Long Keeper
Single source · Reviewed Sep 9, 2026
Values marked like this (estimated) are model estimates, not confirmed from a source.
Open-pollinated slicer from USA. Bicolor slicer known for storing and slowly ripening after harvest. Ready in about 78 days from transplant.
- Open-pollinated
- 78 days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Medium fruit
- Easy-moderate (estimated)
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Slicer 5–8 oz (140–220 g) · Oblate
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Plant height
- 5–8 ft (150–240 cm) Tall
- Spacing
- 24 × 39 in (60 × 100 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Polytunnel · Open ground · Container
- Container growing
- Not suited to pots
- Skin
-
- Bicolor
- Interior
- Not recorded
Plant size and habit
Tall · Indeterminate
5–8 ft (150–240 cm) · Regular leaf
Long Keeper is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 5–8 ft (150–240 cm).
Flavor
“Bicolor slicer known for storing and slowly ripening after harvest.”
Growing calendar
- Sow indoors
- Transplant out
- Harvest
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost date.
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Fresh & salads
- Slicing
Origin
A bicolor slicer picked green-mature and stored indoors, known for ripening slowly over several months after harvest.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
All photos
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Long Keeper tomatoes ripening on the vine under cover -
A truss of Long Keeper tomatoes -
Long Keeper tomato plant in a garden bed with ripe fruit on the vine -
A ripe Long Keeper tomato held in a gardener's hand -
Freshly picked Long Keeper tomatoes -
Long Keeper tomato sliced in the kitchen
Questions
How long does Long Keeper take to mature?
Long Keeper is ready in about 78 days from transplant.
Does Long Keeper need staking?
Long Keeper is an indeterminate plant that keeps growing and setting fruit until frost; it needs a stake, cage, or trellis for the whole season. Expect a plant of 5–8 ft (150–240 cm).
Can Long Keeper be grown in a container?
Long Keeper is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.
Is Long Keeper resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Long Keeper.
See also
Other slicer varieties people put next to this one.
Grows like this one
Indeterminate, mid-late, full sun. Same support, same calendar.
