Heirloom Tomatoes

Why grow heirloom tomatoes? Heirloom tomatoes will undoubtedly be the best tomatoes you have ever eaten. There are hundreds of varieties of heirloom tomatoes. They can be found in a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes and flavors. Some of the most popular varieties are Big Rainbow, yellow with red swirls and having a mild sweet flavor; Blaby Special; Black Krim; Brandywine (which comes in black, red and yellow); Cherokee Purple and Cherokee Chocolate; Green Zebra and Mortgage Lifter. As you can imagine from the names, they come in red, yellow, orange, black, purple and variations of these colors. There are also many sizes from beefsteak to cherry tomatoes.

One school of thought says that the seeds of heirloom tomatoes are over 100 years old, others say 50 years, while still others prefer the date of 1945 which marks the end of World War II. Most authorities agree that heirlooms must be open-pollinated.

Nowadays the novice gardener is often confused by the great number of varieties. It is somewhat easier to choose heirloom tomatoes for the purpose you wish to use them for, eating fresh, juicing, sauces etc.

As with many other varieties of tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes need to be sown indoors six to eight weeks before the last killing frost in your area. Zone maps will tell you when it is safe to plant outdoors. Planting information and zone maps can usually be found on the seed packages.

Have fun next season and try some of these wonderful tomatoes. Happy Eating!!