Old German Heirloom Tomato seed packet - Shido Seeds non-GMO woodblock design
Old German Tomato showing bicolour yellow-red marbled flesh at harvest
Old German Heirloom Tomato large beefsteak fruit on vine
Old German Tomato seeds vacuum-sealed - Shido Seeds by Chive
Old German Heirloom Tomato seed packet - Shido Seeds non-GMO woodblock design
Old German Tomato showing bicolour yellow-red marbled flesh at harvest
Old German Heirloom Tomato large beefsteak fruit on vine
Old German Tomato seeds vacuum-sealed - Shido Seeds by Chive

Old German Heirloom Tomato Vegetable Seeds Packet

$4.95
FREE SHIPPING on seeds when you order 5 packs or more

Old German Heirloom Tomato seeds for the kitchen garden that intends to actually produce old german heirloom tomato this year. Old German is the heirloom tomato that makes every other tomato seem like it has been producing the wrong thing for years.

Old German Heirloom Tomato is large bicolour heirloom beefsteak tomato with marbled yellow and red flesh and exceptional flavour. Each packet is hermetically vacuum-sealed -- removing the oxygen that causes standard paper seed packets to lose germination viability within approximately one year. State law requires a 3-year viability label on sealed packaging. NASA research on hermetic seed storage indicates viability of up to 10 years under proper conditions. Every packet is non-GMO and germination-tested at independent third-party labs before it earns its Japanese woodblock print artwork.

Quick Seed Overview
  • Plant Type: Annual vegetable
  • Genus: Solanum
  • Species: Solanum lycopersicum
  • Plant Height/Width: 5-7 feet tall / 2-3 feet wide
  • Season: Summer
  • Exposure: Full Sun
  • Difficulty: Moderate
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Our flower and vegetable seeds are beautifully packaged little packets of magic. Guaranteed to turn your garden into the envy of the neighborhood. Get your hands dirty and let nature simply do its thing.

How to Plant Old German Heirloom Tomato from Seed

Pro Tip

Bury stems deeply when transplanting—Tomatoes root along buried nodes, creating stronger, more vigorous plants capable of supporting heavy, large fruits. This technique helps ensure the vines can handle the weight of Old German’s massive fruits. Also, add calcium (eggshells or lime) to planting holes to prevent blossom end rot and support strong fruit development early on

Old German Tomato seeds vacuum-sealed - Shido Seeds by Chive

Getting to know your Old German Heirloom Tomato

The Old German is a real showstopper—huge, bicolor fruits that can weigh over a pound each, marbled with golden yellow and streaks of rich, sunset red. Inside, the flesh is dense and meaty with few seeds, almost peach-like in texture, and absolutely bursting with old-fashioned tomato flavor: sweet, low-acid, and deeply satisfying. This is not your average grocery store tomato. This is the one you slice thick, drizzle with olive oil, and serve with reverence.

These indeterminate vines are big, bold, and vigorous. They require staking, caging, or a very supportive relationship to keep them from sprawling out like a tired poet in a hammock. They take their sweet time to ripen—around 80 to 90 days—but the payoff is massive in both size and flavor.

Old German tomatoes prefer rich soil, plenty of sun, and deep, regular watering. Mulching helps keep the roots cool and the fruit clean. Because of their size, they’re a bit more prone to cracking, so consistent watering is key. Harvest them when they feel heavy and slightly soft—perfectly ripe Old Germans will practically glow in your hands.

This is a tomato with soul, ideal for slow summer lunches, canning, or just admiring. Grow it if you want flavor over speed, beauty over uniformity, and a little living history in your backyard.

What it's used for

1. Culinary Applications:

  • Sliced for sandwiches and burgers, given its large size and mild flavor
  • Featured in caprese-style salads where its bi-color appearance stands out
  • Fresh salsas and uncooked preparations that showcase its flavor
  • Roasting to concentrate sweetness in sauces
  • Simple preparations (just salt, olive oil) that let the heirloom flavor lead

2. Nutritional Benefits:

  • Good source of lycopene, an antioxidant compound tied to tomato's red pigment
  • Vitamin C and potassium in typical tomato ranges
  • Low in calories relative to its size and versatility
  • No bred-in disease resistance, consistent with heirloom tomatoes generally, which is a tradeoff for its distinctive flavor and history

3. Garden and Ornamental Uses:

  • Striking bi-color yellow-and-red skin makes it a genuine visual standout in a mixed tomato bed
  • Rooted in Amish and Mennonite seed-saving tradition, giving it real heritage appeal for garden storytelling
  • Open-pollinated, meaning seed can be saved true-to-type year to year, unlike hybrids
  • A good teaching example for heirloom preservation and family seed-saving practices

4. Practical Benefits:

  • Large fruit size means fewer tomatoes needed per meal, reducing prep time
  • Distinctive coloring gives it strong visual appeal at farmers markets
  • Genuine gift potential for gardeners who value heirloom and heritage varieties
  • Worth flagging: needs sturdy staking and consistent watering given its size and thinner skin

Growth Requirements

Light:

  • Requires full sun (at least 6-8 hours daily).

