Burpee’s Early Pick VF Hybrid Tomato

Burpee’s ‘Early Pick VF’ Hybrid Tomato – Seedling

• Botanical name: Solanum lycopersicum
• Tomato type: Early-season slicing tomato
• Hybrid type: F1 hybrid
• Growth habit: Indeterminate
• Approximate height: Up to 150 cm or more with support
• Approximate spread: Up to 120 cm if not trained
• Fruit color: Bright, rich red
• Fruit shape: Uniform, round slicing tomato
• Average fruit weight: Approximately 170 g
• Texture: Firm, solid and meaty
• Flavor: Rich, balanced tomato flavor
• Days to maturity: Approximately 62 days after transplanting
• Disease resistance: Verticillium and Fusarium wilts
• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Fertile, organically enriched and well-draining
• Ideal soil pH: 5.8–6.8
• Plant spacing: 60–75 cm
• Container size: At least 30–40 liters for one plant
• Support: Cage, stake or trellis required
• Best planting season in Kuwait: October to February
• Uses: Fresh slicing, salads, sandwiches, burgers and everyday cooking
• Burpee’s ‘Early Pick VF’ Hybrid is an early-producing, indeterminate slicing tomato developed to combine quick maturity with reliable yields. The vigorous plants begin producing approximately 62 days after transplanting and continue flowering and setting fruit while growing conditions remain favourable.
• The uniform, bright-red tomatoes average approximately 170 g and offer firm, solid flesh with a rich, balanced flavour. Their convenient medium size makes them ideal for slicing, salads, sandwiches and general kitchen use.
• Compared with giant beefsteak varieties, ‘Early Pick VF’ produces smaller fruit but matures considerably earlier. This is a practical advantage in Kuwait, where tomatoes need to establish and produce before late-spring temperatures interfere with pollination and fruit quality.
• Burpee officially lists the variety as an indeterminate F1 hybrid producing 6 oz slicing tomatoes in approximately 62 days.

Disease Resistance

• The letters VF indicate resistance to:
• V: Verticillium wilt
  F: Fusarium wilt
• Resistance reduces the likelihood or severity of these specific diseases but does not provide complete immunity. The VF designation does not indicate resistance to root-knot nematodes, Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus, leaf miners, whiteflies or other common tomato problems.

Growing in Kuwait

• Transplant outdoors from October through February. For the longest harvesting period, plant between October and December so the plants can establish and produce before intense spring heat begins.
• Choose a location receiving at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight. Provide a strong cage, stake or trellis immediately after transplanting because this is an indeterminate variety that continues growing and producing new fruit clusters.
• Plant seedlings slightly deeper than their nursery level, covering part of the lower stem while keeping the leaves above the soil. Space plants approximately 60–75 cm apart to maintain good airflow.
• Maintain consistent soil moisture during flowering and fruit development. Avoid alternating between very dry soil and heavy watering, as this can contribute to cracking and blossom-end rot. Mulching around the plant helps reduce moisture fluctuations.
• Use a balanced vegetable fertilizer during establishment. Once flowering begins, reduce excessive nitrogen and provide adequate potassium to support fruit development. Too much nitrogen produces large, leafy plants with fewer tomatoes.
  Tomato pollen becomes less viable during excessive heat. Fruit set may decline when daytime temperatures remain above approximately 32–35°C or nights remain persistently warm. Although ‘Early Pick’ matures quickly, it is not specifically classified as a heat-setting variety.