← Plant Guides

How to Grow Prizewinner Tomato

Wikimedia Commons

Prizewinner Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum 'Prizewinner'

vegetable

Prizewinner is a determinate beefsteak tomato variety known for producing large, meaty fruits with excellent flavor and uniform ripening. Bred for both commercial and home garden production, it's prized for its disease resistance and consistent yields of 8-12 oz fruits.

When should you plant Prizewinner 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.

Get my Prizewinner Tomato timeline →

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

  1. Plant Prizewinner Tomato

    Around Apr 17

    Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.

  2. Tend & protect

    Late spring–summer

    Watering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.

  3. Harvest Prizewinner Tomato

    Around Jun 26

    ≈ 70 days after planting

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

Growing Conditions

☀️
Sun: Full sun, 8+ hours daily (minimum 6 hours)
💧
Water: Consistent moisture, 1-1.5 inches per week; deep watering 2-3 times weekly; avoid wetting foliage to prevent disease
📏
Spacing: 24 inches
📅
Days to maturity: 70-80 days from transplant
🌱
Planting depth: Plant transplants deep, burying up to first true leaves; seeds 0.25 inches deep

Soil

Type: Well-draining loamy soil rich in organic matter
pH: 6.0-6.8
Amendments:
Compost aged manure calcium (crushed eggshells or lime) potassium-rich amendments

Growing Zones

Find your zone →

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

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

Sign up free to see if Prizewinner Tomato grows in your zone — and get a personalized planting timeline.

Get my Prizewinner Tomato timeline →

Growth Stages

1

Seedling

2-3 weeks

Tiny plants with 2-4 true leaves emerge 5-10 days after sowing; cotyledons (seed leaves) visible first

Provide bright light 14-16 hours daily; keep soil consistently moist; maintain 70-75°F temperature; thin to strongest seedling if crowded

2

Vegetative Growth

3-4 weeks

Plant develops multiple leaf branches and a stronger stem; can reach 6-12 inches in containers before transplanting outdoors

Gradually acclimate to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days; keep soil moist but not waterlogged; provide support stakes early

3

Flowering

3-4 weeks

Yellow flowers appear in clusters along stems; determinate varieties flower more uniformly throughout growth period

Maintain consistent watering and consistent temperatures (65-80°F); provide full sun; avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer which promotes foliage over flowers

4

Fruit Development & Ripening

5-6 weeks

Marble-sized green fruits form and enlarge; gradually change color from light green to red over 20-30 days per fruit

Continue deep watering; provide calcium (prevent blossom-end rot with consistent watering); prune suckers on determinate types sparingly; monitor for pest/disease

5

Harvest

Ongoing, 6-8 weeks of productive harvest

Fruits reach full size (8-12 oz) and develop deep red color; skin yields slightly to pressure when ripe

Pick when fully red or pick slightly early and ripen indoors; harvest regularly to encourage continued production; handle gently to avoid bruising

Companion Planting

Plan your garden →

Plant with:

Basil Parsley Carrots Onions Marigolds Nasturtiums Borage

Avoid planting near:

Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli) Fennel Potatoes Corn

Common Pests

  • Hand-pick; use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt); encourage parasitic wasps; inspect undersides of leaves regularly

  • Spray with insecticidal soap; use reflective mulches; introduce beneficial insects; spray neem oil in early morning/late evening

  • Spray strong water stream; use insecticidal soap; introduce ladybugs; plant companion flowers to attract predators

  • Mist foliage regularly; use miticide or neem oil; increase humidity; remove heavily infested leaves

  • Remove infected lower leaves; improve air circulation; mulch to prevent soil splash; use copper or sulfur fungicides; avoid overhead watering

  • Remove infected plants; improve air circulation; avoid overhead watering; apply copper fungicide; plant resistant varieties

Uses

🍳

Fresh slicing and table use

Culinary

Prizewinner's large, meaty fruits with few seeds make them ideal for slicing into sandwiches, salads, and fresh eating. Their excellent flavor and firm texture hold up well to cutting and displaying. [source]

🍳

Sauces and cooking

Culinary

The high flesh-to-seed ratio makes Prizewinner excellent for making tomato sauces, soups, and cooked dishes where you want substantial tomato flavor and texture. [source]

🏠

Canning and preservation

Household

The firm, meaty texture and good acid balance of Prizewinner make it suitable for home canning, particularly for crushed tomatoes and tomato sauces when properly acidified. [source]

💊

Lycopene and heart health

Medicinal

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant associated with cardiovascular health and may have anti-cancer properties. Cooking tomatoes increases bioavailability of lycopene. [source]

🦋

Pollinator garden support

Wildlife

Tomato flowers attract bees and other pollinators. Growing tomatoes supports local pollinator populations while also ensuring fruit set through insect visitation. [source]

This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.

Harvest Tips

Pick tomatoes when fully red and slightly soft to pressure, typically 60-80 days after transplanting. Harvest regularly (every 2-3 days during peak season) to encourage continued flowering and fruiting. For end-of-season ripening, pick green tomatoes and place in a warm location indoors. Determinate varieties produce concentrated harvests over 4-6 weeks rather than continuous light harvests.

Fun Facts

  • 🌱 Prizewinner was developed by the University of Minnesota's breeding program and released in the 1980s, specifically bred for disease resistance and consistent fruit quality.
  • 🌱 Determinate tomato varieties like Prizewinner are 'bush' types that grow to a set height (3-4 feet) and produce most fruit within a concentrated timeframe, making them ideal for canning.
  • 🌱 Tomato plants can continue flowering and producing fruit until the first frost, and mature tomato plants are actually perennials that persist year-round in frost-free climates.

Gardening Terms

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

Full Sun Sucker Transplant True Leaves
Shop Prizewinner Tomato plants and related plants at Plant Addicts →

Join 30,000 gardeners planning their gardens with LizPlants.

Get your personalized Prizewinner Tomato planting timeline

Tell us your zip code and we'll calculate exactly when to start Prizewinner 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 Prizewinner Tomato timeline →