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Lemon Boy
Lemon Boy Stats
Height: 48 - 96" (1.22-2.44 m)
Plant Spacing: 48 - 72" (1.22-1.83 m)
Row Spacing: 36 - 48" (0.91-1.22 m)
Days to Maturity: 69 - 80
Growing Habit: Indeterminate
Sun: Full Sun
Color: Yellow
Size: Medium
Shape: Medium
Genetic Type: Hybrid
Variety Type: Non-Reds, Slicers
Disease Resistance: V, F, N, A, St
Common Uses
Salads, sandwiches, juices, pasta, bisque, salsa
Other Names
N/A
Information for Lemon Boy
As the name implies, Lemon Boy is a nice, round lemon-like tomato bred by Seminis Seeds subsidiary, PetoSeed. This tomato variety was first introduced as an F-1 hybrid in 1984. Along with Synergy Seed, a few tomato breeders assert to have produced open pollinated Lemon Boy varieties by using the selective technique of Alan Kapuler, the founding father of the organic seed movement.
Lemon Boy features an eye-catching bright yellow color, making it one of the more popular hybrid tomato varieties. Commercial growers prefer this variety due to its unique color, uniform produce, and consistent yields. Lemon Boy is also resilient and very easy to grow.
The variety is resistant to multiple diseases and insusceptible to various common pests. Lemon Boy plants are climbers that maintain their vigor throughout the growing season. They are bushy with regular dark green foliage and fruits that ripen in clusters.
The fruits typically weigh around seven to eight ounces (198-226 g) and sizes are a bit smaller compared to a baseball. Standard in shape, each of the tomatoes are almost the same size. These can be prone to cracking with small breaks appearing on top.
Lemon Boy seeds appear large within the moderately thick core and walls of the fruit. The texture is smooth, the skin is thin, and the flesh is meaty. A subtle tomato, Lemon Boy reveals a light flavor with a touch of faint sourness.
In food preparations, a Lemon Boy tomato is great with salads and sandwiches because of its low acidity. It is also preferred sliced and salted since the salt draws out the flavor and makes it more palatable. Lemon Boys are good for those who prefer light-flavored tomatoes and need something for mixing with other tomato varieties.
These tomatoes turn to a more vibrant yellow when they still cling on to the vine. They tend to become mushy so it's better to pick them right before they overly ripen. These tomatoes require 1" (25 mm) of water per week and six hours of full sunlight.
Lemon Boy growers often inspect green shoulders on the fruit. This mostly happens during warm weather conditions. To avoid having green shoulders, refrain from excessive pruning and make its foliage a shade for the fruits. Lemon Boy tomatoes are commercially available around the United States and frequently desired by home gardeners and chefs for its reduced acidity.
Photo Credit: The Marmot