"Burpee Exclusive. Lightning in a tomato! A startlingly new look for fresh salads and electrifying in the garden. A vast improvement on 'Red Zebra,' an heirloom from which it is derived, 'Red Lightning' loads up with brilliant red 2 1/2-3"" fruits that are consistently covered with ""hand painted"" yellow stripes. The flavor is irresistible- sweet, tangy and with a rich aroma. Vigorous plants grow 5' tall, producing tomatoes continuously until fall. Indeterminate. 82 days Sorry, plants CANNOT be sent to AK, AZ, CA, HI, or NV. Plants ship in spring at proper planting time. ( click here for shipping schedule ) "
Average Customer Rating:
2.3 out of 5
7 of 22 (32%) customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
2
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
I grew these last year !,
May 30, 2008 Submitted bycookinfool from Ct. by the Shore
"I am always searching for different tomatoes....and these RED LIGHTning were as different as ever. They ARE extremely colorful in the garden---and are cuase for much excitment and conversation because of the unusual markings on them.... But as is found sometimes--the yield was weak...and though the taste of them was not bad by any means---they just weren't the great juicy tomato-ey taste that I am ALWAYS looking for in my eating tomato ! They were however the talk of the town. If you have the space to grow different varietys--I highly suggest you try this one--you will love to watch it and the grand coloring of the fruit !!...but if you are looking for a real juicy fab tomato for your burgers and BLT's---this is just not the one !"
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Large Garden
Gardening skill:
Moderately skilled
State of residence:
CT
Gardening experience:
10+ years
Review 2 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
1
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
RED LIGHTNING TOMATO,
May 30, 2008 Submitted byDBW49
"The plants I received were very small and poorly packed for shiping and had been dumped out of their plastic pots and damaged. only one of the three plants survived to get planted. so far it has not begun to grow at all. I am VERY disapointed and will not order any more tomato plants from Burpee."
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Review 3 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
1
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Top 10 Contributor
Worst tomato in garden,
January 27, 2008 Submitted byTomatoBug from Mount Upton, NY
"I was very excited to try Red Lightening. I was very disappointed. I didn't get one decent tomato out of all the plants. The skins were very thick, and the taste was not one that I would recommend. They blighted very early too."
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Type of gardening:
Large Garden
Gardening skill:
Very skilled
State of residence:
NY
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
Review 4 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
1
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Not worth the time and effort,
November 23, 2007 Submitted bynjgardener from Southern NJ
"Couldn't wait to try growing red lightening this past summer but it certainly won't be in my garden next summer. Purchased both plants and seeds. Tomatoes were small, tough-skinned and heavily seeded. Shelf life was also very short compared to other varieties. They were a complete disappointment."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Type of gardening:
Small Garden
Gardening skill:
Moderately skilled
State of residence:
NJ
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
Review 5 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
1
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Top 500 Contributor
amazing,
August 25, 2007 Submitted bygerry
"It's amazing. This tomato must have been bred with the idea of replicating the taste of a store bought tomato. It tastes mushy and flat. It also has a skin so tough you can drop it when picking and not worry about it breaking. It's a really cool looking tomato, and my plants are now about 11 feet tall. I still have two months of growing season with a guarantee of many more fruits. But the only reason I don't pull these out of the ground is I want to see how tall I can get the plants to grow."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Review 6 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
5
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Top 250 Contributor
Red Lightning Very Productive,
July 28, 2007 Submitted byYonatan
"We got lots of very neat looking tomatoes. We have had a very rainy season which may have resulted in a few of the early tomatoes splitting. But lately the crop has been excellent. They seem to be very low in acid."
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Review 7 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
4
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Not bad,
May 19, 2007 Submitted byZman from Kendall, NY
"I started the seeds indoors, and I must not have hardened them good enough because all the plants died. We also had a cold wet spring too so that didn't help. Anyways I waited till june and just put some seeds dirctly into the soil, and they took off great. The plants were very hardy and just kept producing. I had so many tomatoes that we couldn't eat them all. Excelent color, and decent flavor, though I'm not a tomato connoisseur. I did enjoy them, even just cut up with a pinch of salt and pepper. The plants were very hardy though, even through wind storms that bent and blew the cages over. The plants just kept going and going."
