Jet Star
Solanum lycopersicum 'Jet Star'
An award-winning hybrid that delivers the perfect balance of classic tomato flavor and reliable garden performance, making it ideal for beginners and experienced gardeners alike. This vigorous variety produces smooth, crack-resistant fruits with excellent eating quality and impressive disease tolerance. Jet Star has been a garden favorite for decades due to its consistent production and adaptability to various growing conditions.
Harvest
72-78d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–10
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Jet Star in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 tomato →Zone Map
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Jet Star · 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 | — | August – 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 |
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
Store freshly harvested Jet Star tomatoes at room temperature on your kitchen counter for 3-5 days to maintain optimal flavor and texture. Never refrigerate fresh tomatoes unless fully ripe and you need to extend storage by 2-3 additional days, though this will compromise flavor.
For preservation, Jet Star's meaty texture and balanced acidity make them excellent for canning whole, crushed, or as sauce. The variety's crack-resistance helps maintain integrity during processing. Blanch and freeze whole tomatoes for up to 8 months – simply core and freeze in freezer bags for later use in cooked dishes. Dehydrate sliced Jet Stars in a food dehydrator at 135°F for 8-12 hours to create intensely flavored dried tomatoes. Their low moisture content and firm flesh make them ideal for sun-drying or oven-drying at 200°F with the door slightly ajar.
History & Origin
Jet Star was developed by Harris Seeds (now Harris Moran) in the 1960s as part of the company's effort to create reliable hybrid tomatoes for home gardeners. The variety was specifically bred to combine the classic tomato flavor that gardeners demanded with the disease resistance and crack tolerance that commercial varieties offered.
Introduced to the market in 1969, Jet Star quickly gained popularity among both home gardeners and small-scale commercial growers for its consistent performance and adaptability to various growing conditions. The hybrid was created by crossing selected parent lines chosen for their complementary traits: one parent contributed excellent disease resistance and crack tolerance, while the other provided superior flavor and texture.
Jet Star earned recognition from gardening organizations and seed companies throughout the 1970s and 1980s, becoming one of the most recommended varieties for beginning gardeners. Its development represented a significant breakthrough in tomato breeding, proving that hybrids could deliver both reliability and flavor – previously, gardeners often had to choose one or the other.
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 and whiteflies, may improve tomato flavor and growth
Marigolds
Deter nematodes and aphids while attracting beneficial insects
Carrots
Help aerate soil and don't compete for nutrients, mature at different times
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies that prey on tomato pests
Chives
Repel aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crops for aphids and whiteflies, keeping them away from tomatoes
Lettuce
Provides ground cover and shade for roots, harvested before tomatoes need full space
Oregano
Repels many insects and may improve tomato flavor when planted nearby
Keep Apart
Fennel
Releases allelopathic compounds that inhibit tomato growth and development
Black Walnut
Produces juglone toxin that causes wilting and death in tomato plants
Brassicas
Compete heavily for nutrients and may stunt tomato growth when planted too close
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Excellent resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and cracking. Good tolerance to various environmental stresses.
Common Pests
Tomato fruitworm, aphids, whiteflies, spider mites
Diseases
Bacterial speck, early blight, septoria leaf spot