Let's Talk About Heirloom Tomatoes

[baymule]

Growing Mortgage Lifter for first time. I can't wait for a ripe one!

 

[Carol Dee]

Growing Mortgage Lifter for first time. I can't wait for a ripe one!

I do not think you will be disappointed.

 

[hoodat]

I forgot about beefheart a really old tomato and a good one. If you like cluster tomatoes bloody butcher is a good one, in spite of its God awful name.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i have waaay to many going this year. i decided to clean out my stash of really old seeds so i started about 50+ different types. i figured those that i've had packets saved from 2002 i would give one last try and then give up. surprise, those old seed all sprouted.

some seed was saved from last year and those i'm hoping do well for me this year: Egg Yolk, the Red & Yellow Zebras, Linnie's Oxheart, Ukranian Heart, Beauty King & Queen, Korol Sibiri (aka Golden King of Siberia) was one of my favorites but my Romas are the good ole standby. i have a few new varieties this year that i hope do well enough that i'll keep seeds for future years.

Mortgage Lifter is also on my list this year. so is Black Krim, Sub Arctic Plenty, Juliet Grape, Hillbilly, Golden Jubilee, German Johnson, Black & Pink Brandywines, Plum Lemon, Russian Queen, Purple Calabash, Violet Jasper, Amish Paste, Marglobe Supreme, Moneymaker, Principe Borghese, Rutgers, Tess's Land Race Currant, Berkley Tie Dye, Pink Boar, Roman Candle, Eagle's Beak, and something i think like Bear's Heart. and too many i'd have to check my list on the tablet to be sure. some on here did ok for me past years and other's i'm giving them a 2nd chance to see if they stay in my stash.

 

[pjn]

i have waaay to many going this year. i decided to clean out my stash of really old seeds so i started about 50+ different types. i figured those that i've had packets saved from 2002 i would give one last try and then give up. surprise, those old seed all sprouted.

some seed was saved from last year and those i'm hoping do well for me this year: Egg Yolk, the Red & Yellow Zebras, Linnie's Oxheart, Ukranian Heart, Beauty King & Queen, Korol Sibiri (aka Golden King of Siberia) was one of my favorites but my Romas are the good ole standby. i have a few new varieties this year that i hope do well enough that i'll keep seeds for future years.

Mortgage Lifter is also on my list this year. so is Black Krim, Sub Arctic Plenty, Juliet Grape, Hillbilly, Golden Jubilee, German Johnson, Black & Pink Brandywines, Plum Lemon, Russian Queen, Purple Calabash, Violet Jasper, Amish Paste, Marglobe Supreme, Moneymaker, Principe Borghese, Rutgers, Tess's Land Race Currant, Berkley Tie Dye, Pink Boar, Roman Candle, Eagle's Beak, and something i think like Bear's Heart. and too many i'd have to check my list on the tablet to be sure. some on here did ok for me past years and other's i'm giving them a 2nd chance to see if they stay in my stash.

I planted the Principe Borghese again this year. LOTS of tomatoes, small and great taste. Lots of volunteers of them this year also.

 

[digitS']

I look at what @Chickie'sMomaInNH grows and think, "maybe ..."

Principe Borghese looks like a maybe for me, too .

@pjn , I don't think you have ever said where you garden. Hmmm?

Steve

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

didn't have luck getting much from the Principe Borghese the last time i grew them. i was hoping this year would be different with the greenhouse going up. those that take about 80 days just don't have much of a chance getting ripe fruit before the frost does it's damage.

 

[digitS']

In the annuals, it doesn't much matter how the meteorology folks classify our overall climate. What matters is our growing season weather.

During the summer, we join California and much of the West in a "Mediterranean" climate. With weeks without rain and low humidity, one might think that this would be ideal tomato country. The difference with places south and at lower elevations are the cool nights. Highs in the 90's just days ago have led us to this morning with temperatures in the 40's. No clouds throughout all of this, just too much wind. If I was a tomato, I'd pack my bags for Tuscany ... or, Sacratomato.

Early Mediterranean types, is what I think would do well here. We can't be too hard and fast to this notion but it's entertaining to a simple tomato head like me.

Steve

 

[pjn]

I look at what @Chickie'sMomaInNH grows and think, "maybe ..."

Principe Borghese looks like a maybe for me, too .

@pjn , I don't think you have ever said where you garden. Hmmm?

Steve

I am in middle TN. Moved here about 4 years ago from the middle of MS. Things are a little different here. Always a learning curve.

 

[digitS']

My grandfather's Cherokee ancestors were from central Tennessee. They may have missed the Trail of Tears forced removal. Grandfather lost both parents as a boy and he and his brother were raised by their Cherokee aunt.

Umm, how might this have anything to do with heirloom tomatoes? Oh!

I'm apprehensive about trying to grow Cherokee Purple ... figure it may be somewhat unforgiving with regards to my grandfather's failure to remain in Oklahoma where he started out raising a family of his own ... . Ummm, instead I grow, and especially appreciate , Gary O Sena, a stabilized cross between Cherokee Purple and Brandywine.

Steve