Let's Talk About Heirloom Tomatoes

[digitS']

Inspired by the pictures, I will put on a few photos of varieties that I grew but can't really risk garden space on because they require a better tomato growing environment than my garden.

Additionally, I'm not sure that I remember what I thought of them. Mixed them up ... but I believe that Dr. Wyche's impressed me with its nice firmness.

Earl of Edgecomb wasn't too much different from some of the other large yellow tomatoes that I have grown, including Kellogg's Breakfast. That's a nice tomato.

Dagma's Perfection is just a beautiful tomato! Mild flavor but I grew it for several years and it was a safer bet for ripening that the others. In these pictures, several had to sit on the counter for a week before they were eaten. (Orange Minsk, I grew for 2 years and was frustrated by the experience!)

Here I was in 2012 talking about these heirlooms - link.

Steve
hoping these photos come through

 

[thejenx]

@thistlebloom, I can get tomatoes to maturity easily every season IN the greenhouse. Outside it's been so so, and most years not worth the trouble. Small plants and small harvests. Last year was exceptionally hot and dry, and my few outside plants thrived. And I was about to give on planting them outside!
My first killing frost this year was the end of november.

 

[canesisters]

So now I'm going to HAVE to go searching for cow's tit tomatoes....

 

[thejenx]

So now I'm going to HAVE to go searching for cow's tit tomatoes....

Oops, sorry!

 

[Pulsegleaner]

So now I'm going to HAVE to go searching for cow's tit tomatoes....

If you REALLY want to be adventurous, there is also a Cow's Nipple grape. Though how one would get it is beyond me (it's one of the very small number of native Chinese wine grapes, along with the Chicken Heart and the Dragon's Eye.)

Tomatoes for me are a bit of a dilemma. With no cold frame I am usually stuck with a choice of starting the seeds inside and having them so weak and etiolated by the time it is time to put them outside that they fall over and die, or direct seeding them once it is warm enough and having them so far behind that they don't start flowering until the frost is almost upon us.

I am also limited in my selections. With the only soil rich enough to grow tomatoes being in the patio pots (the critters won't touch tomato plants in the ground but I will get no fruit) I have a bit of a pickle (and I don't mean the one about having to share those pots with pretty much everything else,since the critters WILL eat them in the ground)

This year I would LIKE to crack out my Searching For the Blue Wooly Mammoth seed I got from Tom Wagner to see if I can find what I am looking for in there (a fuzzy green fleshed tomato) . But ANY full sized tomato put in the pots tends to make one or two undersized fruits and then conk out. So prudence suggests confining my choices to what cherry tomatoes I have.

 

[flowerbug]

even if they are spindly you can bury them pretty deep so that just the top is poking out of the ground and they usually do ok from then on. when selecting the starts at the greenhouse i go for the tallest ones i can find.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

That works if I can get some permanent leaves but a lot of time I just get a pair of seed leaved on top of three feet of thread like stalk.
The Blue Woolly Mammoth also has another problem. Unlike any single type tomato seed package (where I can plant a bunch, then thin down to the strongest) I'd have to plant the seeds one by one and then try and bring ALL of them to fruition (since I have no way of knowing which, if any, have the genetics I am after.)

 

[flowerbug]

That works if I can get some permanent leaves but a lot of time I just get a pair of seed leaved on top of three feet of thread like stalk.
The Blue Woolly Mammoth also has another problem. Unlike any single type tomato seed package (where I can plant a bunch, then thin down to the strongest) I'd have to plant the seeds one by one and then try and bring ALL of them to fruition (since I have no way of knowing which, if any, have the genetics I am after.)

hmm, to build a stronger shorter stem an oscillating fan can help, but then you have to really be careful of moisture levels because fans can dry things out so quickly... the other thing may be that you are using too rich of a seed starting blend. try using one with less nutrients. i don't know much about tomato genetics tho...

 

[Crealcritter]

I've been crossing OP/heirloom tomatoes for several years. After 5 seasions i finally have nice sized tasty slicing and roma tomato that we really enjoy. Of course I also have examples of not so good tomatoes too.

I should be finishing up both red and green large bells this season or next depending on the outcome of last seasons crosses.

I agree OP tomatoes seem more tasty but honestly any garden tomato is better than those orange tasteless things they call tomatoes in the grocery store.

 

[so lucky]

I've been crossing OP/heirloom tomatoes for several years. After 5 seasions i finally have nice sized tasty slicing and roma tomato that we really enjoy. Of course I also have examples of not so good tomatoes too.

I should be finishing up both red and green large bells this season or next depending on the outcome of last seasons crosses.

I agree OP tomatoes seem more tasty but honestly any garden tomato is better than those orange tasteless things they call tomatoes in the grocery store.

CrealCritter, you don't live that far from me. Do you get blight on your tomatoes? Which ones are most blight resistant for you?