If you are looking to grow a stunning heirloom tomato the Violet Jasper is perfect for you. An easy-to-grow tomato, the Violet Jasper is an heirloom tomato with a stunning look and delicious taste. Who wouldn’t love a tomato such as this growing in their garden?
Because of the delicious taste of these tomatoes, there are so many different dishes to pair them with making them a wonderful addition to any garden. Keep these tomatoes on the vine until they are fully mature to ensure full flavor. Being so easy to grow you are going to love this addition to your home garden.
History Of The Violet Jasper Tomato
The Violet Jasper Tomato originated in China.
Characteristics of the Violet Jasper Tomato
The Violet Jasper is an heirloom variety that is considered indeterminate, grows upwards of 6 feet, and needs a cage or trellis to promote the growth of its sprawling vines. These smaller tomatoes around 1 to 3 ounces have a deep red color and dark green vertical stripes.
Ripening Season
The Violet Jasper Tomato will ripen mid-season taking approximately 70-75 days to fully mature.
Tomato Qualities
The Violet Jasper Tomato has a smooth thick skin and has a darker colored flesh.
Tomato Size
These tomatoes are relativity smaller only weighing around 1 to 3 ounces.
Planting Zones
The Violet Jasper Tomatoes grow in the USDA hardiness zones 3-12.
Size And Spacing
The Violet Jasper Tomato can grow upwards of 6 feet tall and has long sprawling vines that need something to climb such as a tomato cage or a large trellis. When planting your Violet Jasper Tomatoes you want there to be 30-36 inches of space between them for proper growth.
Pollination
These tomatoes are open-pollinated, so they do not need any help with pollination as long as there are wind and bees.
Plant Care
The Violet Jasper Tomato is a simple tomato plant to care for, perfect for beginners or advanced gardeners.
The following sections will provide highlights about tomato care. For a complete guide on optimal tomato plant care, from planting to harvesting and storage, please check out our article on How To Grow Tomatoes: The Complete Guide For the Best Tomatoes.
Sunlight
Like all fruit-bearing plants, these tomatoes need a full 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day.
Soil
The Violet Jasper Tomato needs slightly acidic, nutrient-packed, loamy soil. To get the perfect loamy soil it’s best to mix your soil with compost and organic mulch.
Water
Tomatoes of all varieties need a lot of water for the best growth, watering every day is very important for the Violet Jasper Tomato. On hot summer days, the top inch of soil should be moist at all times.
Fertilizer
A balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer needs to be used every two weeks. Adding compost and mulch around your tomatoes is great as they are heavy feeders and will always be seeking out more nutrients. To learn how to determine what your tomatoes need and when they need it, consult our ultimate tomato fertilizer guide.
Pruning
The Violet Jasper Tomato needs pruning from time to time to keep the main stalk healthy and the main vines growing and producing fruit. When pruning, make sure to pinch off the suckers of the plant so the rest of the leaves can get the sunlight it needs, this also helps reduce the risk of disease while promoting proper air circulation.
Pruning and pinching are a tomato care technique that can help your tomato put forth its best yield. But you need to know when to do this and what tomatoes need it. To help you with this, visit our pruning tomatoes guide.
Disease
All tomatoes are susceptible to diseases such as early blight, late blight, septoria leaf spot, and more. All of these common tomato diseases are easy to spot and have remedies to correct. To learn how to detect, treat, and take steps to prevent diseases, read our tomato diseases guide.
Pests
All tomato plants carry the risk of attracting pests. Aphids, whiteflies, tomato hornworms, slugs, pillbugs, and stink bugs are some of the more common to keep your eye out for. For information to help you spot, eliminate, and deter 15 different pests, visit our guide on common tomato pests.
When To Harvest The Violet Jasper Tomato
The perfect harvesting time for the Violet Jasper Tomato is early to late August. You know they are ready once the green vertical stripes because multiple shades of dark green while the rest of the skin stays deep red.
Common Uses For The Violet Jasper Tomato
The Violet Jasper Tomatoes are one of the most common heirloom tomatoes you can find at farmer’s markets, their beautiful coloration is the perfect addition for salads, salsas, and party trays. They are also great when cooked and blend well with Italian herbs.
What Does The Violet Jasper Tomato Taste Like?
The Violet Jasper has a flavor profile that is slightly tangy, sweet, and has meaty flesh.
Cooking
When cooking they are the perfect tomato to mix Italian herbs and spices. They do great in tomato sauces of any kind and go amazingly well with pasta dishes.
Eating Raw
Nothing beats a homegrown fresh tomato right off the vine, vine to plate, let’s say. The Violet Jasper is the perfect heirloom tomato to enjoy raw with a bit of salt and pepper.
Canning/Freezing/Drying
Since the Violet Jasper is a productive tomato plant you may want to look into these options so you do not waste one single tomato! With a meaty and rich texture, these tomatoes are great for drying and canning. If you have never canned before it is a fairly simple process that can save those homegrown tomatoes so you can enjoy them at a later date.
Recipe Ideas
The Violet Jasper Tomato works well in almost any dish that calls for tomatoes since they are so versatile in cooking, here are a few suggestions:
Heirloom Tomato and Avacado Salad
Health Benefits Of Tomatoes
Not only is the Violet Jasper Tomatoes beautiful to look at they are also great for your health. Tomatoes of all kinds are packed with vitamins and nutrients that our bodies crave. Tomatoes are also the best source of lycopene, which has amazing antioxidant properties.
Where To Buy The Violet Jasper Tomato Plants Or Seeds
When looking to buy the Violet Jasper Tomato as a starter plant they are not easy to come by online, but you could always contact a local plant nursery or garden center. If you are wanting to plant your own seeds there are some websites that will sell them and most come very highly rated! To buy seeds you can visit Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
Where To Buy Violet Jasper Tomatoes
Violet Jasper Tomatoes are not commonly found at your local grocery store, your best bet would be at a local farmers market or specialty produce store mid to late summer. These are such eye-catching tomatoes because of their beautiful coloration so many farmers bring them straight to the market for sale.
Wrapping Up The Violet Jasper Tomato
When looking for delicious easy to grow heirloom tomatoes for your garden the Violet Jasper is the way to go. These tomatoes can be used in many dishes and are a stunning addition to any garden. Great for canning and drying, you surely are going to have homegrown heirloom tomatoes all year long.
Have you ever grown your own Violet Jasper Tomatoes? Tell us more in the comments below! If you are looking for even more tomato options, read more of our fabulous tomato blogs.
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Lauren has three main passions: her family, writing, and gardening! Lauren has spent countless hours in her garden tending to different plants, whether those be beautiful flowers, vegetables, or different perennials.
Rest assured that if it concerns plants and gardens, Lauren has got you covered. So, when needing advice or looking for the best new gardening gadget, you have come to the right place and the right author.