Black Star. This is the first year I've grown this tomato. I got the seeds for this variety from Germany. The name on the packet was in English making me think it is a variety from an English speaking country. Sorry, I've forgotten to take a picture of it, but it is black, round, and is medium in size.

Ceylon This is a very attractive tomato. It's pleats look good if the tomato is cut or uncut. It really looks nice in tossed salad or on a vegetable dip platter. It has a sweet taste and good red tomato flavor

Liguria. I bought these seeds from a man in Slovenia. He only described them as incredibly sweet, highly productive and vigorous, suitable for greenhouse production and in the field. I believe it to be a variety from Italy as there is a region called Liguria. It is a dumpy, oblate spheroid...larger on the bottom than the top and very red. It is great for sauce though it is sweeter than most sauce tomatoes. I was intrigued by the shape so, because I tend to be obsessive/compulsive about collecting tomatoes, I just had to have this one. Besides, ever since 9th grade earth science when I first heard the words oblate spheroid to describe the Earth, I've wanted to use the words "oblate spheroid". I've waited 34 years and now here's my chance.

Schemmig Striped Hollow. German heirloom. This is one of my more interesting varieties. It is somewhat like a pepper inside. The top can be sliced off and the seeds are stuck in the center for easy removal. There is very little meat inside but the walls are nice and thick for stuffing. It is red with gold stripes, The tomato themselves are medium in size. A perfect serving for a stuffed tomato. Has been productive for me. Interesting flavor.

Yellow Pear, This indeterminate plant bears a multitude of cherry size, sweet, mild, yellow, pear shaped fruit. The best part is, they are a great vegetable platter and dip veggie. It all ready sports a handle! The fruit is about 1-2" long . These are great favorites with kids because they have a handle.

Druzba. This indeterminate plant bears medium to large red tomatoes with a good yield and some disease resistance. Druzba is a Bulgarian heirloom and Druzba means "friend" in that language. Good taste and it is juicy.

Interested in buying seeds or plants for these varieties? Go to Mani Plants and Malas for seeds. Plants will be available for order in my ebay store, Mani Malas Buddhist Prayer Beads, also plants will be available at Bonanaza or contacting me directly. Order now for spring delivery.

Kamnik. This indeterminate plant bears medium to large beefsteak type tomatoes. This is a red variety whose name means "mountains" in Slovene. To me, this is my favorite red tomato. Full of flavor without being too acidic. I am of Slovene descent so it is nostalgic for me as well.

Kazakstan Giant This is the first year I've grown this tomato. I traded tomato seeds with someone and this is one of the varieties I got. Giant is in it's name and I suspect it would be a larger tomato if I had grown it in the ground. This is one of the ones I grew in pots because it was the only plant that came from seed and if we were to have hail or bad wind, I brought it under cover. It is an interesting tomato to me because of where it is from. Kazakhstan is so exotic. It is flavorful and productive and can be used for sauce or fresh eating.

Muchamiel, Spain. The name means lots of honey. This indeterminate plant bears small to medium size tomatoes that are flattened, slightly pleated, red, and sweet. Makes an interesting addition to summer salads, sandwiches and home made fresh salsa...especially mixed with red, white, yellow, pink, and black tomatoes.

Novosadatsky 37. This indeterminate plant bears medium to large red tomatoes with a good yield. Good taste and it is quite meaty. This is a former Soviet Union variety

Green Zebra, This indeterminate plant bears medium size yellowish green with darker green stripes tomatoes. It bears well. It's one of my favorite green tomatoes. I eat them right off the vine. It also looks pretty in fresh salsa with other color tomatoes. Red, white, yellow, pink, black, and green salsa.

Gypsy This indeterminate plant bears small to medium very flavorful black tomatoes. This is the first year I've grown this rare variety. I'm quite pleased with its production and flavor. Makes an interesting addition to summer salads, sandwiches and home made fresh salsa...especially mixed with red, white, yellow, pink, and black tomatoes.

