Heritage Gardening: Heirloom Tomatoes

Heritage Gardening: Heirloom Tomatoes
 Angie Mohr

Growing heirloom tomatoes in your home garden is one of the easiest and tastiest projects imaginable. The tomatoes that you can buy in the grocery store have been bred specifically for their ability to be shipped without damage all over the world. They are frequently picked green then sprayed with ethylene gas to finish the appearance of ripening.

Home-grown tomatoes, however, especially heirloom varieties that have been grown in back yards for hundreds of years, can be picked at the absolute pinnacle of ripeness and enjoyed immediately. Although tomatoes need lots of heat and sun to grow, they can be grown in almost any climate, as long as they can get 80-90 frost-free days. Heirloom tomatoes can even be grown in planters on the patio and moved throughout the day to follow the sun.

Choose the tomato variety you would like to grow based on your climate and your preferences. In a colder climate, choose an early-ripening tomato such as Early Girl, or Sub-Arctic Plenty. These varieties take a shorter amount of time to reach maturity and will do better in climates when only the summer months can be counted on to be frost free. If you want a large harvest of tomatoes at the same time, either to can or to dry, choose a determinate variety, like Roma.

Determinates all ripen at approximately the same time whereas indeterminates set fruit and grow continually right up until frost. The determinate/indeterminate designation can be found in the description of the seeds. For one of the most sublime tomato experiences, grow Brandywine. This red-purple heirloom tomato has been in existence for over a hundred years and repeatedly wins taste competitions.


Tomatoes need as much sun as you can give them except in tropical climates. Choose the sunniest spot in your yard and observe it for a few days to make sure that it gets six to seven hours of sun per day. You can grow heirloom tomatoes from seedlings or from seed. If growing from seed you will have a better selection but will have to start the seeds indoors two months before your last expected frost. Plant your tomato seedlings in rich soil that has had compost added. If frost threatens unexpectedly, cover your tomato plants overnight.

Harvest tomatoes frequently when ripe to encourage the plant to continue production. At the end of the season, pull up remaining plants with green tomatoes still attached. Hang plants upside down in a dark cool place like a shed. The mature green tomatoes will turn red slowly thereby extending your growing season.

Mediterranean Summer Salad
4 ripe heirloom tomatoes
2 ripe English cucumbers
½ medium red onion
½ cup crumbled Greek feta cheese
½ cup pitted sliced black olives
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Dice tomatoes and cucumbers into similar bite-sized pieces. Slice onion in half then slice halves very thinly. Mix tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, feta, olives, and basil in a salad bowl. In a lidded Mason jar, shake olive oil and lemon juice together until well-combined. Pour over salad and toss gently just before serving. (523 words)



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Copyright 2011 Angie Mohr