Husky Red Tomato Review + [Is It Worth It?]

Are you considering changing your tomato variety next season and don’t know which variety to go for? I’d suggest you try husky red (Solanum Lycopersicum). Its fruit gives you precisely what you’re looking for in a tomato, and the growing conditions are pretty simple.

Let’s do a husky red tomato review.

Husky red tomato is a cherry, indeterminate, and hybrid tomato variety. This tomato has a vigorous plant whose leaf foliage resembles a potato plant. Husky red cherry tomato fruit is large, and the plant produces fruits throughout the growing season. It can be caged, staked, or potted.

This review explores the specifications, pros and cons, and other essential aspects of this cherry tomato variety. Read on.

Also Check: Super Soil Recipe For Tomatoes

Husky Red Tomato Review

Overview

Husky red hybrid tomato is a compact upright tomato, red in color, with dark green leaves. It germinates within 8-14 days and matures after 78 days. It’s advisable to sow your seed indoors, 0.5 inches into the soil. The soil temperature should be 50-75F, while the ideal growing temperature should be 60-65F.  It can grow caged or staked and doesn’t require pinching. Husky red cherry tomato produces fruits over a long period, and each of its fruits weighs 7-8 ounces.

Moreover, the husky red tomato is a dwarf indeterminate plant, making it ideal for small spaces such as containers and greenhouses. This tomato variety can grow up to 36-48 inches in height and 12 inches wide. Hence, it requires adequate spacing of 24-36 inches between the plants and 36-48 inches from one row to the other.

This tomato is resistant to common tomato diseases like Verticillium Wilt (V), Fusarium Wilt (F2) Races 1&2, and Anthracnose (A).  Some of its companion plants include Lettuce, Beans, Peppers, Onion, and Basil. 

Husky Red Hybrid Tomato Pros And Cons

This tomato has up and down sides. Let’s look into each of them hereunder.

Pros

• Resistance to diseases such as Verticillium Wilt (V), Fusarium Wilt (F2) Races 1&2, Anthracnose (A)
• Tolerance to diverse growing conditions favors gardeners who don’t have appropriate conditions for the traditional tomatoes.
• Long shelf life and shipment safety, allowing for long-distance delivery
• Increased yield per plant, making it ideal for small spaces.
• Consistent and dependable fruit production, offering a specific harvest guarantee
• Ability to withstand ill-treatment and harsh weather conditions better than the parent plants
• High nutritional value as it contains vitamin A, B, and K, calcium, and lycopene(excellent antioxidant)
• The flexibility of use as you can cook, make a sauce, or can it. Its size and unique flavor make it suitable for eating fresh on salad, burgers, or sandwiches.

Cons 

• Poor yield from saved seeds plants.
• High cost of the seeds
• Fewer nutrients and taste than the parent plants

What Is Special About Husky Cherry Red Tomatoes?

Husky cherry red tomatoes are special in many ways, including the following.

• Flavor
• Stability
• Color
• Production time
• Growing conditions
• Nutritional benefits
• Storage
• Disease resistance

Let’s look at the above aspects of this tomato hereunder.

1. Flavor

Husky red tomato is packed with a unique, super sweet, and tangy flavor. Thus, you can enjoy it raw as a snack when fully ripe. If you’ve several varieties in your garden, this hybrid cherry tomato ripens before all the others. Each plant produces many sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes.

2. Stability

This cherry tomato variety has an extended shelf life. Therefore, you can safely transport your harvest over long distances. The parent varieties do not offer this advantage.

3. Color

A fully ripe husky red hybrid tomato has a stunning red color that gives your garden a fantastic look. Its potato-like foliage has a dark green color.

4. Production Time

This tomato variety offers you an extended harvesting period running from mid-summer to early fall. Therefore, you can have fresh tomatoes straight from the garden for a long time.

5. Growing Conditions

It’s relatively easy to grow husky red cherry tomatoes. In fact, it can grow in various growing zones. This variety of cherry tomatoes can put up with ill-treatments and extreme weather conditions. 

6. Nutritional Benefits

Husky red has a high nutritional value. Besides the vitamin A, B, and K, and calcium you find in other tomato varieties, it also contains a potent antioxidant known as lycopene.

