Named for the Amana Colonies of the State of Iowa, the heritage tomato Amana Orange is a large, orange-yellow heirloom beefsteak tomato. Various seed catalogs declare that the fruit produced on Amana Orange plants can grow up to two pounds or more, with an average diameter of approximately five inches!
Amana Orange is an indeterminate tomato variety, which means that the plants will grow vines and continue to grow taller as the gardening season progresses. Without pruning, the plant will continue to grow longer. To allow the plant to focus on growing higher yields of fruit, pinch the suckers on the tomato vine, and stake the plant well.
Gary Ibsen, owner of TomatoFest® Garden Seeds and grower of 600 varieties of heritage tomatoes says, ‚”It’s not just not red and pink tomatoes that steal the show on the ‘Top 10’ list anymore.” A veritable celebrity in the heirloom tomato world, Amana Orange made an appearance on the list of ‚”Top Ten Heirloom Tomatoes of 2008″ released by TomatoFest®.
Health conscious tomato-lovers will also be pleased to learn that in 2007, orange coloured tomatoes such as Amana Orange, were declared by Ohio State University researchers to be a better source of lycopene, an anti-oxidant thought to help reduce the risk of cancer, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.
Growing heirloom tomatoes from seed is not a difficult task, even for beginner vegetable gardeners. Sow Amana Orange tomato seed indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Seeds should be sown in the seed starting medium of choice 1/4″ deep, placed in a seed starting tray and covered with a plastic dome or plastic cling film in a warm room out of direct sunlight until seedlings emerge. Use of a heating mat designed for seed starting may be useful in cooler climates.
When the Amana Orange seedlings begin to emerge, remove the plastic cover and position the tray under a fluorescent light, 1 to 2″ above the seedling. As the seedlings grow, keep the light about an inch from the top of the growing leaves. Regular fluorescent shop bulbs work just fine. After the first set of true leaves appears, fertilize the seedlings weekly with a diluted solution of 20-20-20 fertilizer. Transplant the seedlings into larger pots, if necessary, to facilitate root growth.
The small Amana Orange tomato seedlings will need to be introduced gradually to the outdoor weather and sunshine, or they may be burned. Set the seedlings out for an hour or two at first, in filtered sunlight, and sheltered from the wind. Increase the time the seedlings spend outdoors each day, allowing them a chance to become accustomed to outdoor growing conditions.
Amana Orange will yield fruit 90 days after transplanting. When harvesting the heavy fruits, cut the stem above the fruit, rather than pulling, to avoid tearing the flesh.
The flesh of Amana Orange is thick, tangy and juicy, with relatively few seeds. According to Golden Harvest Organics’ website, ‚”The rich taste is superior with a medium sweet yet full bodied tomato flavor.” This tomato tastes wonderful on hamburgers or sandwiches, and looks beautiful simply sliced thickly and served with a sprinkling of freshly cracked pepper and salt.
This sunny and delicous tomato is sure to please.
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