Why Do You Grow Heirloom Tomatoes?

[NJCher]

Just curious. I grow them but this year I am mixing them with the usual hybrids.

If you recall, last year I had an experiment with tomatoes. All I grew last year were heirlooms. My experiment was to grow mostly hanging tomatoes (see my journal for pics). I would never do that again. I didn't get any tomatoes until September. It is a fact the heirlooms do not produce as much or as fast as hybrids.

However, the surprise and fun of growing them is unparalleled than with any other tomato. My experience with French fluted tomatoes, Aunt Ruby's German Green, and especially this one particular heirloom (forgot the name) that produced a heart-shaped tomato are some of my best growing experiences.

I'm curious about why other DU gardeners grow heirloom tomatoes.

Do tell.



Cher

[Kolesar]

1. The tag on the hybrids in the garden center that said "VFN" made me wonder the same thing

It made me think about that silvery fungus from last July and what my choices should have been. I already planted two mail order varieties and one the nursery up the street advocated. A highly-developed, disease resistant strain sounds like a good idea in that context.

33. Q. What do the letters "VFN" associated with particular tomato varieties indicate?

A. VFN indicates the tomato variety is resistant to three types of diseases; Verticilum wilt, Fusarium wilt and nematodes. Many of the new hybrid varieties are VFN types. Disease resistant varieties preferred in areas of Texas where these problems are severe and cause great losses to home gardeners.

http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/vegetables/tomato.html

An interesting discussion would be to develop the distinctions in the continuum of garden produce genetics:

Heirloom <===> Open pollinated <===> Unstable F2 Hybrid

I have a good understanding of the distinction between F2 hybrids and open pollinated "stable" strains (whose seeds will have predictable results). However, I am at a loss to describe what attribute makes a stable strain into an "heirloom" strain.

[BOSSHOG]

2. I planted heirloom hybrid brandywine seeds

this springs, mostly out of curiousity. Got large plants, lots of foliage, healthy as weeds, and not one tomato. I'll stick with my Arkansas Travelers and Creoles (which are delicious) but I don't know there degree of availability.

[moonlady0623]

3. A couple varieties I like

I grow "Mortgage Lifter" and Brandywine, and have good results with both. I like them because they are nice big tomatoes with great flavor. I particularly like to use them for fried green tomatoes due to the size and texture.

The last several years I've used a black fabric with holes cut in it to put the tomatoes in; this has cut down seriously on any blights that might show up after our usual August Rain here in the Willamette Valley.

This year I got some of the red fabric to put down. I will stake the indeterminates, and have installed a drip watering system to keep water off the leaves. That should help a lot with the blight issues.

My little babies are only about two inches high but they're sturdy and growing!

I get my seeds from Territorial Seed Company in Cottage Grove, Oregon, great selection and lots of organically grown seeds.

[Shoelace]

4. I'm trying once again to grow heirlooms in Willamette valley too

last year, none of my tomatoes produced much at all. This year, I'm going to cover with shade cloth to prevent the sun from scalding them. I bought big plants from Bi Mart and they are already about 3 feet high but look sort of scraggly.
I have 2 Manitobas, 3 Mortgage lifters and about 8 other assorted heirloom varieties, yellow, orange, etc (love color!).
On the advice of one of our fellow gardeners here, I'm feeding them Bloom Booster (Miracle Gro) and will hand pollinate if necessary.
Up until about 4 years ago, I used to have great success growing veggies of all sorts but the past 2 years have been a bust. Little black bugs that come out during the night, eat everything and hide during the day.
Pill bugs have taken over in my garden and they are everywhere. Also, I've got alot of earwigs. I hate using sprays but am resorting to Sevin if it gets any worse. Any suggestions for other alternatives greatly appreciated.
I did get a huge load of compost mix, supposed to be the best to add to our depleted soil and did start a compost heap which is now the home to a huge Bumblebee so I dare not disturb her for at least 3-5 weeks until her babies are out. We need them for pollinating.

Isn't this the best Spring for roses you ever saw here in Oregon?
I've never seen them bloom like this before!

[moonlady0623]

5. tomato tips

Not that I'm an expert but have had decent luck.

