Rooted Futures

Growing Change

Tomato: Oxheart

Botanical Name:

Solanum lycopersicum

Family:

Crop Type:

Other Names:

Oxheart Tomato; Beefsteak Tomato; Tamatie (Afrikaans); uTamatisi (isiZulu)

Lifecycle:

Perennial, grown as annual

Uses:

Food (fresh slicing, salads, sauces, cooking); processing (canning, paste, juice)

Tomato (Oxheart) is a warm-season fruiting vegetable in the Solanaceae family. Plants produce vigorous, indeterminate vines with compound, aromatic leaves and yellow flowers.

Fruits are large, heart-shaped with pointed blossom ends, featuring pink to red skin and dense, meaty flesh with few seeds and small seed cavities. Fruits are the edible part, valued for slicing, fresh use, and sauce production due to low moisture content.

Cultivated in frost-free conditions with support structures for indeterminate growth; requires consistent moisture and fertility. Oxheart types are noted for their distinctive shape, meaty texture, and lower acidity compared to round varieties.

Climate

Climate Suitability:

Warm frost-free summers; suited to most SA regions; tunnels extend season

Frost Tolerance:

Frost sensitive

Heat Tolerance:

High

Sun Type:

Full sun

Soil Texture:

Loam to sandy loam

Drainage Requirement:

Well-drained

Preferred pH Range:

6.0–6.8 pH

Water Requirement:

Moderate to high

Irrigation Type:

Drip; Micro Irrigation; Fertigation

Propagation

Propagation Type:

Seed

Propagation Season:

Late winter under protection to spring

Germination Days:

7–14 days

Days to Transplant:

35–49 days

Propagation Notes:

Raise seedlings warm; transplant after frost risk has passed.

Planting

Planting Season:

Spring to early summer

Plants Per Square Foot:
Square Foot Method

1 per ft²

Plant Spacing:
Square Foot Method

30 cm

Plant Spacing:
Traditional Method

60–90 cm

Row Spacing:
Traditional Method

90–120 cm

Container Suitable:

Conditional

Container Notes:

Requires large containers (40+ litres); indeterminate habit needs strong support; heavy feeder requiring consistent care.

Hydroponic Compatible:

Yes

Hydroponic Systems:

Dutch Bucket; Media Bed; Drip-to-Waste; Drip Recirculating

Hydroponic Notes:

Popular commercial hydroponic crop; Oxheart type requires support for large fruit; high nutrient demand during fruiting.

Aquaponic Suitable:

Conditional

Aquaponic Notes:

High nutrient demand during fruiting; best in mature aquaponic systems; requires robust support structures.

Basil is a classic companion; aromatic herbs and alliums deter pests; avoid other solanums in rotation.

No crops on recorded.

Please contact us should you feel that this is incorrect.

Brassicas and fennel may inhibit growth; avoid planting near walnut or continuous solanum rotation.

No crops on recorded.

Please contact us should you feel that this is incorrect.

Pests & Diseases

Pest Types:

Aphids; Whitefly; Spider Mites; Tomato Leafminer; Fruit Worm; Cutworms

Pest Control:

Scout regularly, use pheromone traps for Tuta, biological controls, insect netting and approved treatments when thresholds exceeded.

Disease Types:

Early blight (Alternaria), Late blight (Phytophthora), Bacterial wilt, Fusarium wilt, Viruses (TYLCV, TMV), Blossom end rot (physiological)

Disease Control:

Rotate solanums (3–4 years), use resistant varieties, avoid overhead irrigation, ensure airflow, remove infected plants and maintain consistent watering.

Harvest

Planting Season:

Spring to early summer

Plant Spacing:
Square Foot Method

30 cm

Plant Spacing:
Traditional Method

60–90 cm

Row Spacing:
Traditional Method

90–120 cm

Nutrition

Edible Parts:

Fruit

Reference Food State:

Raw tomato

Serving Size:

100 g

Nutrition Basis:

Per 100 g raw edible portion

Calories (kcal):

18 kcal

Calories (kj):

75 kj

Total Carbohydrates:

3.89 g

Protein:

0.88 g

Total Fat:

0.2 g

Dietary Fibre:

1.2 g

Starch:

0 g

Total Sugars:

2.63 g

Monounsaturated Fat:

0.031 g

Omega-3 Fatty Acids:

0.003 g

Omega-6 Fatty Acids:

0.08 g

Polyunsaturated Fat:

0.083 g

Saturated Fat:

0.028 g

Trans Fat:

0 g

Calcium:

10 mg

Chromium:

0 mcg

Copper:

0.059 mg

Iron:

0.27 mg

Iodine:

0 mcg

Magnesium:

11 mg

Manganese:

0.114 mg

Molybdenum:

0 mcg

Phosphorus:

24 mg

Potassium:

237 mg

Selenium:

0 mcg

Sodium:

5 mg

Zinc:

0.17 mg

Vitamin A:

42 mcg RE

Thiamin:
Vitamin B1

0.037 mg

Riboflavin:
Vitamin B2

0.019 mg

Niacin:
Vitamin B3

0.594 mg NE

Pantothenic Acid:
Vitamin B5

0.089 mg

Vitamin B6:

0.08 mg

Biotin:
Vitamin B7

0 mcg

Folate:
Vitamin B9

15 mcg

Vitamin B12:

0 mcg

Vitamin C:

13.7 mg

Vitamin D:

0 mcg

Vitamin E:

0.54 mg alpha-tocopherol

Vitamin K:

7.9 mcg

Recipes

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