-to-type offspring. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.
Origin: Peru
Advantages
- +Earlier maturity than Brandywine with superior productivity and consistency
- +Excellent rich, complex flavor with perfect sweet-tart balance and juiciness
- +Regular-leaf strain offers better earliness and yields than potato-leaf type
- +Moderate fruit size at 8-16 oz suits home gardens and markets
Considerations
- -Moderate to challenging difficulty requires experience and attentive care
- -Highly susceptible to late blight, early blight, and septoria leaf spot
- -Indeterminate growth habit demands consistent pruning, staking, and long season support
- -Multiple pest vulnerabilities including hornworms and budworms require active monitoring
Companion Plants
Basil is the obvious first planting partner for German Johnson, and while the pest-repellent claims get repeated more than they've been proven, the practical case for it is simpler: both crops want the same heat, the same consistent moisture, and they fit cleanly at 36 to 48-inch tomato spacing without crowding. Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are the more useful pest tool — their root secretions suppress soil nematodes, which matters more for an heirloom like this one because German Johnson carries no built-in nematode resistance the way many modern hybrids do. Run them as a border row rather than scattering a few plants randomly; a continuous 12-inch border gives the root chemistry somewhere to actually work.
Borage and nasturtiums both act as aphid magnets — colonies tend to establish there first, which gives you a few days' warning before pressure moves onto the tomatoes. Nasturtiums also pull in parasitic wasps that work through the aphid population on their own. Carrots and chives can fill gaps in the bed without competing much; their roots stay shallow enough to stay out of the way.
Fennel is allelopathic to most vegetables and will suppress nearby tomato growth — keep it out of the same bed entirely. Black walnut trees produce juglone, a compound that's actively toxic to Solanums; German Johnson planted within the root zone of a walnut can wilt and die in a way that's easy to mistake for bacterial wilt. Brassicas share enough root-knot nematode pressure with tomatoes that putting them in the same rotation block undercuts whatever nematode suppression your marigolds were doing.
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids, whiteflies, and hornworms while potentially improving tomato flavor
Marigolds
Deters nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with natural compounds
Carrots
Loosens soil for tomato roots and doesn't compete for nutrients
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like parasitic wasps that control tomato pests
Chives
Repels aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Nasturtiums
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Lettuce
Provides ground cover and utilizes space efficiently without competing
Borage
Attracts pollinators and beneficial insects while deterring hornworms
Keep Apart
Black Walnut Trees
Produces juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunted growth
Fennel
Inhibits tomato growth through allelopathic compounds
Brassicas
Competes heavily for nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Corn
Both attract corn earworm/tomato fruitworm, increasing pest pressure
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Limited disease resistance typical of heirlooms. Prone to cracking in wet weather.
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, cutworms, aphids, tobacco budworm
Diseases
Late blight, early blight, septoria leaf spot, bacterial wilt
Troubleshooting German Johnson
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Large areas of foliage turning gray-green and collapsing fast — sometimes overnight — with dark, water-soaked lesions on fruit
Likely Causes
- Late blight (Phytophthora infestans) — a fast-moving oomycete that thrives in cool, wet nights above 50°F paired with warm days
- Infected transplants or nearby potato plantings introducing the pathogen
What to Do
- 1.Remove and bag affected plants immediately — don't compost them; late blight spreads aggressively to healthy plants and neighboring gardens
- 2.If only a few branches are hit, strip them out and apply a copper-based fungicide to the remaining foliage, hitting both leaf surfaces
- 3.NC State Extension notes that late blight's appearance in any given season varies year to year — check your state's PDIC alerts before the season starts so you're not caught off guard
Plant wilts during the heat of the day, recovers overnight at first, then collapses completely with no obvious root rot or stem damage at the soil line
Likely Causes
- Bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) — soilborne, spreads through contaminated soil and water, enters through root wounds
- Southern stem blight (Sclerotium rolfsii) in early stages can mimic this before visible white mycelium appears at the crown
What to Do
- 1.Dig up the plant, roots and all, and dispose of it in the trash — not the compost pile; both pathogens persist in soil for years
- 2.NC State Extension recommends rotating out of nightshades for 5 to 7 years after a bacterial wilt outbreak — and notes that German Johnson, as an heirloom, carries no resistance to these soilborne diseases
- 3.If your garden has a history of wilt problems, grow in containers with fresh potting mix and keep that soil completely isolated from your native garden beds
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does German Johnson tomato take to grow?▼
Can you grow German Johnson tomatoes in containers?▼
Is German Johnson tomato good for beginners?▼
What does German Johnson tomato taste like?▼
Why do German Johnson tomatoes crack?▼
German Johnson vs Brandywine tomato differences?▼
Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
Where to Buy Seeds
Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
- BreederJohnny's Selected Seeds
- USDAUSDA FoodData Central
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.