Indian Fleisch I got the original seed for this variety from Germany. I don't have a positive country of origin for these. Indian was in English and Fleisch means "meat" in German. I'm thinking it means it's an Indian Meat tomato meaning it's from India. No info came with the seeds. Enough about pedigree, on to the tomato in question. This is the first year I've grown this and am pleased with it's production and taste. It's a medium size tomato, black, with rich flavor. Fruit is born in clusters of 6 or so. Being a black tomato, it is healthier to eat than a red tomato. Black tomatoes are higher in antioxidants.

Italian Red Pear I imported the seeds for this variety last year from Italy. I must say, I am mightily impressed. The fruits were HUGE, pleated, and were excellent for sauce. Few seeds, very meaty and lots of them. The tomato in the picture weighed in at 13 oz and there were others that were larger still on the vine. If I were to grow just one variety for sauce, this would be it. Get seeds now of this amazing tomato because I don't have too many of them. The fact that they don't have a lot of seeds means the number is limited that I can gather.

Wish to purchase any of these tomatoes as seed?  I am now listing plants for spring delivery in my ebay store Mani Malas Buddhist Prayer Beads
I sell plants and seeds on that site as well.

Feuerwerk, Germany,This indeterminate plant bears medium to large size tomatoes that are very flavorful. Even the meat is tasty and most often all the taste is in the gel around the seeds. It has flavor that can stand up to mayo. The patterns of gold stripes often look like a chrysanthemum firework and it seems no two tomatoes look alike . Makes an interesting addition to summer salads, sandwiches and home made fresh salsa...especially mixed with red, white, yellow, pink, and black tomatoes.

Giant White Oxheart, This indeterminate plant bears huge size tomatoes that are white, flavorful, and heart shaped. There's a nice combination of tang and sweet. Holds up well in sandwiches. Bears well considering it is producing a multitude of very large tomatoes.

Green Sausage This is one of the more odd tomatoes I have grown. Not only is the fruit "different" so are the plants. The plant is definitely a determinate variety which never needed staking except to keep the fruit off the ground and critters from them. It was very prolific bearing lots of 3-4" long fruit. My only problem with it was trying to figure out when it was ripe. It needs to be picked when it is yellowish with green stripes and quite soft. Otherwise, the flavor is that of an unripe tomato. It's novel to cut these up into "coins" to add to a salad. They look pretty too.

Tomato Products

Be sure to check out the Amazon tomato products at the end of the blog. Visit the author's website to purchase seeds, and coming soon, plants of the these heirloom varieties. Link is Mani Plants and Malas.

Togorific. I have seen reference to this tomato as being from Togo Africa, Iraq, and Iran. My personal opinion is that it is closely related to the tomato Ceylon. The two are very similar. If you get one, I suggest not bothering to get the other, they are that close. This indeterminate plant bears small to medium red tomatoes with a good yield. They are a perfect size for salads. It has a good mix of tart and sweet and is very juicy. Eventually I will have a picture of the tomato itself. Until then, it is flattened and very pleated though some early tomatoes are less pleated and smaller.


Val This auction is for an heirloom tomato from Slovenia. It is a medium sized rosy red, with sort of a heart shape. We have had the screwiest growing season. Cool, rainy, for much of it. This tomato was one of the top performers. It set fruit regardless of temperature, had good crack resistance to the almost constant rain, and despite the weather, ripened good tasting fruit. It is versatile and can be used in sauce, salads and sandwiches.

Black Sea Elephant Russian variety known as Black Sea Elephant, not to be confused with Black Sea Man. The seed for this tomato came to me from a trade with a Russian woman living in Germany. The seed came from her parents' plants in Russia. This indeterminate variety is a robust plant and very much the elephant in the tomato patch. The leaves are generally bigger than others and the fruit is large as well. It is a large, RED, beefsteak type where one slice covers a sandwich or burger. The sea is Black, the tomato fruit is red. It is quite robust and a sturdy, dependable producer. I don't suggest growing this one in a container unless you have a 3 gal. container and keep it well fed and watered. Great for slicing and salads, good heirloom flavor and it's only fault seems to be what to do with the rest of the cut tomato after you've taken the slices off for the family's BLTs.