Soil:

  • Prefers rich, well-drained loam with high organic matter, pH 6.0-6.8.

Watering:

  • Requires consistent watering, about 1-2 inches per week.
  • Avoid fluctuating between too dry and too wet — this variety's large fruit size makes it especially prone to cracking and blossom end rot from inconsistent moisture.

Temperature & Climate:

  • Thrives in warm temperatures, ideally 70-85°F.
  • Sensitive to frost — transplant only after all frost danger has passed.

Fertilization:

  • Apply a balanced fertilizer at planting time.
  • Side-dress with phosphorus and potassium once fruiting begins.
  • Avoid excess nitrogen, which produces excessive foliage at the expense of fruit.

Maintenance

Staking & Support:

  • Tie to sturdy stakes or cages as the plant grows — this is a vigorous, tall indeterminate variety that needs support in place early, not added later.

Mulching:

  • Apply organic mulch to retain even soil moisture, which reduces blossom end rot and fruit cracking, and to suppress weeds.

Pruning:

  • Remove suckers (side shoots growing from leaf joints) to focus the plant's energy on main stems and fruit production.
  • Remove lower leaves touching the soil to reduce disease splash-up.

Watering:

  • Keep soil evenly moist — avoid letting it swing between very dry and very wet, which is the main driver of cracking and blossom end rot in this large-fruited variety.

Harvesting:

  • Pick at full yellow-red color with slight give under gentle pressure.
  • Handle gently — this variety's thin skin bruises more easily than firmer hybrid tomatoes.

Storing:

  • Store at room temperature, never below 50°F, away from direct sun — refrigeration dulls flavor and texture.
  • Use within about a week fresh, or process into sauce or canned goods for longer storage.

Pests and Diseases

Growing Together with Shido

At Shido, everything we do starts with one goal: helping you have a truly successful growing experience. We know that planting seeds is just the beginning — your time, energy, and love for gardening are the real magic. That’s why we make sure the seeds you plant are fresh, full of life, and top-quality. When you choose Shido, you’re planting with confidence. We guarantee it.

Our mission is simple: bring you exceptional varieties of high-quality seeds at prices you’ll love, share detailed sowing and growing tips so you can thrive as a home gardener, and deliver the best customer service in the industry — with a smile.

Our Seed Safety Promise

We do not sell genetically modified seeds — ever. And we don’t use genetic engineering to breed new varieties. Instead, our skilled breeders use traditional, natural crossing methods to create hybrid seeds that are healthy, safe, and packed with potential.

Our Seed Quality Guarantee

At Shido, we believe great gardens start with great seeds — and that means quality comes first. Every seed lot we offer is ensure to generate top-notch germination because your garden deserves nothing less.

To keep our seeds at their peak, we run thorough pathology tests at trusted outside labs. When you open a Shido seed packet, you can trust it’s been nurtured, tested, and approved to give you strong, healthy plants from the very first sprout.

Types of Seeds We Offer

Hybrid Seeds (F1)

F1 hybrid seeds are the garden’s high achievers — created by crossing two specially chosen parent plants for superior vigor, uniformity, and performance. We use only traditional breeding methods to produce these powerhouse seeds.

Open-Pollinated & Heirloom Seeds

Our open-pollinated (OP) seeds naturally reproduce through wind, insects, water, or self-pollination. When grown in isolation, they produce true-to-type plants year after year.

Among our OP seeds are treasured heirloom varieties — old favorites that have been carefully passed down for generations. While OP plants can be less uniform than hybrids, we run our Open-Pollinated Project to select the most reliable, flavorful, and beautiful strains. Many are also available as certified organic seeds.

Non-GMO: What It Means and Why It Matters

A GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) is created when scientists alter a plant’s DNA in a lab — often by inserting genes from completely unrelated species — to achieve certain traits, like pest resistance or herbicide tolerance. This is a far cry from natural plant breeding.

At Shido, we believe gardening should stay as close to nature as possible. All our seeds — whether hybrid, heirloom, organic, or open-pollinated — are Non-GMO. They’re bred using traditional methods that respect natural biodiversity, giving you safe, wholesome seeds that grow into plants just as nature intended.

When you plant Shido Non-GMO seeds, you’re choosing purity, sustainability, and peace of mind — along with a garden full of flavor, color, and beauty.

Vacuum-Sealed for Freshness — Good for 10 Years

Every Shido seed packet is vacuum-sealed to lock in freshness and protect your seeds from moisture, air, and pests. This careful packaging not only preserves their quality but also extends their shelf life dramatically. Stored properly in a cool, dry place, our seeds remain viable for up to 10 years — so you can plant them now, next season, or even years down the road. Whether you’re planning a garden this spring or building a long-term seed stash, Shido seeds are ready when you are.
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