There are so many varieties of tomato available for planting, it can be hard to know just where to start. Luckily, it’s possible to narrow down your selection by figuring out what you want out of your tomato plant. Do you want a particular color or size? Maybe you want a plant that will hold up in hot, dry summers. Or how about a plant that starts producing very early and has a bit of history to it. If that last option catches your eye, then maybe you should try Earliana tomato plants. Keep reading to learn more about the tomato ‘Earliana’ variety.
Earliana Plant Info
The tomato ‘Earliana’ variety is a longstanding member of the American seed catalog. It was first developed in the 19th century by George Sparks in Salem, New Jersey. Legend has it that Sparks grew the variety from a single sport plant he found growing in a field of Stone variety tomatoes.
Earliana was released commercially in 1900 by the Philadelphia seed company Johnson and Stokes. At the time, it was the earliest producing variety of tomato available. While newer, faster maturing tomatoes have since come into existence, the Earliana still enjoys a good amount of popularity more than a century later.
The fruits are round and uniform, weighing in at about 6 oz (170 g.). They are bright red to pink and firm, usually setting in clusters of 6 or more.
Growing Earliana Tomatoes
Earliana tomato plants are indeterminate, and Earliana tomato care is similar to that of most indeterminate varieties. These tomato plants grow in a vining habit and can reach 6 feet (1.8 m.) in height, and they will sprawl across the ground if not staked up.
Because of their early maturity (around 60 days after planting), Earlianas are a good choice for cool climates with short winters. Even so, the seeds should be started indoors before the last frost of spring and planted out.