Sam Hiebert Mennonite (Solanum lycopersicum) – My uncle Sam Hiebert grew big, pink beefsteak fruit in his Kelowna, BC gardens. The seeds, he said, came from his brother Andy of Altona, Manitoba. In 2005, I saved the seeds from a few choice tomatoes and lined them out. WOW! They were magnificent in size and flavour. We have continued to grow these seeds on our seed farm in Nova Scotia and find this tomato to be an early maturing and heavier yielding variety than the notorious Brandywine. Sam Hiebert’s beefsteak tomato is as firm a beefsteak tomato you will find, much like his handshake was. A remarkably sweet Mennonite heirloom, proven over many generations and three Canadian provinces.
Indeterminate growth.
80 days to maturity.
25 seeds per packet.
Planting Instructions: Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost. Sow seeds ¼ inch deep in warm soil. Transplant seedlings into 1‑inch cells or 3–4 inch pots at the 1–2 leaf stage. Harden off plants for 4–5 days once the risk of frost has passed. Transplant outdoors when day and night temperatures consistently stay above 10 °C. Provide support such as cages or stakes to keep plants tidy and accessible at harvest.
