Fish Lake Oxheart Tomato

[barefootgardener]

I love heart varieties.. Fish lake Oxheart was no exception..Outstanding flavor, meaty with right balance of juice. Pretty good production. The plant was a bit flimsy, needs staking..I will grow this again in my 2013 garden. Tomatoes were averaging 12-16 oz.. Has anyone else grown this variety? Or do you have a favorite heart?
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[897tgigvib]

that's a beauty! What's it's story? a name like that, it has to have a story!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i've tried growing some of the oxhearts in the past but i never got them in the ground in time before one of our strange hot springs dried the plants out. i was way too busy that year for maintaining my garden.

it's nice to see what the inside of that type should look like. Barefoot, are there other oxhearts you might recommend with a decent taste? i have some pink oxhearts that were left over from my previous year's planting and i want to try them again. have you tried these before and how would you rate them?

 

[barefootgardener]

that's a beauty! What's it's story? a name like that, it has to have a story!

I got the seeds from someone who offered them for growouts, and to report back on germination and how they do. Not much is known of this variety except some gentleman ( the garlic man ) from Canada, aquired the seeds through someone, but cant remember exactly where he got it..So it is sort of a mystery..

I forgot to mention it is a early variety also.. Has a bit more juice than other hearts, very nice tomato flavor..Not as sweet as some hearts. The variety is supposed to be red, but many of us got pinkish red instead.. It is just the same but slightly different color..

 

[Jared77]

Thats a doozy of a heart. Your making me a believer in them!

 

[barefootgardener]

i've tried growing some of the oxhearts in the past but i never got them in the ground in time before one of our strange hot springs dried the plants out. i was way too busy that year for maintaining my garden.

it's nice to see what the inside of that type should look like. Barefoot, are there other oxhearts you might recommend with a decent taste? i have some pink oxhearts that were left over from my previous year's planting and i want to try them again. have you tried these before and how would you rate them?

So many hearts to choose from..But some of the best are: Kosovo, Danko, German Red Strawberry, Reif Red Heart, Oleya'rs German, Linnies Oxheart, Orange Russian 117, Yasha Yugoslavian, Anna Maria's Heart..A few others have slipped my mind. Oh, Nicky Crain..

Pink Oxheart is sort of a generic name..Same as Red and yellow oxhearts..Not much history to go by although they have been around for years. Gurneys and Livingstons sold them under generic names.. I have only grown ones with named varieties.

That does not mean that your pink wont taste great or do well, but I have not grown it..Sometimes I find region has a lot to do with how well certain heart varieties etc..do in performance.

 

[barefootgardener]

Thats a doozy of a heart. Your making me a believer in them!

And that would be a good thing!! LOL You just need to find one or two that would do well in your region.
)

 

[Jared77]

Those ones you listed all grew well in your zone?

 

[897tgigvib]

There are ways a determined gardener can grow any variety in zone 4, at least in decent years.

Starting the plants extra early is the main method that I used. I even grew Hughs in Montana. They need to be uppotted several times, and they go out rather large. Hughs went out in nominal 5 gallon containers in mid June started in January. They had been pruned back around May 1st.

 

[barefootgardener]

Those ones you listed all grew well in your zone?

Jared, Fish Lake Oxheart is early, I grew two plants in GH and three outside. All did well,, Yasha Yugoslavian, Nicky Crain, and Anna Maria's Heart I grew out in GH and they did well. Reif Red Heart and Oleyars German were both grown in GH and outside garden, both did well, but the Oleyars German outside had better production than the one in GH..Go figure..
Orange Russian 117 did well in GH, but struggled outdoors and was a bit late..had to pick some green before frost, But taste was amazing.. Danko was grown outdoors and according to my notes, statred to struggle early on, but caught up in size..The plant and fruits do not get as large as some of the other hearts..
Linnies Oxheart, did well in GH.. had one plant outdoors, but something kept eating the fruit while they were still green, so I never got any to eat..

I grew these over a few different years... Last year was a bust in my garden for all tomato varieites, drought, hail, disease, you name it.. (which I have never seen the likes of) ..Only tomatoes in GH did well.