The Celebrity tomato is an official All America Selections (AAS) award-winning variety. Its disease resistance far exceeds most hybrids, setting the benchmark for commercial tomato cultivars.
The plant adapts easily and demands very little care. Those traits let it flourish under diverse conditions, earning praise from seasoned growers and novices alike.
Colen Wyatt, working with Seminis Vegetable Seeds, developed the Celebrity. He ranks among the most accomplished plant breeders of the 20th century.
Wyatt also released the Husky Gold and Big Beef tomatoes, both AAS winners in their own right.
Celebrity bushes typically stand 3 to 4 feet tall, yet some specimens exceed 10 feet given rich soil and warm weather. The variety flourishes across USDA zones 3 through 9.
Plants yield clusters of medium-large fruit renowned for their balanced, sweet-tart flavor. They serve brilliantly in sandwiches, salads and any tomato-based sauce.
In this article, we will explore Celebrity tomatoes in detail and offer practical tips for growing them at home.
| Light | Full Sun |
| Fruit Size | 7 to 10 ounces |
| Maturity Time | 60 to 72 days |
| Plant Spacing | 2 to 3 feet apart |
| Plant Size | 3 to 4 feet tall |
| Plant Type | (Semi) Determinate |
| Disease Resistance | Fusarium Wilt, Verticillium Wilt, Tobacco Mosaic, Root Nematodes |
Are Celebrity Tomatoes Determinate or Indeterminate?
There is still no clear consensus among experts on whether the Celebrity tomato falls into the determinate or indeterminate category.Most guides and growers label it as a determinate variety, yet it also displays traits usually found in indeterminate types.
This ambiguity has led many seed vendors to refer to it as semi-determinate, suggesting that the plant shows both bush and vine growth habits.For instance, a Celebrity plant will normally reach a compact height, much like a classic bush tomato. At the same time, it can keep setting fruit right up to the first hard frost, a behavior more typical of trailing varieties.
In addition to its mixed habit, Celebrity tomatoes mature unusually quickly, often producing ripe fruit in as little as 60 days with ideal care.
Growing Conditions for Celebrity Tomatoes
Fans of the Celebrity tomato swear by how well this cultivar stands up to dry weather. Even in that stress, the fruits rarely crack, in part because they develop without a shoulder. Still, gardeners who aim for peak harvests must provide a few key comforts. Here they are.
Soil: Celebrity tomatoes thrive in loose, nutrient-rich earth that lets roots wander freely. Turn the ground to at least eight inches so roots can spread without obstruction.
Loamy soil with a pH near 6.2 to 6.8 works best. Unsure of your numbers? A simple home kit or local extension test will clear the guesswork.
When you plant outdoors, spread two to four inches of mulch around each stem. It cuts weeds, slows pests, and keeps water where roots can reach it.
Also fold in fertilizer, compost, or well-rotted matter as blooms form and again at early fall.
Temperature: Tomatoes cringe at cold, and late-spring or early-fall frost can wipe out a crop. If your season is short, that danger rises and you will lose precious days of growth.
When the mercury sinks under 55℉, tomato set drops sharply, and at 32℉ or below the plants may perish.
Extreme cold also turns fruit watery and bland; for this reason avoid keeping home-grown tomatoes in the fridge. If frost threatens, throw over cloches or lightweight row covers to shield each plant from icy air.
Water: Celebrity tomatoes crave steady moisture during fruiting, so never let the soil stay dry too long. Erratic watering often brings blossom end rot, one of the most common problems for home growers.
Yet do not drown the roots, because standing water also spells rot and can kill a plant.The simplest test is to dig a finger into the ground: if the top three inches feel dry, it is time to water.
Irrigate early in the morning and target the soil, not the leaves, so moisture soaks in fast and fungi have less chance to spread.
Fertilizer: Before you tuck Celebrity tomato seeds into the garden, fold a generous handful of well-rotted compost into the top few inches of soil. The aged material lightens the ground, improves drainage and offers a slow supply of gentle nutrients.
While you are kneading in compost, stir in a handful of balanced, slow-release fertilizer too. Celebrity varieties are eager feeders, so they appreciate extra food early to support big, even harvests.
Just be sure you do not pile on more than the package recommends. Fertilizers high in nitrogen, for instance, boost leafy growth but can keep fruit on the vine.
Starting Celebrity Tomatoes From Seed
If you plan to raise plants from seed, sow them six to eight weeks before the final frost date. That head start lets seedlings leafy up and settle into warm ground just after frost.
