🍅 Quick take: Rosalie’s Early Orange is a remarkably early-season (63 days), indeterminate orange oxheart introduced by master grower Dale Thurber of Delectation of Tomatoes. Staying at a manageable 3.3 ft (1 m), the vines shrug off cold snaps and pump out heavy, uniform orange hearts weighing 8 to 16 oz (230-450 g) with minimal fuss. Dense, aromatic, and nearly seedless, it provides giant heirloom sandwich slices weeks before most mid-season beefsteaks even start breaking color. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zone 6b Experience)
Early, indeterminate variety with vines topping out around 3.3 ft (1 m). Shrugs off cold snaps and sets packed, complete trusses with ease. Delivers a massive harvest of large, gorgeous, uniform heart-shaped fruits with minimal fuss.
I got my seeds from Dale Thurber, huge shoutout and thanks to him! 🙏🙏🙏
Here is Dale’s original variety description:
“My favorite early, large variety. Healthy plants, heavy producer, regular leaf, indeterminate vines. First ripe fruit in just 63 days after transplanting. Orange heart-shaped fruit, 8 to 16 oz. Very meaty with small seed cavities and very few seeds. Matures surprisingly early and has a rich, bold, delicious, and meaty texture. Aromatic fruits, excellent for salads and sandwiches.”
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Storage
- 🌿 Plant & Canopy: Indeterminate vine with a naturally compact habit, staying around 3.3 ft (1 m) tall. Regular leaf foliage with healthy canopy density. Exceptionally low-maintenance grower.
- ⏱️ Maturity & Cold Resilience: Ultra-early for a large oxheart, ripening initial fruit in just 63 days from transplant. Shows remarkable cold tolerance, setting dense clusters during erratic early-season temperature swings without blossom drop.
- 📈 Yield & Weights: Heavy producer of uniform, orange heart-shaped fruit weighing between 8 and 16 oz (230-450 g), with top-end specimens hitting a full pound.
- 👅 Taste & Texture: Dense, solid meat with very small seed locules and sparse seed count. Rich, sweet, and aromatic with that classic low-acid golden tomato profile. Ideal for fresh summer salads and hearty sandwich slices.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: Grown and verified in continental Russia, including open-ground garden trials in Volgograd (USDA Zone 6b).
🍅 Grown Rosalie’s Early Orange? Did it hit the 63-day mark in your garden? Share your harvest dates, weights, and photos in the comments below!
