If you live in a region with scorching, humid summers and struggle to keep your vegetable garden alive through July and August, the Arkansas Traveler tomato is about to become your new best friend. Originally bred at the University of Arkansas in 1968 by horticulturist Joe McFerran, this legendary heirloom was designed specifically to thrive where other tomatoes simply give up and wilt.
Prized for its incredible resilience to drought, extreme heat, and high humidity, the Arkansas Traveler is an incredibly reliable producer. Unlike delicate modern hybrids, this robust vine delivers a bountiful harvest of perfectly balanced, pinkish-red tomatoes right through the harshest summer conditions. Here is everything you need to know about growing and caring for this award-winning Southern classic.
Arkansas Traveler Profile: What to Expect
Before you plant these in your garden, it is important to understand exactly how this plant grows so you can prepare your garden beds correctly.
- Growth Habit: Indeterminate. This means the vine will continue to grow, climb, and produce fruit all season long until the first frost kills it. It requires heavy-duty staking or tall tomato cages.
- Fruit Size: It produces medium-sized, beautifully round fruits weighing roughly 6 to 8 ounces each.
- Flavor Profile: It boasts a fantastic, classic “old-fashioned” tomato flavor. It has a rich, sweet, and mildly tart taste, making it perfect for slicing onto sandwiches or eating fresh off the vine with a sprinkle of salt.
- Days to Maturity: Approximately 75 to 80 days from transplanting.
One of the biggest selling points of the Arkansas Traveler is its thick, durable skin, which makes it highly resistant to cracking and splitting. However, even crack-resistant tomatoes will split if they experience sudden, massive fluctuations in water. To ensure perfect, unblemished fruit, lay down a 3-inch layer of organic straw mulch around the base of the plant to keep soil moisture consistently locked in during hot spells.
How to Grow and Care for the Arkansas Traveler
1. Sunlight and Soil
Like all tomatoes, the Arkansas Traveler requires full sun (a minimum of 8 hours of direct sunlight daily). They prefer well-draining, slightly acidic soil (pH between 6.0 and 6.8) that is incredibly rich in organic matter. Before transplanting your seedlings, amend the garden bed deeply with aged compost or composted cow manure.
2. Watering Strategy
While this variety is famous for its drought tolerance, neglecting to water it will still reduce your yield. Water the plants deeply and slowly at the base of the stem 1 to 2 times a week. Avoid using overhead sprinklers; getting the dense, blue-green foliage repeatedly wet in humid environments invites fungal diseases like early blight.
3. Supporting the Vines
Because the Arkansas Traveler is an indeterminate variety, it is incredibly vigorous. The vines can easily reach 6 to 8 feet tall. Flimsy wire cones will not hold this plant up once it is loaded with fruit. You must tie the main stem to a heavy-duty wooden stake or use a massive, heavy-gauge steel tomato cage to keep the fruit off the ground and away from pests.
4. Pruning for Maximum Yield
To keep the plant focused on producing delicious 6-to-8-ounce tomatoes rather than endless green foliage, you should prune the “suckers.” Suckers are the small diagonal shoots that grow in the “V” joint between the main stem and the lateral branches. Pinch these off with your fingers when they are small to improve air circulation and direct the plant’s energy into fruit production.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Arkansas Traveler tomato determinate or indeterminate?
It is an indeterminate variety. This means the plant will continue to grow like a sprawling vine and produce new clusters of fruit continuously throughout the entire summer until it is killed by the first fall frost.
Is this a good tomato for slicing or making sauce?
The Arkansas Traveler is highly regarded as an excellent fresh-eating and slicing tomato. Because of its outstanding balance of sweetness and acidity, it is perfect for sandwiches, salads, and eating raw. However, because it is quite juicy, it requires a long cook-down time if you attempt to turn it into a thick pasta sauce.
Can I grow Arkansas Traveler tomatoes in pots?
Yes, but you will need a massive container. Because it is a vigorous indeterminate vine with a deep root system, you must use a container that holds at least 15 to 20 gallons of soil, and you must firmly anchor a tall trellis or cage into the pot.
Comments are closed.