Valencia
Solanum lycopersicum
Round, smooth fruits average 8-10 oz. Their meaty interiors have few seeds. This midseason tomato is among the best for flavor and texture. Our own selection of a Maine family heirloom with a Spanish accent. Indeterminate.
Harvest
76d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
10–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Valencia in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 tomato →Zone Map
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Valencia · Zones 10–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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
Round, smooth fruits average 8-10 oz. Their meaty interiors have few seeds. This midseason tomato is among the best for flavor and texture. Our own selection of a Maine family heirloom with a Spanish accent. Indeterminate. According to Johnny's Selected Seeds, Valencia is 76 days to maturity, annual, open pollinated, indeterminate growth habit. Notable features: Organic Seeds, Plants, and Supplies, Heirloom.
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
Valencia reaches harvest at 76 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. Expect 8-10 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 Valencia tomatoes at room temperature (68–72°F) away from direct sunlight until fully ripe, then refrigerate at 50–55°F to extend shelf life to 5–7 days. Keep them in a paper bag or shallow container to allow air circulation and prevent moisture buildup. These tomatoes excel at room temperature when used within 2–3 days, particularly for salads where their sweet-fruity character shines.
For longer preservation, freezing works well for future sauce or salsa projects—simply core and freeze whole, or quarter and freeze on a tray before bagging. Canning whole or as sauce preserves their balanced acidity effectively. Drying concentrates their natural sweetness and is worthwhile given their excellent flavor profile. Because Valencia tomatoes develop sugars quickly during their 76-day season, harvest at the first blush of color if you plan to store fresh; they'll continue ripening indoors while maintaining firmness better than fully red fruit.
History & Origin
Valencia is an heirloom variety with documented breeding heritage. Valencia 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
- +Excellent sweet and fruity flavor with well-balanced acidity and complexity
- +Meaty interior with few seeds makes them ideal for cooking
- +Medium-sized 8-10 oz fruits are perfect for slicing and sauces
- +Midseason maturity at 76 days fits most growing seasons well
Considerations
- -Indeterminate growth requires staking, pruning, and significant vertical space
- -Susceptible to late blight and early blight in humid conditions
- -Prone to blossom end rot and fruit cracking with inconsistent watering
- -Multiple pest pressures including hornworms and aphids demand vigilant management
Companion Plants
Basil is worth planting nearby, though not for the reasons most seed catalogs suggest. The pest-deterrence evidence is thin. What's actually useful: basil stays compact, doesn't compete with Valencia's roots at the 24–36 inch spacing you're already maintaining, and you'll harvest both at the same time. Marigolds — Tagetes patula specifically, not the tall African types — earn their spot at the bed edges because their roots actively suppress root-knot nematodes in the surrounding soil. That's a documented mechanism. Carrots and lettuce tuck in low under the canopy and use vertical space that would otherwise sit empty.
Fennel is the one to keep on the other side of the garden entirely. It releases allelopathic compounds from its roots that stunt most neighboring plants, and tomatoes are particularly sensitive. Brassicas are a different problem: they share aphid and flea beetle pressure with tomatoes, and stacking those crops together just gives those pests a larger, more convenient target. Black walnut produces juglone, a root secretion toxic to tomatoes — and soil that previously sat under a walnut canopy can hold enough residue to kill transplants even after the tree is gone.
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids, whiteflies, and hornworms while potentially improving tomato flavor
Marigold
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 hoverflies that control aphids
Chives
Repels aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Nasturtium
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Oregano
Repels pests and may enhance tomato growth through root interactions
Lettuce
Benefits from tomato shade and doesn't compete for nutrients
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Releases juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunted growth
Fennel
Inhibits tomato growth through allelopathic compounds
Brassicas
Heavy nitrogen feeders that compete with tomatoes for nutrients
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Typical heirloom disease susceptibility, benefits from good air circulation
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, aphids, cutworms, flea beetles
Diseases
Late blight, early blight, fusarium wilt, blossom end rot, cracking
Troubleshooting Valencia
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Large patches of foliage turning gray-green and collapsing fast — sometimes overnight — with dark, water-soaked spots appearing on fruit
Likely Causes
- Late blight (Phytophthora infestans) — airborne spores that travel long distances and hit fast in cool, wet conditions
- Infected transplants introducing the pathogen before symptoms appear
What to Do
- 1.Pull and bag affected plants immediately — don't compost them, don't leave them in the bed
- 2.Apply a copper-based fungicide to surrounding plants at first sign, following label rates
- 3.NC State Extension notes late blight arrival timing varies year to year — monitor regional disease alerts and don't wait for symptoms to spread before acting
Plant wilts during the day and doesn't fully recover at night, with no obvious above-ground damage to stems or roots
Likely Causes
- Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici) — soil-borne fungus that clogs vascular tissue; a cross-section of the stem will show brown discoloration inside
- Southern bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) — once established, NC State Extension notes this pathogen persists in infested soil indefinitely
What to Do
- 1.Dig up and destroy the entire plant including roots — do not compost
- 2.NC State Extension recommends rotating tomatoes out of a problem site for five to seven years; Valencia is an heirloom with no fusarium resistance built in, so rotation is your main tool
- 3.If your in-ground beds have a wilt history, grow Valencia in containers with fresh potting mix and keep that mix from contacting native soil
Sunken, leathery brown or black patch on the blossom end of fruit, appearing as fruit approaches full size
Likely Causes
- Blossom end rot — calcium deficiency in the developing fruit caused by inconsistent watering or low soil calcium, not a pathogen
- Irregular moisture swings (drought followed by heavy irrigation) that disrupt calcium uptake even when Ca is present in the soil
What to Do
- 1.Water consistently — Valencia needs steady, high moisture; a week of uneven watering during fruit set is enough to trigger this
- 2.Mulch with 3–4 inches of straw to buffer soil moisture between rain events
- 3.Test soil pH and keep it between 6.2 and 6.8; calcium availability drops outside that range — lime if needed before the next season
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Valencia tomato take to grow from seed?▼
Can you grow Valencia tomatoes in containers?▼
What does Valencia tomato taste like?▼
Is Valencia tomato good for beginners?▼
When should I plant Valencia tomato seeds?▼
Do Valencia tomatoes crack easily?▼
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.