Growing Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirloom Tomatoes have flavors, colors and textures that are quite different than regular store bought tomatoes. These are the varieties that our grandparents and great grandparents grew many years ago that are full of anti-oxidants, vitamins and cancer preventing agents. The colors normally determine the amount of acidity, darker colors are more acidic and lighter colors are less acidic. The more red a tomato has, generally follows with the amount of sweetness and green in a tomato, determines tartness. Yellow and orange varieties usually have a milder and sweeter flavor while purple and black varieties have a bold, rich, acidic flavor. Growing several of the different tomatoes available is a good way to find new favorites for your garden.

One of our favorites is Cherokee Purple, a dark acidic full flavored fruit that just makes your mouth feel good. Rose de Berne which has a luscious sweet flavor and a texture that is fantastic just melts in your mouth. From Green Zebra which is tangy and sweet to Kellogg's Breakfast that has a smooth texture and a flavor that makes you think you are eating a melon, these tomatoes are exciting and make gardening fun!

A few new varieties this year are:

Grandfather Ashlock - gorgeous texture and incomparable sweetness this tomato is huge and rosy red. Really tastes like a tomato and looks great on a plate! Or try some striped varieties such as Black Zebra or Pineapple.

Italian Sweet Beefsteak - is an exceptionally sweet tomato that grows huge and makes a fantastic tomato sandwich. Good consistent texture allows you to slice all the way across and have no hard core. Try our other sweet pinks such as Arkansas Traveler, Brandywine, German Giant, and Rose de Berne
Carbon - a new purple tomato this season is full acid flavor with a meaty texture and full-on sweetness. We chose it for pasta so we could throw it in some Penne with some garlic, onions, sweet peppers and Italian sausage. Try some of our other fantastic purples such as Black Krim, Black Brandywine and Black Cherry.

Sweet Million and Sweet Baby Girl - are both cherry tomatoes but each has a different quality that makes it special. Sweet Million is prolific as well as sweet. Expect this plant to get large, as much as 8 feet tall and you will not be able to eat all the fruit it produces. Sweet Baby Girl is a tamer and smaller plant and can be easily grown in a container for a tasty snack on your patio all season long. Other cherry types are Sun Gold, very sweet, Yellow Pear (small shaped like tiny light bulbs), and Grapes in Yellow or Red!

A note about growing heirlooms:

Heirlooms can also be unpredictable from year to year. We list the expected number of days to ripening but this can vary greatly depending upon your weather and growing conditions. Keep in mind that heirlooms can sometimes produce less fruit than the hybrids that you may be used to, so plant extra and plant several varieties so you have a continuous harvest throughout the season.

A variety that produces well one year in a garden may not be as happy the next year and can produce much less fruit. For more consistent results, grow some hybrid varieties as well as heirlooms.

Mulching is extremely important to keep moisture conditions the same from year to year and to prevent diseases. Don't try to grow the heirlooms without this protection. Planting your tomato plants deeply will give them a head start on growing a strong root system. Bury them in the ground two thirds of the way down or to where the stem begins to thin out. They will send out roots from the stem and begin their top growth more quickly as well as anchor them in to the soil. More roots mean they can feed themselves faster.

Staking and supporting tomatoes can be tricky with heirlooms that grow well over 6 feet tall. Customers have reported needing a ladder to reach the top of their tomato plants. Make sure to use good strong stakes or trellises that can hold lots of weight. Most commercial cages are much too small for tomatoes although they work fine for peppers and eggplant. We recommend making your own out of sturdy wire fencing and anchoring the cages to the ground to prevent them blowing over in the wind or try our new tomato cage supports that anchor to a stake.

Always water deeply and slowly getting water down where the roots of the plant are is very important and keeping the leaves dry will help prevent diseases. Plants naturally droop a little bit in very hot weather so don't water them unless the soil seems dry. Soaker hoses send a slow trickle of water down deeply and left on for an hour or so at a time, about once a week (if it doesn't rain) is all they need.

With heirlooms picking fruit must be done before they are fully ripe. Harvest fruits as soon as they start to turn color and they will quickly finish the ripening process in your kitchen. Once the ripening has started, they don't need sunshine to finish becoming sweet and picking them early will prevent them being eaten by critters (or neighbors) before you can. 

When should I plant my vegetables and herbs???

The best time to plant is not the same for everyone. Each person has to decide at what point their garden is ready for plants. Fortunately we are not alone in this endeavor. We have many tools to help us decide when spring has arrived and it is safe to plant in our backyards. The first thing we need to do is determine when the average last frost date will be in your city. You can view recommended shipping dates for most areas clicking on your state in the chart below. These dates are based upon our maps and indicate the likely last frost date for your area plus a few days to a week, just to be safe.

Conditions for planting:

You need to determine whether or not your soil has dried out enough to dig up the soil for loosening and adding compost. If you pick up a handful of soil and squeeze it between your fingers and it feels muddy and very moist, wait a week or so of sunshine before digging. If it feels soft and moist, but not wet, it is ready to be worked. Lastly, you need to make sure no cold weather is on the horizon. Many times a last minute frost has ruined lots of hard work and planting by killing off tender seedlings. Better to wait a week or two than plant too early.

You can also check the map below for your average last frost date: