Hillbilly tomato: taste, height & more

The ‘Hillbilly’ tomato variety is known for its large and colourful fruits. Here is an overview on how to plant and care for the ‘Hillbilly’ tomato in your garden.

The ‘Hillbilly’ tomato produces large fruit with a unique red, orange, and yellow marbled pattern. This variety has captured the hearts of many tomato lovers for over a century with its low acidity and fruity sweet taste.

‘Hillbilly’ tomato: profile

Origin and history of the ‘Hillbilly’ tomato

The ‘Hillbilly’ tomato is said to have been first cultivated in West Virginia around 1880. Despite its somewhat unflattering name, the variety has been preserved and is still cultivated today thanks to its unique colouration and delicious fruits.

‘Hillbilly’ tomato: taste and characteristics

The ‘Hillbilly’ tomato plant grows up to 180 centimeters in height and is a potato-leaved variety. The large, slightly ribbed ‘Hillbilly’ tomato is a true heavyweight and can weigh anywhere between 500 and 1000 grams. These fruits have a sunny yellow base colour with orange to red marbling, inside and out, and bears some resemblance to the ‘Pineapple’ tomato. The variety is sweet and fruity with just a hint of acidity. ‘Hillbilly’ tomatoes are an heirloom variety, so you can save tomato seeds from each harvest and use them again next season to further preserve and cultivate this heritage variety.

Growing ‘Hillbilly’ tomato plants

‘Hillbilly’ tomato plants need plenty warmth and are best grown in a greenhouse. This variety can also be grown outdoors, but only after the weather is sufficiently warm and with good shelter from the rain. To plant a ‘Hillbilly’ tomato plant, dig a deep hole and place the plant deep enough that only about half of it is above the soil surface. Remove the leaves below the soil level and fill the planting hole. Pre-fertilised soils such as our Plantura Organic Tomato & Vegetable Compost help give young plants a sufficient supply of nutrients as they begin to grow. Straight after planting, tie the ‘Hillbilly’ plant to some form of support and watered well.

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Prune beefsteak tomatoes, like ‘Hillbilly’, regularly and grow with a maximum of two main shoots. This way, the plant will concentrate its energy on flower formation and fruit growth, and ripen earlier.
Fertilise your ‘Hillbilly’ tomato plants for the first time as their fruits begin to form, usually around June. A slow-release fertiliser such as our Plantura Tomato Food will help provide essential nutrients to the plant as it begins to use up energy developing fruit.

Top tip: Placing a layer of mulch made out of plant-based materials, such as lawn clippings, around tomato plants promotes soil life and reduces evaporation, which saves litres of water in the summer. For more information, read our article on mulching.

Harvesting and using ‘Hillbilly’ tomatoes

‘Hillbilly’ tomatoes are best enjoyed fresh: a single slice fits perfectly in a sandwich or on a burger. These large tomatoes can also be made into an eye-catching yellow soup.

Insects like aphids and whiteflies can severely weaken tomato plants. Not every insect is bad for your plant though! This article will give you an insight into beneficial insects for tomatoes.