A tomato vine that keeps blooming and setting fruit while the yard bakes is a rare sight, and it is the reason Solar Fire exists. University of Florida researchers developed this heat-tolerant tomato for hot, humid summers, and it suits gardeners whose tomatoes usually stall once the weather turns warm.
What Is the Solar Fire Tomato?
Solar Fire is a red, glossy slicing tomato bred by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Its fruit is medium to large, just above 6 ounces, which is unusual because most tomatoes that set fruit in high heat bear small ones.
The fruit is firm, and each vine carries a lot of it, so yields are good. It is at its best eaten fresh in salads or sandwiches rather than cooked or canned.
For disease, it resists races 1, 2 and 3 of Fusarium wilt, Verticillium wilt race 1 and gray leafspot. Check the plant tag for growth habit and mature plant size.
From the almanac
Tomatoes in your state
The dates on this page depend on where you live. Your state's page carries its frost dates, its USDA zones and the year laid out month by month.
Northeast
Southeast
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Midwest
Southwest
West
Pacific Northwest
Canada
Where Does Solar Fire Grow Best?
Solar Fire was released to extend tomato production through the hot and humid summers of Florida. That tells you the climate it was built for: long, warm seasons where ordinary large-fruited tomatoes drop their blossoms once the heat settles in.
Growers there have said that planting tomatoes from July through August used to be pretty much out of luck. A variety that sets fruit in warm weather changes that, and it can also go in earlier in the fall growing season than other varieties.
Gardeners in other hot, humid regions, such as the Gulf Coast, face the same fruit-set problem and may find it useful. Solar Fire also appears among the heat-set tomatoes recommended by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, alongside Bella Rosa, Florida 91, Phoenix, Redline and Sun Leaper. For local planting months, check your state page.
How to Grow Solar Fire Through the Season
Starting Seeds
Start seeds indoors before the plants go outside. In warm climates, seedlings are often timed for a fall crop instead, since this variety can go in earlier in fall than most.
Planting Out
Transplant once the soil has warmed, because cold soil stalls any tomato. In the hot South, the fall planting window is where Solar Fire stands apart, as the vines can go in while the weather is still warm and still set fruit.
Staking and Support
A vine that carries a lot of fruit needs support, and a stake or cage keeps the heavy fruit off damp ground. In humid weather, open growth also lets leaves dry faster after rain.
Harvest
Pick when the fruit is fully red and glossy. The flesh is firm, so it holds up well after picking. Eat it fresh, in salads or sandwiches, where it does best.
Solar Fire Problems: Diseases and Weak Points
Solar Fire carries built-in protection against several wilts and a leaf disease, which matters in warm, humid gardens where those problems thrive. Its main strength is fruit set in heat.
Its resistance is not complete, though. Fruit soft rot can still show up after harvest on damp fruit, so keep picked tomatoes dry.
| Issue | How Solar Fire handles it |
|---|---|
| Fusarium wilt | Resistant to races 1, 2 and 3 |
| Verticillium wilt | Resistant to race 1 |
| Gray leafspot | Resistant |
| Fruit soft rot | Moderate resistance |
| Hot-weather fruit set | Sets fruit at warm temperatures |
Solar Fire is resistant to Verticillium wilt race 1. Fruit soft rot is a bacterial problem on damp tomatoes after picking, so dry fruit stores better.
Is Solar Fire Right for Your Garden?
Solar Fire suits gardeners in hot, humid climates who want a slicing tomato that keeps setting fruit through summer. It is less suited to anyone planning sauce or canning batches, since the fruit is best fresh.
- Gardeners in warm regions will find a tomato that sets fruit at warm temperatures, so plan around the fall planting window.
- Cooks who want salad and sandwich slices will like the firm, glossy fruit of about 6 ounces.
- For the planting months that fit your climate, open your state page before ordering seed.
Common Questions
Is Solar Fire a Heat-Tolerant Tomato?
Yes. It was developed to set fruit at warm temperatures, which most large-fruited tomatoes cannot do.
Can You Use Solar Fire Tomatoes for Canning?
Fresh eating suits it better. It is best in salads or sandwiches rather than cooked or canned.
Which Diseases Does Solar Fire Resist?
It resists Fusarium wilt races 1, 2 and 3, Verticillium wilt race 1 and gray leafspot. It has moderate resistance to fruit soft rot.