How to Grow Kramer's Red
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Kramer's Red
Solanum lycopersicum 'Kramer's Red'
vegetableKramer's Red is a heirloom tomato variety known for its bright red, medium-sized fruits and excellent flavor. This indeterminate variety produces fruit consistently throughout the season and is prized by home gardeners for its reliable yields and superior taste.
When should you plant Kramer's Red in your zone?
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Example Kramer's Red timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
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Plant Kramer's Red
Around Apr 17Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
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Tend & protect
Late spring–summerWatering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
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Harvest Kramer's Red
Around Jun 26≈ 70 days after planting
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Kramer's Red dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Thrives in zones 5-9, can grow in zones 3b-4b with season extension
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Seedling
3-4 weeksSmall plant with 2-4 true leaves, pale green stems and delicate foliage
Provide 14-16 hours of bright light daily. Keep soil moist but not waterlogged. Maintain temperature around 70°F. Thin seedlings if crowded.
Vegetative
3-4 weeksPlant develops multiple stems and compound leaves, growing 6-12 inches tall with sturdy branching
Harden off transplants before planting outdoors. Pinch suckers (indeterminate varieties produce many side shoots). Begin light fertilization. Ensure 8+ hours of direct sunlight.
Flowering
4-6 weeksYellow star-shaped flowers appear in clusters (trusses). Plant becomes bushy with multiple flower clusters developing
Provide consistent watering and balanced fertilizer. Ensure adequate calcium intake. Remove lower leaves for air circulation. Continue pruning suckers on indeterminate varieties.
Fruiting
6-8 weeksSmall green fruits develop from flowers, gradually enlarging and turning bright red when mature
Maintain consistent deep watering. Provide sturdy stakes or cages for support. Reduce nitrogen, increase potassium and phosphorus. Remove shading leaves to expose fruit to sunlight.
Harvest
Ongoing until frostFully mature fruits are bright red, firm, and fragrant with peak flavor development
Harvest when fully colored and slightly soft to touch. Indeterminate varieties produce continuously, so monitor regularly. Remove plants after first frost or when productivity declines.
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
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Hand-pick daily, encourage parasitic wasps, use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) spray, remove affected leaves
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Use yellow sticky traps, spray neem oil or insecticidal soap, improve air circulation, remove heavily infested leaves
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Remove lower infected leaves, improve air circulation, mulch to prevent soil splash, apply copper fungicide, avoid overhead watering
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Remove infected leaves, improve drainage and air circulation, apply sulfur or chlorothalonil, disinfect pruning tools
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Spray with strong water stream, use insecticidal soap, release ladybugs, apply neem oil
Uses
Fresh eating and salads
CulinaryKramer's Red tomatoes have excellent balanced flavor with good sweetness and acidity, making them ideal for fresh slicing, salads, and eating out of hand. The medium size and firm texture hold up well in preparations. [source]
Sauces and cooking
CulinaryThe rich flavor and good acid content make these tomatoes suitable for sauces, soups, and cooked dishes. Their meaty texture provides good body for tomato-based preparations. [source]
Canning and preservation
CulinaryWith adequate acidity and firm flesh, Kramer's Red can be canned as whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or in salsa, providing shelf-stable homemade products. [source]
Seed saving
HouseholdAs an heirloom open-pollinated variety, Kramer's Red produces true-to-type seeds that can be saved and replanted year after year, making it economical for gardeners. [source]
Garden pollinator support
WildlifeThe abundant yellow flowers attract bees and other pollinators essential for fruit set, supporting beneficial insect populations in the garden. [source]
Harvest Tips
Pick fruits when fully red and slightly yielding to gentle pressure. Best harvested in morning after dew dries. Twist gently or use pruners to avoid damaging plant. Indeterminate variety produces continuously until frost. Tomatoes at the end of season can be picked green and ripened indoors on a windowsill.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Kramer's Red is an indeterminate variety, meaning it continues growing and producing fruit until killed by frost, potentially yielding 50+ fruits per plant in good conditions.
- 🌱 This heirloom variety is believed to have originated from Bavarian or German stock, with seeds preserved and shared among gardening communities for generations.
- 🌱 The deep burying technique used when transplanting tomatoes encourages adventitious root formation along the buried stem, creating a stronger root system and more drought-tolerant plants.
Gardening Terms
New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:
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