How to Grow Highlander Tomato
Wikimedia Commons
Highlander Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum 'Highlander'
vegetableHighlander is a hybrid beefsteak tomato variety known for its large, meaty fruits with exceptional flavor and disease resistance. It produces substantial yields of fruits weighing 10-16 ounces with few seeds and excellent taste. The plant is vigorous and relatively early-maturing for a beefsteak type.
When should you plant Highlander Tomato in your zone?
Get a personalized planting timeline — when to start seeds, transplant, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Free to start.
Example Highlander Tomato timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
-
Plant Highlander Tomato
Around Apr 17Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
-
Tend & protect
Late spring–summerWatering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
-
Harvest Highlander Tomato
Around Jul 1≈ 75 days after planting
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Highlander Tomato dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Thrives in zones 3-9, with best performance in zones 5-8
Sign up free to see if Highlander Tomato grows in your zone — and get a personalized planting timeline.
Get my Highlander Tomato timeline →Growth Stages
Seedling
4-6 weeksSmall plants with 2-4 true leaves, growing under lights or in warm conditions indoors
Maintain warm temperatures (70-75°F), provide 14-16 hours of bright light daily, keep soil moist but not waterlogged, provide good air circulation
Transplant/Establishment
2-3 weeks6-8 week old plants with 6-8 true leaves, hardened off and planted in garden beds
Harden off for 7-10 days before transplanting, plant deep in garden, water gently, avoid fertilizing immediately, support with cages or stakes
Vegetative Growth
3-4 weeksActive stem and foliage growth, plant reaches 3-5 feet tall, developing flowers at leaf axils
Prune suckers (shoots between main stem and branches) on indeterminate growth, apply balanced fertilizer every 3 weeks, maintain consistent water, ensure sturdy support structure, monitor for early disease signs
Flowering & Fruit Set
3-4 weeksYellow flowers appearing in clusters, successful pollination leads to small developing fruits (pea-sized to marble-sized)
Maintain consistent watering to prevent blossom end rot, switch to lower-nitrogen fertilizer to encourage fruiting over leaf growth, ensure adequate calcium (use lime or gypsum if needed), tap flowers gently to improve pollination
Fruiting & Harvest
4-8 weeks (can extend into fall)Fruits mature from green to mature size and color (deep red), becoming increasingly sweet as they ripen
Continue consistent watering and feeding, harvest when fruits are fully colored and slightly soft at the blossom end, pick fruits at first blush for earlier ripening while others develop, remove some leaves in late season to allow sun to reach fruits and speed ripening
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
-
Hand-pick daily, encourage parasitic wasps, apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) if infestation is severe
-
Spray with strong water stream, use yellow sticky traps, apply neem oil or insecticidal soap weekly
-
Increase humidity and water spray, apply sulfur dust or neem oil, encourage natural predators
-
Spray with water, use insecticidal soap, introduce ladybugs or lacewings, apply neem oil
-
Remove affected leaves, improve air circulation, avoid overhead watering, apply sulfur or copper fungicides, mulch to prevent soil splash
-
Remove lower leaves, improve air circulation, apply copper or sulfur fungicide, ensure drip irrigation, prune for airflow
Uses
Fresh slicing and sandwiches
CulinaryHighlander's large, meaty structure with few seeds makes it ideal for slicing into thick steaks for burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The excellent flavor profile, with good balance of sweetness and acidity, makes it a premium choice for fresh consumption. [source]
Sauce and cooking
CulinaryThe substantial flesh and lower water content of beefsteak varieties like Highlander make them suitable for cooking down into sauces, soups, and stews. The rich flavor concentrates when cooked. [source]
Nutritional and antioxidant benefits
MedicinalTomatoes are rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant associated with heart health and cancer prevention. Fully ripe red tomatoes contain maximum lycopene concentrations. [source]
Home preservation
HouseholdLarge beefsteak tomatoes like Highlander are excellent for canning, freezing, and making tomato products for winter use. Their meaty texture makes them ideal for whole canned tomatoes and concentrates. [source]
Pollinator support
WildlifeTomato flowers attract native bees and other pollinators that are essential for fruit set and broader garden productivity. The flowers provide pollen resources in mid-summer when other sources may be limited. [source]
This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.
Harvest Tips
Harvest when fruits are fully colored and yield slightly to gentle pressure (typically red but mature). Highlander can be picked at first blush (light red stage) and ripened indoors. For best flavor, allow fruits to fully ripen on the vine. Harvest regularly to encourage continued fruit production. Pick in the morning when temperatures are cooler. Can harvest green fruits before first frost and allow to ripen indoors.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Highlander was bred specifically for disease resistance, particularly to late blight and fusarium wilt, making it one of the most reliable beefsteak varieties for home gardeners
- 🌱 Tomatoes are botanically fruits but culinarily vegetables—the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on this distinction in 1893 (Nix v. Hedden), determining them to be vegetables for tariff purposes
- 🌱 The Highlander variety name references its breeding for success in cooler, higher-elevation climates where many beefsteak varieties struggle
Gardening Terms
New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:
Join 30,000 gardeners planning their gardens with LizPlants.
Get your personalized Highlander Tomato planting timeline
Tell us your zip code and we'll calculate exactly when to start Highlander Tomato seeds, transplant seedlings, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Includes calendar reminders and printable task lists. Free to start.
Get my Highlander Tomato timeline →