- Open-pollinated
- Beefsteak
- 85 days to maturity (from transplant)
- Indeterminate
- Bicolor
Old German
Open-pollinated beefsteak from USA. Bicolor beefsteak heirloom, large red-and-yellow fruit. Ready in about 85 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 9, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Beefsteak 10–16 oz (280–450 g) · Flattened globe
- Leaf type
- Regular leaf
- Days to harvest
- 85 days from transplant · Mid-late
- 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
- Difficulty
- Easy-moderate (estimated) 2/5
- Skin
-
- Bicolor
- Interior
- Not recorded
Plant size and habit
Tall · Indeterminate
5–8 ft (150–240 cm) · Regular leaf
Old German 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 beefsteak heirloom, large red-and-yellow fruit.”
Growing calendar
85 days from transplant Mid-late
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 (estimated) weeks before your last frost date. Look up your last frost date by ZIP code →
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Fresh & salads
- Slicing
Origin
A bicolor beefsteak heirloom with large red-and-yellow marbled fruit, from the German-American heirloom tradition.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyAll photos
Questions
How do you grow a Old German plant?
A Old German plant grows 5–8 ft (150–240 cm) tall. Space plants 24 in (60 cm) apart in rows 39 in (100 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 6–10 days (estimated). It needs full sun.
How long does Old German take to mature?
Old German is ready in about 85 days from transplant.
Does Old German need staking?
Old German 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 Old German be grown in a container?
Old German is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.
Is Old German resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Old German.