Creme and Green This is a variety from Ireland. It certainly is an unique tomato. The foliage is variegated cream and green. I regret that I took a picture of the fruit and forgot to take a picture of the plant. Anyway, this variegation is also unique in the fact that it is carried through the seed so seed raised plants will show various amounts of variegation. The fact that the plant still produced pretty well considering the fact that the cream part of the leaves is not photosynthesizing. The fruit is small, dark red and flavorful.

Črnkovič I know a little Slovene and I think this is a surname and it is a Mr. Black. Crn is black. It would be pronounced chrrn- koh- vich. The name is black, but the tomato is red. It is medium size and round with good flavor. The vines are indeterminate and produced well. Seems somewhat disease resistant.

Interested in purchasing seeds of these heirloom varities?

Mani Plants and Malas Bonanza Shop  is where you can purchase seeds, plants, and Buddhist Malas.

Tlacalula Pink

Tlacalula Pink. This Aztec variety is an indeterminate plant which bears small to medium size tomatoes that are very flavorful. The predominate shape is like a pouch. It has one of the most complex flavors I have ever tasted in a tomato. I almost want to say there is a hint of floral. Makes an interesting addition to summer salads, sandwiches and home made fresh salsa...especially mixed with red, white, yellow, pink, and black tomatoes. What's so special about heirloom tomatoes? The idea that an heirloom is a variety that has been grown by generations and passed down from person to person is really very fascinating.

Slovene Black

Slovene Black. It is a medium sized beefsteak type black tomato. It has excellent black tomato flavor and as with all black tomatoes, is healthier for you because of the extra anti-oxidants. This variety is great sliced for sandwiches, cut up for salads and can be made into a rich, dark, healthful sauce. Produces well as proved by our lousy cool, cloudy, wet summer last year. I picked quite a few tomatoes of this variety.

Slavanskj Shevdr

Slavanskj Shevdr I believe the name means Slavanskj Beauty. If anyone knows, feel free to comment to correct or confirm. This indeterminate plant bears medium to large red tomatoes with a good yield. Good taste and it is quite meaty. I have a friend who will grow nothing else. It is a great dual purpose tomato with excellent taste and a will to grow unmatched by any other I've seen. I have found seeds germinating inside the tomato! Great production, great flavor.

Schemmig Striped Hollow

Schemmig Striped Hollow German heirloom. This is one of my more interesting varieties. It is somewhat like a pepper inside. The top can be sliced off and the seeds are stuck in the center for easy removal. There is very little meat inside but the walls are nice and thick for stuffing. It is red with gold stripes, The tomato themselves are medium in size. A perfect serving for a stuffed tomato. Has been productive for me. Interesting flavor.

Scabitha. This indeterminate plant bears small to medium size tomatoes that are very flavorful and prolific Even the meat is tasty and most often all the taste is in the gel around the seeds. I won't pull any punches, the fruit itself is, well...somewhat ugly. It's pretty with it's bright red color and gold streaks. But, it often has many scabs. The scabs do not harm the eater or the tomato and this variety is becoming one of my favorites for taste.

SAN FRANCISCO FOg. This indeterminate plant bears small to medium size tomatoes that are red and tasty. It is a variety I got from an Australian gentleman last year. It should be able to set and ripen fruit if the weather is cool, foggy, and cloudy. We've had a hot, humid summer and it's doing just great as well. Very juicy fruit.

Red Boar

Red Boar This indeterminate plant bears medium to large size tomatoes that are red with gold stripes, or gold with red stripes. The overall effect is that the tomato is a light gold. The meat is a dark red. Good flavor. Makes an interesting addition to summer salads, sandwiches and home made fresh salsa...especially mixed with red, white, yellow, pink, and black tomatoes.