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Small Garden
Gardening skill:
Moderately skilled
State of residence:
NY
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
1-5 years
Reviewer Images (click to see full-size image)
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Review 8 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
1
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
wasted space in the garden,
April 16, 2007 Submitted bylacey12 from delaware
Plant performance:
2
out of 5
Taste:
1
out of 5
Yield:
2
out of 5
"I purchsed these seeds last year. Burpees did a wonderful job of marketing this tomato. The stripes won me over even tho I read that this salad tomato did not mature until the main season tomatoes.
Large plant with moderate yeild. Tomatoes were very poor quality...tough skin and lacking in flavor!! The worst tomato for flavor i have ever grown.
Grew extra plants and gave them to garden friends. They were not happy either."
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Type of gardening:
Large Garden
Gardening skill:
Very skilled
State of residence:
DE
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
Review 9 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
4
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
different tastes.,
March 18, 2007 Submitted bybeast from Pocatello
Plant performance:
4
out of 5
Taste:
5
out of 5
Yield:
2
out of 5
"I have picked up a pack of these seeds in a local store for about $1.20. was very dissapointed with the price i paid because when i opend the pack there was only 8 seeds! however, when i planted them every single seed grew into massive pants. took care of them and they tasted great (i dont really like tomatos but these ones are awesome). Also, there was very few yeilds and was probably due to lack of fertalizer on my part. bottom line is every one has their own tastes and i would recomend these to anyone looking for a unique taste."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Small Garden
Gardening skill:
Moderately skilled
State of residence:
ID
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
0-1 years
Reviewer Images (click to see full-size image)
(Click anywhere inside this popup to close it)
immature tomato
Review 10 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
3
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Really the most beautiful tomatoes...,
March 9, 2007 Submitted bybecwith from Central Maine
Plant performance:
5
out of 5
Taste:
2
out of 5
Yield:
4
out of 5
"I ordered these tomatoes last spring as plants. They were in spectacular condition and went right into the garden with no special treatment. I live in zone 4 and didn't know what to expect from the plants. The plants grew so large and heavy that they fell over towards the end of the season. The tomatoes came on schedule in profusion and were in very good condition, but the flavor was flat and uninspiring. I ended up using them to make ketchup along with what was left of my other varieties. Great for visual effect but I won't be using these this year."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Type of gardening:
Small Garden
Gardening skill:
Beginner
State of residence:
ME
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
1-5 years
Review 11 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
4
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Cute Tasty Little Tomato,
January 9, 2007 Submitted byPapaShrek
Plant performance:
3
out of 5
Taste:
5
out of 5
Yield:
2
out of 5
"We planted these in our garden last year. The compact fruits were beautiful and quite tasty. Our kids (even the one that hates tomatoes) loved them. The only negative was the plants were not big producers. However they did produce perfect fruits into the fall when our Big Boys and Lemon Girls were insect bitten and yucky.
Will buy again!"
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Review 12 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
3
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Top 250 Contributor
Pretty is as pretty does...,
December 29, 2006 Submitted by1mrsva
Plant performance:
3
out of 5
Taste:
2
out of 5
Yield:
3
out of 5
"A most beautiful tomato, but I was disappointed in both the size and the flavor. The plants bore fruit all season and looked fantastic in salads. They were very firm, with little liquid, so did well for sandwiches too; just lacked in taste."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Review 13 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
1
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Top 250 Contributor
Red Lightning - Short Circuit,
November 12, 2006 Submitted bysconticut from Fairhaven. MA
Plant performance:
2
out of 5
Taste:
1
out of 5
Yield:
3
out of 5
"OK! Your cover picture sold me. The seeds grew robustly under the lights. They transplanted well into our cool New England May soil. Then they grew indifferently, were tiny and tasteless and sufferred from early blight and other various tomato sufferings. Just about the worst tomato I have grown in over fifty years of gardening. They do have pretty stripes. This old fool has learned not to purchase the item appearing on your catalog cover."
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Type of gardening:
Small Garden
Gardening skill:
Very skilled
State of residence:
MA
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
Review 14 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
5
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Vigorous producer,
October 18, 2006 Submitted bytimbergal from Ramah, New Mexico, mountains pine 7250 ft.
Plant performance:
5
out of 5
Taste:
4
out of 5
Yield:
5
out of 5
"Tried these by germinating myself and planting before our last frost days. Seedlings were hardy. We're at 7250 ft. elevation, last frost is May 28 to June 4. Rough climate. Wind, 90 degrees daytime, 55 at night... This tomato grew and produced beautiful striped fruits before other 6 varieties. Had them trellised on 4' high cattle panel fencing with twine slings. Unique, almost neon green striping, just loved it! Taste is tart but my farmer's market customers loved them. Wish they were bigger, but their hardiness and vigor makes up for size. Great tomato for market - doesn't squash. Takes to pruning well, and kept ripening after 4 days of heavy frost in September. I'll hoard this seed if it ever goes out of production!"
