Determinate · Disease Resistant · 150–250 g · Purple-Red Heart · Sweet-Sour

How to Grow Dwarf Purple Heart Tomato from Seed
Mid-season determinate · 120 cm bush · Film greenhouse & outdoor · 1–2 stems

A compact, disease-resistant, mid-season determinate tomato producing distinctive large heart-shaped fruits in a deep purple-red colour. Sweet with a slight sourness — excellent for fresh salads, canning, and juice. Grows to 120 cm maximum, suits film greenhouses and outdoor cultivation. Mandatory garter recommended.

150–250 gPer fruit · heart-shaped
120 cmMax height · determinate
Purple-redDistinctive colour at ripeness
ResistantMajor disease resistance
Dwarf Purple Heart tomato purple red large heart shaped fruits vine harvest
SALE
−40%
SKU: To183 · Oreshka Seeds
Tomato Dwarf Purple Heart
10 PCS fresh seeds · Mid-season determinate · Disease resistant · Solanaceae
€4.25 €7.08

10 seeds per pack · Ships worldwide in 2–3 days

Detailed Buy

The variety

What is Dwarf Purple Heart Tomato — Compact, Resistant, and Strikingly Coloured

Tomato Dwarf Purple Heart (To183) is a mid-season determinate variety growing to 120 cm — a compact, manageable bush suited to film greenhouses, polytunnels, closed ground, and outdoor cultivation. The fruits are large, heart-shaped, and turn a distinctive purple-red at maturity — visually different from standard red tomatoes and striking in the garden and on the plate. Fruit weight is 150–250 g. The flesh is fleshy, medium density, with a sweet taste carrying a pleasant slight sourness.

Disease resistance is a key practical attribute of this variety — it performs reliably in variable-weather outdoor conditions where susceptible varieties would succumb to late blight and fungal diseases. The determinate habit concentrates the harvest into a shorter window compared to indeterminate varieties, making it excellent for batch preserving and canning as well as fresh eating.

Determinate vs. indeterminate — why it matters for this variety: Dwarf Purple Heart is determinate — the plant reaches a fixed maximum height (120 cm) and produces most of its fruit in a concentrated 2–4 week harvest window. This contrasts with indeterminate varieties (like Japanese Tomato To150) that continue growing and fruiting throughout summer. The determinate habit means: less pruning intensity needed, the full harvest can be processed in one preserving session, the plant manages its own size without constant training, and it performs well in the confined space of a film greenhouse or cloche. Garter (tying to a stake) and 1–2 stem training are still recommended for optimal fruit development.
Oreshka Seeds — Expert Note

Mid-season determinate. Film greenhouse and outdoor suitable. 1–2 stems, mandatory garter. Disease-resistant — ideal for variable northern European summers. About our collection →

Quick facts

Dwarf Purple Heart at a Glance

TypeMid-season · determinate bush
Fruit150–250 g · heart-shaped · purple-red
HeightUp to 120 cm · compact
DiseaseResistant to major diseases
LightFull sun · warm position
TasteSweet with slight sourness · fleshy

Growing guide

How to Grow Dwarf Purple Heart Tomato from Seed — Step by Step

  1. 01
    Start Indoors — 6 to 8 Weeks Before Last Frost
    Sow 0.5–1 cm deep in moist seed compost at 22–26°C. Use propagator mat for consistent warmth. Germination: 7–10 days. Thin to one plant per pot when seedlings reach 5 cm. Grow on in maximum light — compact stocky seedlings establish better. Feed weekly with dilute balanced fertiliser once first true leaves appear.
  2. 02
    Harden Off and Plant Out
    When night temperatures consistently exceed 10°C, harden off for 7–10 days. Plant after last frost with soil at 15°C+. Space 50–60 cm. Plant deeply — bury stem to lowest leaves for extra root development. Install 120 cm stake at planting. Film greenhouse or polytunnel gives reliable results every year; outdoor growing is possible with disease-resistant varieties like this one.
  3. 03
    Train to 1–2 Stems — Garter Mandatory
    Despite the determinate habit, 1–2 stem training improves fruit size. Keep the main stem and optionally one first side shoot — remove all others when finger-length. The thin upright stems load with fruit and require tying to a stake as the plant grows — tie at 20–25 cm intervals. The compact 120 cm height means the plant manages itself within a stake rather than requiring a long cage, making management easier than tall indeterminate varieties.
  4. 04
    Feed High Potassium at Fruit Set
    Switch from balanced feed to high-potassium tomato fertiliser every 10–14 days once first fruits set. Water consistently — the fleshy medium-density flesh is susceptible to blossom end rot and splitting from irregular watering. Mulch to maintain even moisture. Consistent potassium feeding through fruit development is responsible for the sweet-sour balance this variety is known for — skip feeds and the acidity dominates.
  5. 05
    Disease Resistance — Less Intervention Needed
    Dwarf Purple Heart's resistance to major diseases allows later-season outdoor growing that susceptible varieties cannot sustain. No preventive fungicide spray schedule is needed. In a wet summer when neighbouring plants show blight symptoms, this variety continues cropping. Maintain good air circulation around plants (the 1–2 stem training helps significantly) and remove any symptomatic leaves promptly as a precaution.
  6. 06
    Harvest — Purple-Red Heart-Shaped Fruits
    Ripe Dwarf Purple Heart transitions from green through an intermediate stage to full purple-red — the distinctive colour develops fully at maturity. Fruit weight 150–250 g. Harvest at full colour for best sweet-sour flavour. For storage, harvest slightly early — fruits continue ripening off the vine at room temperature. The determinate habit concentrates harvest into 2–4 weeks — ideal for batch canning, juice-making, and sauce production. Outstanding for all uses: fresh, canned, juiced, and sauce.
Pro Tip — From the Oreshka Collection