Porec I understand a little Slovene which is similar to Croatian. I believe the name to be pronounced "porehch" or "porehts". It's difficult to determine because it'snot known whether there is a carrot over the c. This indeterminate plant bears small to medium red tomatoes with a good yield. Good taste and it is quite meaty. This is a very rare variety from Croatia. What's so special about heirloom tomatoes? The idea that an heirloom is a variety that has been grown by generations and passed down from person to person is really very fascinating. And they just taste better.What's so special about heirloom tomatoes? The idea that an heirloom is a variety that has been grown by generations and passed down from person to person is really very fascinating. And they just taste better.

Kamnik Tomato from Slovenia

Kamnik.This indeterminate plant bears medium to large beefsteak type tomatoes. This is a red variety whose name means "mountains" in Slovene. To me, this is my favorite red tomato. Full of flavor without being too acidic. I am of Slovene descent so it is nostalgic for me as well.

Carbon Tomato

Carbon. This indeterminate plant bears medium size black beefsteak type tomatoes. I've seen references that state that this tomato wins taste test after taste test. I think it has pretty good flavor. Black tomatoes are healthier for you because they contain more of the anti-oxidants contained in regular red tomatoes. What's so special about heirloom tomatoes? The idea that an heirloom is a variety that has been grown by generations and passed down from person to person is really very fascinating. And they just taste better.

Garden Peach Tomato

Garden Peach. This is the first year I've grown this tomato. I traded tomato seeds with someone and this is one of the varieties I got. This is one of the most accurately named tomatoes. It really does look like a yellow peach! It ripens yellow with a rosy blush, it is shaped like a peach, AND it is fuzzy. It tastes like a tomato, mild with a good mix of sweet and tang, leaning toward the sweet side. Mine stayed small to medium in size and it has been very productive. Makes a good tomato for fresh eating.

Cuban Black Heirloom Tomato

Cuban Black This is a new variety for me this year. It is a good producer with a good mix of meat to seed which gives the best flavor. It is a black tomato so it is higher in antioxidants than red tomatoes. Cuban Black has the typical flavor of a black tomato and is multipurpose fresh, canning, and sauce. It's country of origin is Cuba. Want to see a picture, clink on the name Cuban Black to be taken to a picture of it.

Black Star Heirloom Tomato

Black Star.. This is the first year I've grown this tomato. I got the seeds for this variety from Germany. The name on the packet was in English making me think it is a variety from an English speaking country. Sorry, I've forgotten to take a picture of it, but it is black, round, and is medium in size. It would have been more productive if a storm hadn't broke the stake and the plant at the base. Consequently, I only have a limited amount of seed. If you are interested, you best get them now. I will sell them until they are sold out. The taste is good, like a tomato ought to taste and could be used for fresh eating as well as for sauce.

Description Heirloom Tomatoes

Banjan roomi This is the first year I've grown this tomato. I traded tomato seeds with someone and this is one of the varieties I got. I was told it is a Middle Eastern variety. Sorry, I've forgotten to take a picture of it, but it is red, slightly pleated, flattened, and of small to medium size. It has been very productive...especially impressive because we had 100 degree weather for a week and it still managed to set blossoms. The taste is good, like a tomato ought to taste and could be used for fresh eating as well as for sauce. Banjan roomi.

Growing Heirloom Tomatoes

Growing Heirloom Tomatoes

What’s an heirloom tomato?   An heirloom tomato is a variety that is open pollinated, may be several hundred years old, generally passed down through generations, and although there may be some variety in the results because it is open pollinated, will consistently produce the same characteristics when planted from saved seed.  This is unlike hybrid tomatoes which are generally F1 hybrids, meaning that in order to get consistent results, the seed needs to be from a specific cross and only those seeds from the cross are planted.  If the seeds are saved from a hybrid tomato, the resulting plants will most likely not show consistency and will reproduce all the traits of their parents.

