AppThe All-America Selections judges gave a National Award to a tomato called Apple. That’s like naming your dog Kitten (I had a friend who did that, actually). And while the dog named Kitten in no way resembles a cat, Apple Yellow tomato is indeed reminiscent of an apple—a Golden Delicious, in fact. And, doubling down on the “appleness,” Apple Yellow is even a tad bit sweet (but in a citrusy sort of way).

But let’s get back to this tomato’s apple shape. It is indeed shaped like an apple in that its bottom is clearly dimpled like a Red or Golden Delicious and has four definite “legs” that allow it to sort of stand on its own, just like those apples. As for its size—Apple Yellow’s fruits are definitely not apple sized. Each fruit is about 1-1.5 inches in diameter. Not super tiny like the Super Sweet 100 tomatoes, but certainly big enough to core and stuff (with cheese, perhaps?) for appetizers.

Apple Yellow Plant and Fruit Characteristics

Good thing Apple Yellow doesn’t produce apple-sized fruits. The plant, which is indeterminate and reaches about 5 feet tall, likely couldn’t handle the load. That’s because it produces up to 1,000 fruits per plant in perfect clusters. Yes, this variety will definitely need staking in the garden. If you choose to grow it in a container, definitely stake it in there as well.

Grow it like a typical tomato—lots of sunny, warm weather, moderate water. The All-America Selections judges were super excited about the tomato’s resistance to cracking—something that happens frequently when tomatoes are kept on the vine longer than you’re able to harvest them. Apple Yellow’s disease resistance/tolerance to the typical garden tomato threats (tomato yellow leaf curl, tomato mosaic 2A, fusarium, late blight and bacterial wilt) also impressed the judges immensely.

Plant Apple Yellow as soon as the warm evening temperatures arrive (end of May if you’re up North like me). Space plants about 2-4 feet apart (they have a 1-2 ft. spread when staked). You’ll have bright, taxi-cab yellow fruits in about 110 days. And get ready for a heck of a harvest!