Grape Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
A larger sister variety of Santa, Juliet is one of the most disease-resistant in our trials. Deep red shiny fruits avg. 2-2 1/4" x 1 3/8-1 1/2", weighing 1 1/2-2 oz. Typically 12-18 fruits per cluster. Delicious, rich tomato flavor for salads, great salsa, and fresh pasta sauce. Good crack resistance, vine storage, and shelf life. AAS Winner. Indeterminate.
Harvest
60d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Grape Tomato in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 tomato →Zone Map
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Grape Tomato · Zones 10–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | June – August |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | May – July |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | May – July |
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Water: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. 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
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
Bloom 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
Fresh grape tomatoes store exceptionally well at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, maintaining their sweet flavor and firm texture longer than most tomato varieties. Keep them stem-side up in a single layer, away from direct sunlight. Refrigerate only fully ripe tomatoes if you need to extend storage beyond two weeks, though cold temperatures will diminish their flavor.
For preservation, grape tomatoes excel at oven-drying due to their low moisture content and concentrated flavor. Halve them, toss with olive oil and herbs, then slow-roast at 225°F for 2-3 hours until shriveled but still pliable.
Freeze whole grape tomatoes in freezer bags for winter cooking – their skins slip off easily after thawing. They're too small for traditional canning but make excellent tomato paste when cooked down. Their natural sweetness also makes them ideal for fermenting into tangy condiments or adding to fermented salsas.
History & Origin
Grape tomatoes are a relatively recent innovation in tomato breeding, developed in the 1990s through selective breeding programs aimed at creating the perfect snacking tomato. Unlike cherry tomatoes, which have ancient origins, grape tomatoes were specifically engineered to combine the sweetness and size appeal of cherry varieties with superior crack resistance and shelf life.
The variety emerged from commercial breeding programs in Taiwan and Israel, where agricultural scientists focused on developing tomatoes that could withstand shipping while maintaining exceptional flavor. The oblong, grape-like shape wasn't accidental – breeders selected for this form factor because it provided better structural integrity than round cherry tomatoes.
By the early 2000s, grape tomatoes had revolutionized the fresh produce market in North America, quickly becoming the preferred snacking tomato for their perfect balance of sweetness, convenience, and durability. Their success sparked numerous breeding programs to develop colored varieties in yellow, orange, and purple, though the classic red remains most popular.
The variety's rapid adoption by home gardeners followed its commercial success, as seed companies recognized demand for this superior snacking tomato that combined the best traits of cherry tomatoes with modern breeding improvements.
Advantages
- +Attracts: Bees, Pollinators, Predatory Insects
- +Wildlife value: The plant is pollinated by bees, especially bumblebees.
- +Edible: 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.
- +Fast-growing
Considerations
- -Toxic (Leaves, Stems): Medium severity
- -High maintenance
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids, whiteflies, and hornworms while potentially improving tomato flavor
Marigold
Deters nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with natural pest-repelling compounds
Carrots
Help break up soil for tomato roots and don't compete for nutrients
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like parasitic wasps that control tomato pests
Chives
Repel aphids and may improve tomato flavor and growth
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crops for aphids and cucumber beetles, protecting tomatoes
Lettuce
Grows well in tomato shade and helps retain soil moisture
Oregano
Repels many garden pests and may enhance tomato flavor
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunted growth
Fennel
Inhibits tomato growth through allelopathic compounds
Brassicas
Compete for nutrients and may stunt tomato growth when planted too close
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
Early Blight (Intermediate); Late Blight (Intermediate)
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, aphids, spider mites, whiteflies
Diseases
Early blight, late blight, bacterial spot, fusarium wilt