Just to clarify, hybrids are genetically modified but not “genetically modified” in the scary way of petri dishes and inserted genes.  They are genetically modified through breeding.  Breeding is also a form of genetic modification.  The term genetically modified is bandied about and is thought only to refer to the mad scientist type of modification.  There is nothing evil about hybrid tomatoes and if disease is a problem, say in the soil, hybrids can be grown that have specific disease resistance because it was bred into them.  

I have a collection of 80 varieties of heirloom tomatoes from all over the world and I still have not collected all of the different types, color variations, bizarre growth habits, heat tolerance, cold tolerance, or from every country in the world.  The tomato is the most widely grown vegetable/fruit in the world.  There are so many different types, it would be nearly impossible to catalog them all.  There would always be one more in an isolated valley which has been grown for centuries in Bolivia, China, Mexico, etc.  Many think the tomato is an Italian development because it is highly featured in the Italian cuisine.  Actually, it is a native of the Americas, Mexico to be exact where a few different species growing wild have been bred into the amazing multitude of varieties we have today.  

Heirloom tomato growing is not any different than growing hybrids.  They can be very productive, used for sauce, sandwiches, salad, fresh salsa, and canning.  Choosing the ones to grow depend on taste preference, specific use, novelty, etc.  There are red, pink, white, yellow, orange, purple, blue, green (they ripen greenish yellow), striped, splotched, scabby,  two or more colors, round, beefsteak, small, tiny, cherry, grape, plum,  huge, fuzzy, pleated, variegated foliage, twisted foliage, wilted looking foliage, potato leaf, regular leaf,  and combinations of all these characteristics.  The actual choice may be limited only by availability.  Finding the heirloom tomatoes as ready to plant plants is often a very difficult task.  I suggest searching the web for sources as well as ebay.  I and others sell plants and seeds of several heirloom varieties on ebay, Bonanza, and our own websites.  Seed is often easier to find and for the price of a plant, there is often 30 seeds so the possibility of 30 plants.  Tomato seed will stay viable for 10 years. I’ve had 7 year old seed germinate above 60 percent. 

Buying heirloom tomato plants

So, you have found a variety that you wish to grow.  You order the plants and they are shipped to you.  Now what.  Most sellers will send directions on how to help the plants overcome the shock of shipping.  If not, open the box as soon as possible.  If the plants are dry, water them with warm water.  The plant can take up warm water quicker than cold water.  If they are broken, make a clean cut where the break is.  Cut away any damaged tissue on both the stem and the stem in the pot.  Put the broken piece in a jar of warm water.  Unless it is absolutely crispy from dehydration, it will recover, send out roots and can be potted up for another plant.  This generally happens within 2 weeks. The potted portion will put out new growth.  It depends where the break was as to how long it will take to send out new growth.  If there is a leaf node (where the leaves are attached to the stem, with or without the leaf present), it will happen relatively quickly.  If it has to send up a new stem from the base, that may take a month or so.  After taking care of these first basics, put the plants in an area that gets bright light, but no sun.  Full sun will burn and damage the plants because they are tender from being in a dark box.  An artificial light set up, this is the best.  They will recover faster if they are under lights because they are getting the spectrum and intensity of light they need without the chance of burning.  See my article on Providing Artificial Light http://ezinearticles.com/?Providing-Artificial-Light-to-Indoor-Plants&id=5308284 for more on this topic.  The second day, put them in a sunny window for the morning hours, and then back to bright light for the afternoon.  This can also be done outdoors if the weather is warm enough…above 50 degrees F.   Make sure the plants don’t dry out while this process is going on, especially if it is done outdoors and they are still in their pots.  Then, the third day let them have morning sun and a few hours of afternoon sun and then back to bright light.  The fourth day, they should be tough enough to handle full sun.   If the danger of frost is past, this process can be done while they are in the ground.  Provide shade in some way to replace moving them to bright light.  If the plants arrive and they can’t be planted outdoors because there is still a chance of frost, put them in the sunniest window available, hopefully a southern exposure.  Too little light will cause the plants to grow lanky and weaker.  They still can be planted but they need a little adjustment which I will discuss in the next section.  

