Exotic Tomatoes That You Can Grow

If all you know about tomatoes is that you can buy them at the grocery store or a local fruit stand, then you have never truly tasted a tomato. Many of the best tasting tomatoes are too delicate to survive the trip to the grocery store, and growing your own tomatoes is very easy. Tomato varieties exist in colors from black (really dark purple), red, orange, pink, yellow, green, variegated, and white. The sizes go from 2 lb. Beefsteak to half-inch cherry. There are some really good nurseries on line where you can get heirloom tomato seeds. The varieties are numerous, plus you have the ability to wait until the tomatoes are perfectly ripe before picking them. A ripe tomato that is to be eaten fresh should never be refrigerated, as this makes it turn mealy and spoils the flavor.

To grow tomato plants, you must buy the seeds in late February or early March. Depending on the zone you live in and the length of the growing season, you should probably start your seeds indoors. Transplant the seedlings into well-prepared soil as soon as all danger of frost is past. One of the problems with heirloom tomatoes is that they are more susceptible to blossom-end rot than hybrid tomatoes. This can be mitigated by mulching the plants, giving them an even amount of water (about an inch a day is ideal), not using nitrogen-based fertilizer and not hoeing near the roots of the plants. Stressed plants are much more susceptible to this disorder.

There are many interesting and unusual varieties of heirloom tomatoes. There is a variety called Big White Pink Stripe which is a nearly white, 4-inch tomato with pink striping on the inside that has a unique melon-like flavor. There is one called Aunt Ruby's German Green. This tomato is light green on the outside and dark green on the inside when it is ripe. It has a sweet, spicy flavor. If you like colorful tomatoes, try Mr. Stripey (also known as Tigerella). This variety is red and yellow striped, inside and outside, very pretty, and good in salads. Then there are the tiny Yellow or Red Pear tomatoes which are small, cheery-size pear-shaped tomatoes. One with an unusual name is the Arkansas Pineapple, a large yellow beefsteak style tomato with red blush features on the outside. Another unusually shaped tomato is the Andes, which is a long, dark red, plum-style tomato that actually looks like a red pimento pepper. So take the plunge; buy some seeds and grow some tomatoes! One bite and you won't regret it.