How to Grow Aunt Marie Tomato

Aunt Marie Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum 'Aunt Marie'

vegetable

Aunt Marie is a heirloom indeterminate tomato variety known for its striking bicolor fruit with red-orange coloring and yellow striping. The fruits are medium-sized, typically weighing 4-6 ounces, with excellent sweet flavor and complex taste. This open-pollinated variety produces prolifically throughout the growing season.

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Example Aunt Marie Tomato timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)

Plant Aunt Marie Tomato
Around Apr 17

Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
Tend & protect
Late spring–summer

Watering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
Harvest Aunt Marie Tomato
Around Jun 26

≈ 70 days after planting

Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Aunt Marie Tomato dates for your own zip code.

Growing Conditions

☀️

Sun: Full sun, 6-8 hours daily minimum (8+ hours preferred for best flavor)

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Water: Consistent watering with 1-2 inches per week; water deeply at soil level to avoid disease; more frequent watering in hot climates; maintain even moisture to prevent cracking and blossom-end rot

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Spacing: 24 inches

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Days to maturity: 70-85 days from transplant to first fruit

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Planting depth: 1/4 inch for seeds; transplant deeply up to first true leaves when setting in garden

Soil

Type: Well-draining loamy soil rich in organic matter

pH: 6.0-6.8

Amendments:

Compost aged manure bone meal balanced fertilizer (5-10-10)

Growing Zones

Find your zone →

Thrives in zones 5-9; can be grown in zones 3-4 with season extension

3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b

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Growth Stages

Seedling (Indoor Start)

3-4 weeks

Tiny seedlings with cotyledons and emerging true leaves; pale green and delicate

Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost; keep soil moist but not waterlogged; provide 14-16 hours of grow light 2-3 inches above seedlings; maintain 70-75°F temperature; thin to strongest seedlings

Vegetative Growth

3-4 weeks after transplant

Rapid stem and leaf development; plant grows 12-24 inches; no flowers yet; deep green foliage

Harden off before transplanting; space 24 inches apart; install sturdy stakes or cages early; water consistently 1-2 inches weekly; pinch suckers on indeterminate varieties to focus energy on main stems; fertilize every 2-3 weeks with balanced fertilizer

Flowering

2-3 weeks (staggered flowering continues through season for indeterminate varieties)

Small yellow flowers appear in clusters; plant reaches 3-4 feet; dark green vigorous foliage

Maintain consistent watering to support fruit set; switch to higher-phosphorus fertilizer (5-10-10 or similar) to encourage flowering; ensure adequate sunlight; avoid over-pruning; monitor for early signs of pests

Fruiting & Maturation

4-6 weeks from fruit set to first mature fruit; continues throughout growing season

Marble-sized green fruits appear and expand; mature fruits show distinctive red-orange with yellow stripes; bicolor pattern deepens as fruit ripens

Continue deep, consistent watering to prevent cracking; maintain support structures as fruit load increases; reduce nitrogen to focus plant energy on fruit ripening; prune lower leaves for air circulation if humidity is high; watch for sunscald on exposed fruit in extreme heat

Harvest

Ongoing from 70-85 days through first frost

Ripe fruits are fully colored with red-orange base and yellow stripes; firm but slightly yielding to gentle pressure; ready for picking

Harvest when fully colored and slightly soft; fruits ripen gradually over season; pick regularly to encourage more production; can harvest at breaker stage (first blush of color) and let ripen indoors in cool location; continue watering and fertilizing until first frost

Companion Planting

Plan your garden →

Plant with:

Basil Parsley Marigold Borage Carrot Onion Cucumber Lettuce

Avoid planting near:

Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli) Fennel Corn Potatoes Kohlrabi

Common Pests

Hand-pick large caterpillars; use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray for smaller larvae; plant borage to attract parasitic wasps
Spray neem oil or insecticidal soap; use yellow sticky traps; encourage natural predators like ladybugs
Increase humidity and water spray affected plants; use neem oil spray; introduce predatory mites
Remove affected lower leaves; improve air circulation; apply copper fungicide at first signs; mulch to prevent soil splash
Remove infected plant parts immediately; apply copper or chlorothalonil fungicide; improve air circulation; avoid overhead watering

Uses

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Fresh Eating & Salads

Culinary

Aunt Marie tomatoes are prized for their complex, sweet flavor with subtle tangy notes, making them ideal for fresh eating, slicing for salads, and simple preparations that showcase their distinctive bicolor appearance. [source]

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Cooking & Sauces

Culinary

The balanced acidity and sugar content make Aunt Marie suitable for homemade pasta sauces, marinara, and cooked tomato dishes, though some prefer using them fresh to preserve their visual appeal. [source]

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Preservation

Culinary

These heirloom tomatoes can be canned, frozen, dried, or made into paste, salsa, and preserves, with the striking color making them visually appealing in preserved products. [source]

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Ornamental & Display

Household

The striking bicolor fruit makes Aunt Marie an attractive option for ornamental gardens and farmer's market displays, valued as much for visual appeal as for flavor. [source]

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Seed Saving

Craft

As an open-pollinated heirloom variety, Aunt Marie seeds can be saved and replanted year after year, making it an excellent choice for gardeners interested in seed preservation and plant genetics. [source]

Harvest Tips

Harvest when fruits display full bicolor pattern with red-orange base and yellow-gold stripes and yield slightly to gentle pressure. Pick regularly (every 2-3 days at peak season) to encourage continued production. Fruits can be harvested at the breaker stage (when color first shows) and ripened indoors in a cool, dark location away from direct sunlight. For best flavor, allow fruits to ripen fully on the vine.

Fun Facts

🌱 Aunt Marie is an heirloom tomato variety with unknown exact origins, named after a family member by the gardener who preserved and shared the seeds, exemplifying how many heirlooms gain their names.
🌱 The distinctive bicolor striping in tomatoes like Aunt Marie comes from a trait called 'color breaking,' where the yellow pigment (lycopene precursor) shows through the red rind, and this trait is stable across generations in this variety.
🌱 Indeterminate tomato plants like Aunt Marie technically never stop growing and producing flowers until killed by frost, making them excellent producers throughout the entire growing season if properly supported and maintained.

Gardening Terms

New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:

Full Sun Heirloom Open-Pollinated pH Sucker Transplant True Leaves

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