Mention tomatoes to any veggie gardener and stand back! From heirloom seeds to cages, those of us who grow tomatoes take it very seriously. And, why shouldn’t we, tomatoes are valuable… Anything that starts out as a love apple and ends up on my beloved BLT and Tacos The Mom Way …. well that’s serious.
Every year I go into Tomato Frenzy … trying decide which ones to grow that taste the best and produce the most in my limited space. (We will not talk about the fact that I seem to have an unlimited amount of space for roses!) but, back to the tomato…
Recently I asked my garden friends on Twitter and Facebook to tell me their favorite tomatoes. My goal this year was to plant 5 regular sized tomatoes and 3 patio tomatoes. But, my resolve is crumbling and my mouth is watering.
After hearing all the recommendations, don’t be surprised if I end up planting a whole lot more! And, I have my new Yes, You Can! book … packed with easy-to-do steps for canning. Now to find extra time to can!
A Favorite tomato QUOTE
“It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.” – Lewis Grizzard
Recommendations from some SERIOUS TOMATO GROWERS
- Opalka (Robin Follette)
- Mortgage Lifter
- Brandywine
- Tomaccio
- Green Zebra
- Costoluto Genovese (Carolyn Binder)
- Rutgers (Michael Nolan) (Tomato Casual)
- San Marzanos (Susy Morris)
- Lemon Boy
- Roma (Michael Nolan)
- Cherokee Purple
- Amish Paste
- Beefsteak
- Jet Star
- Vorlon (Chris McLaughlin)
Where to BUY SEEDS
The Art of Seed Co.
Seed Savers Exchange
TOMATO TRIVIA … Did you know that?
- When the tomato was introduced to Europe in the 1500s, The French called it “the apple of love.” The Germans called it “the apple of paradise.”
- Thomas Jefferson first ate a tomato in Paris and sent seeds back to America.
- According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans eat between 22-24 pounds of tomatoes per person, per year.
- Heinz released it’s first bottled ketchup in 1876.
- Tomato juice is the official state beverage of Ohio.
- Tomatoes are a natural antioxidant and high in Vitamin C.
- In 1897 Joseph Campbell came out with condensed tomato soup.
- The “Hornworm” can eat an entire tomato plant in ONE DAY.
Tomatoes in CONTAINERS
For some great tips for growing tomatoes in containers, click here.
Taking care of your TOMATOES
Last year was my best tomato year ever! All I fed them was MooPooTea from Haven Brands. Read all about manure teas here.
Do you have tomato stories? Ever get in to a tomato frenzy? Come on, you can tell me!
I always want to grow all kinds of tomatoes too. We had 4 different kinds last year. This year I am adding san marzano (sp?). I can hardly wait. I love to cook with them.
I am excited to try new varieties this year! Good to learn from the experts!
Found Mortgage Lifter Seeds @ http://www.theartofseed.com/#12. Great website!
Are you planning to can tomatoes? You have several paste/canning varieties on your list (Roma, San Marzano, Amish Paste are paste; Jet Star and Rutgers are mainly canners and in my experience, they typically churn out tons of perfectly round tomatoes for canning and roasting – which is an AWESOME way to preserve the bounty.) They are great for those purposes, but other than Rutgers, they aren’t much to write home about for eating fresh. If you have limited space, you may want to pare back those in favor of others that will reward you with BLT flavor explosions.
Several of your choices are on the Dave’s Garden list of all-time Top 10 tomatoes: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/finder/index.php?sname=Tomatoes (Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, Black Cherry.) You might want to look for the Sudduth Strain of Brandywine (there are over a dozen strains – it tends to edge out the rest of the pack.) Remember that a lot of these are determinate, so they will ripen all at once. Having a few indeterminates will ensure you’re eating tomatoes into the first frost, although they don’t produce as prolifically as their determinate cousins 🙂
Happy tomato growing!
Terry
This is an interesting list of tomato seeds. If there is one you are not finding, we offer many of the varieties mentioned. You can find our organic seed here, http://www.gardenharvestsupply.com/ProductCart/pc/Certified-Organic-Tomato-Seed-for-Sale-c264.htm Enjoy your garden!
Thanks for the information. I’ll take a look a the site!
Love tomatoes too. Growing cherokee purple tomatoes for the first time this year.
Great blog post – big fan of growing tomatoes – but have found the seasonality a challenge. However, I’ve managed to extend my growing season using the My Lazy Gardener™: http://on.fb.me/N8eQNr.
We actually have a second growing season in Houston beginning about now and I am inspired to grow some tomatoes in some blank spots of my herb garden!
Yum. Enjoy! Our growing season is rapidly coming to a halt.