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Large Garden
Gardening skill:
Moderately skilled
State of residence:
NM
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
Review 15 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
1
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Pretty package, terrible tomato!,
August 26, 2006 Submitted bysoutherngarden from Hiram, GA
Plant performance:
2
out of 5
Taste:
1
out of 5
Yield:
3
out of 5
"After seeing this tomato displayed so prominantly on the catalog, and reading it's description, I had to give it a try. Boy am I sorry.
The plants arrived dry and sickly, but after being planted seemed to bounce back well. Yield was decent, and the tomatoes are pretty (despite many having spots and cracks). The taste is okay, but the skin is extremely tough and thick, the actual flesh is minimal, with most of the body being made of huge gel-like seed packets. Would not recommend or grow again!"
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Type of gardening:
Small Garden
Gardening skill:
Moderately skilled
State of residence:
GA
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
5-10 years
Review 16 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
2
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Top 250 Contributor
red lightning tomatoes,
August 12, 2006 Submitted byduckey45 from Dallas, GA
Plant performance:
3
out of 5
Taste:
3
out of 5
Yield:
3
out of 5
"The tomatoes tasted ok. But most of them were rotten on the bottom and most of them were the size of a small cherry tomato. I may have had a few that were 2" around. The skin was very tough and hard to chew."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Type of gardening:
Small Garden
Gardening skill:
Moderately skilled
State of residence:
GA
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
Review 17 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
3
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Beautiful Yield, Dying Leaves,
August 10, 2006 Submitted byAlexanderB from Washington, DC
Plant performance:
2
out of 5
Taste:
4
out of 5
Yield:
4
out of 5
"Plants arrived is poor shape, but were nursed back to health.
The yield has been quite good, but the plant itself is in poor shape. I am ashamed to have people look at it. The leaves are all dry and yellowing, but the plants keep producing. The tomatoes are very small, but the colouring is execeptional pretty."
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: Yes
Type of gardening:
Containers
Gardening skill:
Very skilled
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
Review 18 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
2
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Top 250 Contributor
Falls short of expectation,
August 6, 2006 Submitted byKarin from Southwest Missouri
Plant performance:
3
out of 5
Taste:
3
out of 5
Yield:
2
out of 5
"Plants were received in fine condition and they grew well. I chose the single-leader method of pinching and support, which may have limited the yield.
Taste was average at best. The flesh was mealy and the skins were tough, really tough. Each tomato's skin exhibited many spots -- not insect damage, just specks and spots. None of my other types of tomatoes did this.
I won't plant this one again."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Type of gardening:
Small Garden
Gardening skill:
Moderately skilled
State of residence:
MO
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
Review 19 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
2
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Top 250 Contributor
August 2, 2006 Submitted byNancy from Northern Indiana
Plant performance:
1
out of 5
Taste:
2
out of 5
Yield:
2
out of 5
"I was quite disappointed in this tomato. The plant performed very poorly--scrawny & stalky--compared to the other tomatoes in my garden. It was the only one of my 15 tomato plants to get blossom end rot--figure that one out! The flavor on the tomatoes I have gotten was just ordinary, nothing special."
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Type of gardening:
Large Garden
Gardening skill:
Very skilled
State of residence:
IN
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
10+ years
Review 20 for Tomato Red Lightning Hybrid - Packet (30 seeds)
1
out of 5
(Overall Rating)
Top 500 Contributor
Mealy Tomato,
August 2, 2006 Submitted byTemoraFarm from Newtown, PA
Plant performance:
5
out of 5
Taste:
1
out of 5
Yield:
4
out of 5
"This plant produces many beautiful looking tomatoes; however, the texture is as mealy as a store bought tomato from Florida in the middle of the winter. Additionally the taste is not outstanding either. A big disappointment. I recommend the Sweet Tangerine Hybrid, which is consistently excellent year after year."
Reviewer Information
Would recommend: No
Type of gardening:
Large Garden
Gardening skill:
Moderately skilled
State of residence:
PA
Types of plants:
Vegetables
Gardening experience:
5-10 years