For the smoothest results, use a seed-starting kit filled with fresh, fine, sterile mix.Plant each seed about a quarter-inch deep, mist the surface so it stays damp and keep the tray near 75℉. Most seeds peek through in seven to fourteen days.
Once green shoots appear, move them into bright light for at least fourteen hours a day. Remember, tomatoes are true sun lovers.A south-facing window that captures midday rays, or a pair of small grow lights, will work well.
If you choose to use extra light, install fluorescent grow tubes and hang them 3 to 4 inches above the seedlings for 16 hours each day.
Incandescent bulbs are not worth the bother here because they get too hot and can scorch tender leaves. Raise the fixtures slowly as the plants stretch, and remember to switch them off for 8 hours every night. Darkness is as vital as light for steady growth.
About 3 to 4 weeks in, give the seedlings half-strength liquid fertilizer at each watering. When you start in small cells, you will soon need to up-pot them into 3- or 4-inch containers. These larger pots let roots spread before the plants leave for the garden.
Move them once they sport at least three true leaves.
Hardening Celebrity Tomato Seedlings
Before you set seedlings in the garden, you must harden them off, slowly acclimating them to wind, sun, and cooler nights. Place them for a week in a sheltered spot outdoors, extending exposure by an hour each day.
Choose a planting spot shielded from cold winds and harsh afternoon sun. If night temperatures dip near freezing, bring the trays indoors until dawn.
This gradual exposure strengthens cell walls and cuts the odds of shock or sunburn after planting.
Planting Celebrity Tomatoes in the Garden
Move seedlings outside only after lows remain above 55℉ for three consecutive nights.
Follow these simple steps when transplanting your seedlings into the garden:
- Loosen soil to 8 inches, then rake it level to remove stones and clumps.
- Dig holes wide enough to cradle each root ball without crowding.
- Gently tease the roots apart, taking care not to tear them.
- Space plants 24 to 36 inches within a row, leaving 3 to 4 feet between rows.
- Backfill the holes, lightly packing soil around the stem to form a shallow basin.
- Water until the basin fills, settling the soil and driving out air pockets.
Notes: To keep your patch disease-free, do not plant any of the following crops in the same spot you used last year:
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Eggplants
- Peppers
When you set your new seedlings, bury the stem up to the first set of leaves. The deeper you go, the more roots will sprout, giving you sturdier, healthier plants.
Also install stakes or cages before you put the seedlings in the ground. Tomato roots are fragile and can be damaged if you add supports later.
Stakes – Drive them into the soil first, then plant the seedling about six inches away.
Wire Tomato Cages – Slide a cage around each plant and gently train the vines to stay inside; pruning is usually not needed.
Growing Celebrity Tomatoes in Containers
Celebrity tomatoes are an excellent choice for a container garden. When growing them in pots, pick a vessel that offers reliable drainage. They thrive in ceramic, clay, wood, or plastic so long as holes at the bottom allow excess water to escape.
To grow tomatoes in containers:
- Fill a 5-to-10-gallon planter with quality potting mix, then carve out a hole wide enough for the roots.
- Position a tomato cage or sturdy stake just inside the outer rim of the pot; this frame steadies the plants as they reach for the light.
- Gently pry each seedling from its plug or cell, loosen the roots, and tap off surplus media; handle the tender roots with care so they remain whole.
- Lower the seedling into the fresh mix and mound soil around the roots until they are snug, then press the surface lightly to remove air pockets.
- Scatter a handful of slow-release, balanced fertilizer over the surface, water well, then feel the drain holes to confirm the soil has soaked, not drowned.
- Move the container into a spot that receives at least six hours of unbroken sunlight; the heat and light drive fruit set and ward off disease.
- Water the pot twice a week at soil level, letting the surface dry between drinks; adjust frequency according to temperature, wind, or rainfall.
How to Care for Celebrity Tomatoes
Celebrity tomatoes require little upkeep; still, even easy plants benefit from regular, brief checks.
Above all, sturdy support keeps the stems upright, so insert a wooden stake, a mesh cage, or a lightweight A-frame trellis as soon as you plant.
Additionally, here are the recommended practices to ensure a massive yield:
- Weed your plot on a regular schedule, particularly during the peak growing season. Unchecked weeds rob your plants of space, water, and nutrients. Weeding can be done by light tilling or by applying a thick layer of mulch.
