Growing Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirloom tomatoes can cost you double or even triple the other varieties you find in the store. Most hybrid tomatoes are picked green for ease of long-distance shipping. These varieties mostly come from Canada, California or Mexico. Most of the taste is sacrificed due to early picking. Heirlooms tomatoes are more expensive because they are best when picked ripe and their thinner skins make them harder to ship in a green state. The main reason for their cost though is because they taste really delicious and have a succulent, juicy texture. This makes them an ideal choice for the home gardener, even if you have never grown tomatoes before. They are just as easy as other hybrid varieties and are not prone to any more problems.

Choose the variety of Heirloom that suits you and your growing area. They can be found in grape-sized clusters, pear or heart shape and even giant varieties. Be aware of the length of your growing season because maturity can vary from 55 to 100 days. That maturity is from seedling to fruit. If you plant from seed you may need to start them indoors to germinate and grow into plantable seedlings.

Seeds and seedlings can be found in catalogs, local nurseries or at your local farmer's markets. The most popular kinds of Heirloom tomatoes are the ever-popular Brandywine, the Purple, the Hillbilly and the Ernie’s Plump. Plant in soil that is rich in compost, peat or organic material and not in hard clay or sandy soils. They like to be planted deep so when planting seedlings be sure to plant them up to the first leaf clusters. Keep the plants moist but not soggy and pruning excessive leaves will promote larger fruit. They should be planted 18-24 inches apart in rows separated by at least 3 feet.

The first taste of a fresh picked Heirloom tomato will be your reward for the work you have put into the garden, not to mention the cost in savings.