{"id":7354,"date":"2026-11-08T14:32:32","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T14:32:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/?p=7354"},"modified":"2026-11-08T14:32:32","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T14:32:32","slug":"reinhards-purple-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/reinhards-purple-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"Reinhard’s Purple Heart Review & Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\ud83c\udf45 Quick take:<\/strong> Reinhard’s Purple Heart<\/strong> is an indeterminate<\/strong> oxheart bred by German seed saver Reinhard Kraft<\/strong>, loaded with medium-sized, pointed purple hearts on heavy-bearing vines. Growers in short-season regions (USDA Zones 3-4) report monster production in both high tunnels and open dirt. However, flavor reviews are sharply divided: while some praise its rich, sweet-tart balance, others found it insipid and watery in cooler summers.<\/p>\n

Jump to: Growth & Care \u2193<\/a> | The Flavor Debate \u2193<\/a> | Full Summary \u2193<\/a><\/div>\n

Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3-4 Experience)<\/h2>\n
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Yaroslavna (Natalya) \u2b50 Pro Grower (6,367 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Northern Yaroslavl Region, Russia (USDA Zone 3b\/4a)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Easily the heaviest producer out of Reinhard Kraft’s entire Heart series. Vigorous, tall plant that pumps out heavy clusters loaded with medium-sized, dark purple hearts.
\nThe flavor is super well-balanced, dense, and juicy with a great sugar-to-acid ratio. Got my original seeds from Tatiana Kouchnareva. Sliced ripe fruit is deep, rich, and dripping with juice.
\nEdited June 9, 2017 by Drosera
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Danko (Elena) \u2b50 Pro Grower (10,117 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Same here, it was the top yielder out of Reinhard’s three hearts for me. Really solid flavor, and that deep purple color is just gorgeous.
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Planting Out, Pruning to Two Leaders, and Fruit Size<\/h3>\n
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Alisa \u2b50 Pro Grower (6,406 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Hey folks, what kind of average weight are we talking on this stunner? Can you train it to two stems? And when are y’all sowing seeds and planting it outside?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Yaroslavna (Natalya) \u2b50 Pro Grower (6,367 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Northern Yaroslavl Region, Russia (USDA Zone 3b\/4a)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Alisa wrote:<\/strong>
\nHey folks, what kind of average weight are we talking on this stunner? Can you train it to two stems? And when are y’all sowing seeds and planting it outside?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Alisa \ud83d\ude4f
\nI got seeds from Tanya pretty late, around March 31, so when I transplanted into the unheated greenhouse in late April the starts were still on the smaller side. Trained them to two leaders anyway (honestly never grow anything to a single stem) \ud83d\ude42.
\nRan plants in a couple spots, both in the greenhouse and out in the garden beds. The tomatoes turned out slightly smaller than Chocolate and Green Heart, but they are totally worth the garden space. Bringing all three back next season, just gonna sow them way earlier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Galina P. \u2b50 Pro Grower (37,710 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Moscow Region, Chekhov District, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\ud83d\ude32 Holy smokes folks, look at that gorgeous thing! \ud83d\ude4f\ud83d\ude4f\ud83d\ude4f\ud83d\ude4f\ud83d\ude4f Why do I even click on these threads? My want-list is doomed \ud83d\ude15<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Yaroslavna (Natalya) \u2b50 Pro Grower (6,367 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Northern Yaroslavl Region, Russia (USDA Zone 3b\/4a)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Galina P. wrote:<\/strong>
\n\ud83d\ude32 Holy smokes folks, look at that gorgeous thing! \ud83d\ude4f\ud83d\ude4f\ud83d\ude4f\ud83d\ude4f\ud83d\ude4f Why do I even click on these threads? My want-list is doomed \ud83d\ude15<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Galina, you did the right thing dropping in! \ud83d\ude42 \ud83d\ude18\ud83d\ude18 You’ll be growing this beauty yourself next year, mark my words! \ud83d\ude4f \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Galina P. \u2b50 Pro Grower (37,710 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Moscow Region, Chekhov District, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Yaroslavna wrote:<\/strong>
\nGalina, you did the right thing dropping in! \ud83d\ude42 \ud83d\ude18\ud83d\ude18 You’ll be growing this beauty yourself next year, mark my words! \ud83d\ude4f \ud83d\ude09<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\ud83d\ude32 Really??? \ud83d\ude2e Natalya! \ud83d\ude18\ud83d\ude18\ud83d\ude18\ud83d\ude18\ud83d\ude18\ud83d\ude18\ud83d\ude18 \ud83d\udcec<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Flavor Profile: Sweet and Balanced vs. Washed Out<\/h3>\n
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777 (Swetlana) \ud83c\udf31 Member (493 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Grew it back in 2016. High yielding for sure, but taste-wise? Hands down my pick for the worst-tasting tomato of the entire 2016 season. Completely flat and hollow, strictly for folks who prefer zero acid and no kick. Won’t be back in my garden.
\nOn another note regarding the name: Reinhard is pronounced ‘Rine-hard’ in German, not ‘Rain-hard’. Maybe mods can fix the thread title \ud83d\ude4f
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Drosera (Svetlana) \u2b50 Pro Grower (5,415 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Yekaterinburg, Russia (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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777 wrote:<\/strong>
\nOn another note regarding the name: Reinhard is pronounced ‘Rine-hard’ in German, not ‘Rain-hard’. Maybe mods can fix the thread title \ud83d\ude4f<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We can adjust the title, sure. I don’t speak German, so folks might wonder why we’re changing an established catalog name and swapping letters around. The river Rhine has always been spelled and pronounced with that classic ‘Rhein’ style over here too \ud83e\udd37<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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777 (Swetlana) \ud83c\udf31 Member (493 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Drosera wrote:<\/strong>
\nWe can adjust the title, sure. I don’t speak German, so folks might wonder why we’re changing an established catalog name and swapping letters around. The river Rhine has always been spelled and pronounced with that classic ‘Rhein’ style over here too \ud83e\udd37<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Svetlana, in German that ‘ei’ makes an ‘eye’ sound. That’s why the river itself is pronounced ‘Rhine’ over there, not ‘Rain’.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Drosera (Svetlana) \u2b50 Pro Grower (5,415 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Yekaterinburg, Russia (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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777 wrote:<\/strong>
\nSvetlana, in German that ‘ei’ makes an ‘eye’ sound. That’s why the river itself is pronounced ‘Rhine’ over there, not ‘Rain’.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Right, but loanwords stick to established transliteration rules, kind of like how foreign cities get adapted locally.
\nReinhard is his actual first name though, right? So the German phonetic spelling would be more accurate? \ud83e\udd37<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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777 (Swetlana) \ud83c\udf31 Member (493 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Drosera wrote:<\/strong>
\nReinhard is his actual first name though, right? So the German phonetic spelling would be more accurate? \ud83e\udd37<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yep, Reinhard is his first name, and Kraft is the surname. That’s how we say it over here, but how you want it filed in the catalog is up to you \ud83e\udd20<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Tiffany (Yulia) \u2b50 Pro Grower (20,171 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Las Palmas, Spain<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Drosera wrote:<\/strong>
\nReinhard is his actual first name though, right? So the German phonetic spelling would be more accurate? \ud83e\udd37<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Evening folks! Yep, Reinhard is definitely the first name, Kraft is the last name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Tiffany (Yulia) \u2b50 Pro Grower (20,171 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Las Palmas, Spain<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Svetlana already beat me to it, but that’s exactly how the diphthong works.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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ElenaN (Elena) \u2b50 Pro Grower (28,513 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Kostroma, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
I was let down by the taste on all three Kraft hearts: Chocolate Heart, Green Heart, and Purple Heart.
\nOn my vines, the flavor was sweet-ish, but totally hollow, like watered-down sugar water. Gorgeous on the cutting board, but that’s about as far as it went. Not planting them again.
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Full Summary: Plant Habits, Yield, and Flavor Consensus<\/h2>\n