- Fresh mulch not only locks in moisture, it also cuts weed growth. Because tomato roots are fragile, tilling can easily harm them. A solid mulch blanket therefore offers far safer, long-lasting weed control.
- Celebrity tomatoes generally need one to two inches of rain each week when the fruit is forming. A rain gauge lets you check that amount at a glance. In persistently dry regions, set up a drip system that delivers water directly to the root zone. If you must overhead-water, do it in early morning so foliage dries before evening. That simple timing reduces the chance of diseases such as verticillium wilt.
- If you are using cages, pruning is almost optional. With stakes, allow just one or two main stems to develop and snip off the extra suckers. Tie the selected stems to the stakes but leave enough slack so they can grow naturally.
Should I Prune Celebrity Tomatoes?
Celebrity tomatoes are resilient and grow well even without pruning, so trimming is not mandatory. Whether you tidy up suckers and side shoots mainly depends on how you support the plants.
If you stake them, many gardeners choose to pinch off the small side shoots. That clear space brings larger fruit faster, yet the total yield often drops because fewer flowers remain.
With a cage, the upper shoots are usually left in place, but those that reach six to eight inches can safely be snipped for better light and airflow.
It is also wise to remove the lowest six to ten inches of foliage. That simple step lets air circulate around the stem and curbs early blight.
Tackle both jobs when the plants are about knee-high, and do so in the morning when the leaves are still full of water.
Note: Remove suckers and bottom growth while they are still small. If you wait until they are too big, you risk stripping the outer tissue from the main stem. Open wounds on your vines can increase the likelihood of fungus and pest infections.
Remove any plants with distorted leaves or mosaic patterns; they may carry Tobacco Mosaic Virus, and the infection could spread.
When to Harvest Celebrity Tomatoes
About 60 to 65 days after planting, the first fruit should appear on your Celebrity tomato plants. By roughly day 70, the tomatoes will be fully colored and weigh around 8 ounces.
Pick fully red fruit every few days to keep the vines from being overloaded. Removing mature tomatoes promptly also prompts the plant to set new fruit faster.
Harvest by snapping the stem at the joint or trimming it with sharp shears or a clean knife. Before the first fall frost, gather any nearly ripe tomatoes and finish ripening them indoors in a paper bag or on a sheet of newspaper at room temperature.
Store sound, unbruised tomatoes between 50 and 60F, making sure they do not touch one another. Do not place them in a standard refrigerator.
How to Prepare Celebrity Tomatoes
Celebrity tomatoes are sweet, juicy, and versatile. They shine raw in salsas, salads, and sandwiches. They also perform well in cooked dishes, from sauce and ketchup to curries, casseroles, and chutneys.
Celebrity Tomato Pests and Common Diseases
When seasons are rotated, Celebrity plants usually escape major pests and diseases-unless overwatering or other environmental stressors are present.
The variety was bred for disease resistance, a quality that endears it to many home gardeners.
For localized advice, consult your Cooperative Extension Service to check which pests and diseases affect your area. Their guidance helps you choose the right cultivar and protect your harvest.
Here are common disease resistance codes to look out for when selecting your seeds:
- A Alternaria
- EB Early Blight
- F Fusarium Wilt
- FF Fusarium Wilt, Race 1 and 2
- FFF Fusarium Wilt, Race 1, 2, and 3
- N Nematodes
- St Stemphylium (Gray Leaf Spot)
- T Tobacco Mosaic Virus
- TSWV Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
- V Verticillium Wilt
Even with those resistances, pests can still trash a good tomato crop. Celebrities, in particular, tend to attract these insects:
Aphids: The two main species of aphids that attack tomato plants:
- The green peach aphid
- The potato aphid
A handful wont hurt much, but curling leaves and tight clusters mean action is overdue. Blast the colony off with a strong water jet.
Cutworms: These green or brown caterpillars cut seedlings right at the soil line.Control them by weeding two weeks ahead of planting. Cardboard collars or toothpicks stuck into the soil beside the stem work as simple barriers.
Hornworms: Hornworms are plump, green caterpillars easily recognized by the spike that juts from their rear end. In a matter of days, they can chew through leaves, stems, and even immature fruit, leaving plants ragged.
You can keep them in check by searching for and removing the worms by hand. Another strategy is to attract their natural enemies-lacewing larvae, tiny braconid wasps, and hungry ladybugs that will patrol the garden for you.
For home gardeners seeking reliable results, Celebrity tomatoes remain a top pick.Whether you are a seasoned grower or trying your first pot, this variety proves forgiving and straightforward to care for.