7. Disease Resistance

Resistance to diseases is one of the strong points of the husky red tomato.  This tomato variety is resistant to diseases like Verticillium Wilt (V) and Anthracnose (A). Hence, your plants can grow without you worrying about such threats.

Tomato Seeds Buying Guide

The quality of seeds plays a significant role in the overall health of your plants and the fruits they yield. Hence, you need to know what to look for when buying tomato seeds. Below are some essential tips.

• Tomato purpose
• Growth habit
• Selection
• Seed quality
• Cost 
• Tomato characteristic

We look at each of the above considerations hereunder. Keep reading.

1. Tomato Purpose

How do you intend to use your tomatoes? 

Are you preparing sandwiches? Buy the variety that produces large and juicy fruits, ideal for slicing. Go for the smaller cherry seeds if you want tomatoes for your salad. And if you want a tomato supply for making sauces, soups, and other delicious dishes, buy the variety with meatier and juicy fruits.

Moreover, you could also consider the tomato acidity of the variety you choose. The acidic tomato variety is ideal for canning, while the sweet one is suitable for eating raw as a snack.

2. Growth Habit

Considering the height and the width of the tomato plant is crucial. Would you prefer a large vine plant or a compact, bushy one? Indeterminate or determinate?

If your planting area is small, the compact bush variety is ideal as it takes less space. Also, if you want to enjoy fresh tomatoes for your salad for a more extended period, go for the indeterminate tomatoes, as they produce fruits throughout the entire season. Their determinate counterpart ripens all at once.

3. Selection 

Always buy your seeds locally as much as possible. If you fail to find your preferred tomato variety from a local retailer, go for the online option.  Some of these suppliers sell tomato seeds exclusively and have a variety of seeds to choose from.

Others have a wide range of vegetable seeds, making it easy for you to access them if you want to have diversity in your garden.

4. Seed Quality

The growth, harvesting, and processing of organic garden seeds happens under the strict control of regulatory bodies such as the USDA. Therefore, the companies licensed to sell these seeds must indicate their seeds are non-GMO on their website or printed materials.

Hence, if you don’t see this information, you should enquire about the seeds’ authenticity concerning the GMO status.

5. Cost 

Although most tomato seeds are inexpensive, there are more cost-effective ways of acquiring them. Get a catalog and make an online order instead of visiting a retailer physically. Also, you can consider buying your seeds at the start or end of the season to take advantage of the seeds sales. Alternatively, you can identify seed suppliers with smaller packaging that costs less.

6. Tomato Characteristics

Some tomato varieties are resistant to heat, crack, or diseases. So, check out these elements when selecting your seeds. Pick the variety that can withstand the extreme conditions of your planting zone to ensure maximum productivity.

FAQ

Are Husky Cherry Red Tomatoes Good?

Yes, husky cherry red tomatoes are good. They’re a supers sweet tomato variety that does exceptionally well in the market due to its productivity, good looks, and flavor. The husky red tomatoes are easy to grow, have tons of nutritional benefits, and are resistant to most tomato diseases. They’re great for snacking, preparing salads, and making delicious dishes.

What Do Husky Red Tomatoes Taste Like?

Husky red tomatoes taste like standard red tomatoes. These tomatoes have balanced sweetness and acidity, making them ideal for eating raw or cooked. Perfectly ripe ones are fruitier and softer, and you can have them for your salad and burger preparation.

How Do You Take Care Of A Red Husky Tomato?

You take care of a red husky tomato by offering the essential attention it needs. The care includes planting it in organic-rich and well-drained soil, keeping the soil moist but not soggy all the time, and placing it in the sun after a frost period. Also, you should water your container-grown plants more often than the garden ones.

Conclusion

Husky red tomato is a hybrid cherry tomato variety that offers you sweet and tangy fruits over an extended period. Hence, you can enjoy fresh tomatoes straight from your vegetable garden. You can consume them raw as snacks and in salads or in preparing delicious meals, sauces, and soups. 

This tomato has tons of vital nutrients, including vitamins A, B, and K, calcium, and a significant antioxidant, lycopene.

Furthermore, it’s easy to grow husky red hybrid tomatoes because they can thrive in various planting zones and withstand harsh weather conditions. Also, this tomato is resistant to common tomato diseases.