I discovered Lemon Boy tomato when I received a plant as a gift. Now I bring this tomato back every year.
Wow, has the world changed since the last time I posted! I'm not going to spend a lot of time talking about the COVID-19 situation we're all coping with right now. I just want to say thank you to my readers for being patient while I dealt with the changes to my life.
Now, let's talk tomatoes...
As I've shared over and over, I have very heavy clay soil so I grow in large containers. Some of these started as wooden shipping crates but I also use mineral tubs (20-30 gallon tubs used for livestock supplements).
For a long time, I thought this meant I couldn't grow anything larger than a grape tomato because I struggled to keep moisture consistent which of course meant I was always dealing with Blossom End Rot (BER) on my larger tomato varieties.
A couple of years ago, an aunt who works at Lowe's gave me a few tomato plants she got at work, and among them, a Lemon Boy tomato.
I tried again, putting the tomato plants in the largest container I have. Of the tomatoes she gave me, one flourished and produced remarkably more fruit than the others - the Lemon Boy tomato.
It was kismet because I was already in love with yellow cherry tomatoes. No slight to red tomatoes, but they conjure images of mealy, flavorless grocery store tomatoes in my mind.
I also appreciate the sweetness yellow tomatoes offer, which leads me to this important facts about yellow tomatoes...
Yellow tomatoes are still acidic
Something that draws me and a lot of people to the flavor of yellow tomatoes is the sweeter notes they leave on my palate. This is very true of any yellow tomato and Lemon Boy tomatoes are no exception.
The acidic notes are less present in their flavor but if you're on an acid restricted diet don't let this trick you. Yellow tomatoes have the same Ph, or acid content, as any other tomato, regardless of how they taste.
Why I love Lemon Boy tomatoes
Vibrant sweet taste of some of the most popular yellow tomatoes
Bright yellow "canary" color
Large enough to be used for sandwiches but small enough they are a little less prone to Blossom End Rot
Just like all tomatoes, their antioxidant properties are good for me
Had enough fruit set before heat set in that I continued to get ripening fruit into late July
Lemon Boy tomatoes were resistant to disease and pests in my yard
Lemon Boy Tomato Facts
Indeterminate growth habit
Slicing tomato on the small side of beefsteaks
Produces half-pound (8 oz) fruits
Hybrid (saving seeds not recommended)
Early producer with only a 72 DTM (days to maturity)
Bright lemony yellow color
A few months ago, I reviewed my experience with all the dwarf varieties I grew. Read it here.