Heard on Gardening with Ciscoe out of Seattle that he always puts a cover over his tomatoes. I think the shade cloth is probably not necessary after they've become established. I'd buy some SuperThrive (comes in a little black bottle on a card, in most gardening sections) and mix that up for them, it helps with the transplant shock. Later in the year though I'd put a high clear plastic over them. Ciscoe does it to prevent rain falling on his plants, which always leads to some blight. This year we are going to move from tomato cages to stalking the indeterminates up a bamboo stake which will help remove lower leaves, which will in turn assist with blight control. I'm probably not going to cover mine, although I might experiment with a tarp over the top of the stakes if we get pouringass rain.

I start my seeds myself so never have to deal with the 3 feet tall scraggly store-bought plants. They've been under artificial light and have been force fed to get big and attractive; I've learned that planting my little 2 inch seedlings vs planting those has very little difference in the final product; if anything, I get hardier plants from the little guys. (On an aside I'm going to have leftover babies so if you are in the valley send me a private message if you're interested.)

Bugs are a pain and certainly sounds like your soil needs help. I stay organic on the veggies so use a variety of safe products. For the little black bugs, fleabeetles, I use a pyrethins spray called Pyola from www.GardensAlive.com. I really need to do some serious weed control and dump a box of ladybugs in the beds where they go nuts this year.

Finally, I read somewhere recently - maybe it was even here - that planting alyssum around the tomato plants will attract bees. Several years ago we "planted" some miner bees so I'm hoping we'll have a few around.

OH NO late for hair appt.!

[Shoelace]

7. thanks so much for the ideas!

I'll try the Pyola and the staking with bamboo or in my case wood stakes might work better than those cages. The indeterminate ones are already outgrowing those so will get out there between rain clouds and do just that.
I've got no room now since I planted intensively with lots of peppers, squash, potatoes (gotta try them every year - the purple ones at least) and alyssum is coming up wild from last year.
Everybody is sold out of Mason bees this year so will have to depend on whatever is around + hand pollinating too.
Thanks for the offer of seedlings - sure wish I had the room!
Hope you got your hair done!!

[sazemisery]

6. Just to keep in touch with the past

We all know how hybrids grow, what they look like and how they taste. But heirlooms? They surprise and delight us with their shapes, sizes and colors. They link us with the past. And bottom line for me - the challenge to defeat all the elements for the end result.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. They're so much variety in taste, texture, colors, and size.

Some heirlooms with smaller fruit mature at about the same time as hybrids of similar size. We have a very long growing season and I don't mind waiting for the longer season varieties with big fruit like Brandywines, Striped Germans, and Prudens Purple. I like oxheart varieties because they're tasty and have small seed sacs. I grow Roma type heirloom varieties that look and taste much like the ones in canned tomatoes from Italy. The Roma hybrids are often lacking in those attributes.

Lastly, there's always an Early Girl plant out in my garden. It's there to produce early and in high volume. The rest of the tomatoes are for fun. We get very high yields from most heirlooms late in the season. Brandywines can be uneven producers. It seems to depend on my seed source.

[japple]

9. Cherokee Purples......

Last year I grew Cherokee Purple tomatoes for the 1st time and they were so good (sweet, meaty with lots of juice as well as beautiful dark color) that I'm planting more of them this year. I also have German Queens (highly acidic, light red) and Brandywines, in addition to the usual Celebrity, Better Bush and Early Girl hybrids. I couldn't find any of the red/yellow striped tomato plants that I have had in years past. I grow heirlooms because they're usually heartier, more flavorful, and probably aren't genetically modified (frankenfood).

[bearfan454]

10. I do

16 Cherokee purple, 3 Better Boy, and 1 Lemon Boy for me this year. The Cherokee purple heirlooms are doing pretty good.

[NJCher]

11. Link to pics

Wow, I just had to come here and post this link to the most wonderful pics of heirloom tomatoes. I was actually looking for a pic of Striped Marvel when I found this page. Also, it showed me the name of the heart-shaped tomato I had such fun growing a few years back (it was Eleanor, although this pic doesn't show it particularly heart-shaped) :

http://www.landrethseeds.com/photos/Tomato/index.html



Cher

[Imalittleteapot]

12. Fun and flavor.

Just had my first Black Cherry. Yum! I have planted 5 different varieties in pots on the balcony. They are full of fruit.

It's fun to experiment with the different flavors, shapes and colors, and it is a link to the past.