The concentrated determinate harvest of Dwarf Purple Heart is ideal for making tomato passata in a single session. When the main flush of fruits ripens simultaneously (typically over 2–3 weeks in August), process the entire harvest at once: halve fruits, roast cut-side down at 180°C for 35–40 minutes until caramelised and slightly reduced, then pass through a food mill. The sweet-sour balance of Dwarf Purple Heart makes a passata with more complexity than pure sweet varieties — the acidity brightens the flavour and eliminates the need for added lemon juice or citric acid that high-pH tomato varieties require for safe canning. Freeze in 400 ml portions for a winter supply of home-grown sauce.

Compare

Dwarf Purple Heart vs. Japanese Tomato vs. Standard Determinate

Feature Dwarf Purple Heart
To183 · Oreshka Seeds		 Japanese Tomato
To150 · Oreshka Seeds		 Standard determinate
e.g. Moneymaker type
Growth habitDeterminate · 120 cm maxIndeterminate · 150–180 cmDeterminate · 90–120 cm
Fruit colourPurple-red · distinctiveCrimson-redStandard red
Taste profileSweet with slight sournessPure sweet · sugaryBalanced · mild
Disease resistanceHigh — major diseasesStandardVariable by variety
Harvest typeConcentrated — ideal for preservingContinuous through seasonConcentrated flush
Outdoor suitabilityExcellent · resistant varietyBetter under coverGood in warm summers

Avoid these

Common Mistakes When Growing Dwarf Purple Heart

Skipping the garter because it's "compact"

Despite the 120 cm maximum height, Dwarf Purple Heart stems load with heavy fruit and will snap or keel over without support. Tie to a 120 cm stake at 20–25 cm intervals from the time the plant reaches 40–50 cm. A single unsupported plant with a heavy fruit load is commonly lost to wind snap or stem collapse — a garter is a 5-minute task that protects the entire harvest.

Expecting continuous harvest like an indeterminate variety

Dwarf Purple Heart is determinate — most fruit ripens in a 2–4 week window rather than continuously. Plan accordingly: this is a variety to process in one batch rather than eat fresh daily throughout summer. If continuous fresh supply is the goal, also grow an indeterminate variety alongside it.

Irregular watering during fruit development

The medium-density fleshy flesh is susceptible to blossom end rot (calcium deficiency caused by irregular watering) and skin cracking when a large water intake follows a dry period. Mulch generously and water consistently — daily in hot weather. Blossom end rot on an otherwise excellent variety is preventable with consistent moisture maintenance.

Not using disease resistance to its advantage

The disease resistance of this variety is only fully exploited outdoors. Growing it only under cover (where disease pressure is lower) is underusing what makes this variety special. Plant at least some plants outdoors in a sheltered sunny position to experience the variety's full practical advantage over susceptible types in a normal northern European summer.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dwarf Purple Heart — determinate or indeterminate?
Determinate — grows to 120 cm maximum and concentrates most fruit in a 2–4 week harvest window. Train to 1–2 stems with mandatory garter. Unlike indeterminate varieties (like Japanese Tomato To150), it requires less intensive management and suits film greenhouses and outdoor growing where height must be managed.
Why is it called Purple Heart — what colour are the fruits?
The name refers to both fruit shape (heart-shaped) and colour at maturity: deep purple-red — visually different from standard red varieties. The colour comes from a combination of lycopene (red) and anthocyanins in the skin (blue-purple tones). Visually striking in salads and on the plate, contrasting strongly with green leaves or white cheese.
What does Dwarf Purple Heart taste like?
Sweet with a pleasant slight sourness — a balanced flavour profile. The acidity makes it versatile: excellent fresh, outstanding for canning (acidity aids preservation without added citric acid), and excellent for juices and sauces where acidity adds brightness. Flavour develops fully with consistent potassium feeding throughout the growing season.
What diseases is it resistant to?
The variety specifies resistance to major diseases — primarily late blight (Phytophthora infestans), Fusarium and Verticillium wilts, and tobacco mosaic virus. This is a significant practical advantage for outdoor growing in northern Europe where late blight is nearly impossible to avoid in wet summers with susceptible varieties.
Can it be grown outdoors in the UK or northern Europe?
Yes — it is well suited to outdoor northern European growing. Start indoors February–March, plant out late May. Disease resistance is particularly valuable in northern outdoor conditions with high late blight pressure. Growing against a south-facing wall or under cloches improves results. Film greenhouse or polytunnel gives reliable large-fruited results every year.
How is it different from Japanese Tomato (To150)?
Japanese Tomato (To150) is indeterminate — continuous harvest, 150–180 cm, requires intensive 2-stem suckering cordon training, purely sweet flavour, crimson-red. Dwarf Purple Heart (To183) is determinate — concentrated harvest, 120 cm max, less intensive management, sweet-sour flavour, distinctive purple-red colour, disease-resistant, better suited to outdoor growing.

Purple-Red Heart-Shaped Fruits — Compact, Resistant, Outstanding for Preserving

10 fresh seeds · Mid-season determinate · Disease resistant · Film greenhouse & outdoor · Ships worldwide

Buy Seeds — €4.25 → Sale −40% · SKU To183 · 10 PCS · Dwarf Purple Heart Tomato · Oreshka Seeds