Although relatively new, the hybrid Lemon Boy is a big hit amongst both home and commercial growers. It’s one of the more popular yellow tomato varieties today. The medium-sized fruits grow to 7 or 8 ounces and have a distinct, beautiful bright yellow color. The lemon boy hybrid is very disease-resistant. It grows at an average speed, producing fruit in about 72 days.
The prized Lemon Boys are sugary sweet, high yielding, and can be harvested throughout the growing season if kept well.
Best Soil for Lemon Boy Tomatoes
Lemon Boys, like most tomatoes, require good , highly fertile, rich soil. In this type of soil these vigorous plants, if kept healthy, will grow quickly and for best results should be planted in relatively airy soil and a slight acidity (6.5 pH).
Proper Care for Lemon Boy Tomatoes
Start lemon boy tomato seeds for new plants indoors 6-8 weeks before the last average frost date gives good-sized seedlings that will be robust enough for the garden. When you sow seeds they can be staggered by a week or so, but this really is unnecessary as the harvest itself will naturally stagger due to the inherent variability of the plant.
Seedlings should be watered every other day until planted and established in the garden. After that, they should be watered every three to four days, depending on weather conditions, or whenever the soil feels dry a couple of inches below the surface.
Liquid fertilizers with a higher nitrogen content (20-10-10 is common) will yield the best results for seedlings and new transplants. Change to an evenly balanced fertilizer once the plants are two to three feet in height and begin to bud.
When to Harvest Lemon Boy Tomatoes
Lemon boy plants require 72 to 80 days to mature and will have a bright yellow fruit that will easily drop off the vine at harvest time, when ripe. Pick tomatoes as they’re individually ready rather than all at once. This tomato variety will ripen in small groups, but one plant will not ripen all at once. Be aware that like with other tomato types, leaves and stems can be poisonous if ingested in quantity.
Lemon Boy Tomato Plant Pests and Diseases
The Lemon Boy is an excellent choice due to its good disease resistance. The are also resistant to nearly every major pest that tomatoes can suffer from, which is one reason they’re so popular. Most pests will not attack the Lemon Boy’s leaves because they are poisonous and thus often avoid the fruits as well. Specifically, the Lemon Boy is resistant to Fusarium and Verticillium wilt and to Root Nematodes. Most grasshoppers and leaf-munching caterpillars will also avoid these. Your primary pest is likely to be birds, who enjoy the bright yellow tomatoes.
Learn more about tomato pests and tomato diseases.
How to Serve Lemon Boys
Most often, Lemon Boys are eaten raw on salads or alone. Because of their unique looks and tastiness, they are usually eaten fresh. They retain their excellent flavor when dried. They can also be canned or stewed if desired, of course.
Tips for Growing Lemon Boy Tomatoes
The number one thing to know with the Lemon Boy is that it needs regular watering to avoid dwarfed fruits or splitting. Water regularly (every 3-4 days) and keep the soil fertilized up until fruit appears in abundance.
More Tomato Growing Resources:
University of Missouri – Growing Home Garden Tomatoes
University of Illinois – Tomatoes
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