Site preparation

This is a relatively straight forward process but there are a few things which can be done to improve results.  First, the site needs to be in full sun.  Full sun is 6-8 hours of sun.  Less than this and the plants will perform poorly.   The site ideally should have room enough to plant the tomatoes with at least 2’ space all around them, 3 is better. Second, prepare the site by tilling by machine or turning the soil and breaking it up with a spading fork.  During this process, amendments can be added like lime, decomposed organic material such as composted garden waste, and decomposed manures.  I don’t like to spread fertilizer on the area because it will not only feed the tomatoes, it will feed the weeds.  I’d rather put food in the planting hole so only the tomato gets fed.   The soil should be worked but not overworked.  Working in materials so they are mixed in is good, but if the soil is worked too much, say by a roto-tiller, it will destroy the structure and be more prone to compacting.  This is especially important not to over work compaction prone clay soil. If all nature has given is clay, add gypsum and organic material to help improve the structure.  Compost is the best material to add, either from garden waste or manures.  The nutrients are readily available and no further decomposition is needed.  The beginning of the season is not the time to add raw compost material like garden waste.  Fall is a better time to add leaves, clippings, etc that have not been composted first.  The decomposing bacteria that break down the matter need nitrogen and if there isn’t enough in the material (such as stems, sticks, and fallen leaves) the bacteria will take nitrogen from the soil to the detriment of the plants which need it as well.   Eventually the soil gets the nitrogen back when the bacteria die, but the plant suffers in the mean time.  Something like animal manures can be added in the spring, but don’t add it just before planting.  Digging into it can be unpleasant and if it’s something like poultry manure, it is very potent and can burn the plants.  I prefer to add it a few weeks before planting to let it mellow a bit.  It also has time to break down a little and will be ready to feed the plants and improve the soil structure at the time of planting.  Be aware that adding fresh cow manure also adds weed seeds.

Applying lime.   In order to have an idea about how much lime is needed, a pH test needs to be done.  It measures the amount of acidity in the soil.  They are available at garden centers and directions come with the kit.  If the pH is below 6.8, lime needs to be added.   Around 6.8 all the nutrients are most available to the tomatoes.   A little above 6.8 and a lot of organic matter has been added, it would still be a good idea to add some lime because the organic matter can make the soil acidic.  If the result is above 7.0, no lime is needed.  Liming is especially important for tomatoes because they need calcium in the soil and lime adds calcium as well as the correct pH makes it more available.  Without going into all the chemistry and formulas for calculating the exact amount of lime that needs to be added, apply it so the ground looks like it has had a dusting of snow.  Work this in.  Regular lime will not burn the plants and the best to get is dolomitic  or Lee lime.  This type of lime contains magnesium which is an important nutrient for plants.   I don’t recommend using hydrated lime.  It is very caustic to handle and is harmful to the plants if it hasn’t broken down before they come into contact with it.  Liming the soil with powdered mineral lime every year if the pH is below 7.0 will not harm the plants.

Now it’s time to plant.  If the plants haven’t been acclimated to growing outdoors by being outdoors (hardening off) they need to be.  Gradually introduce them to outdoors like a plant that has been in a box for 3 days as mentioned previously.  When they are ready it’s time to plant.  Some people have to have exactly straight rows, some don’t.  The tomato plant does not care.  The only thing the tomato needs is space and room to grow so have the holes with at least 2’ around them in whatever pattern that is preferred.  Look at the tomato plant before the hole is dug.  If the stem is particularly tall or seems weak, dig the hole much deeper to accommodate a lot of the stem.  The stem will grow roots and the plant will be much stronger.  This is especially important if the plants were started in the house and didn’t get enough light and they are spindly.  If very spindly, a trench can be dug and the stem carefully laid in it with the top above ground.  Into the planting hole, slow release fertilizer or organic fertilizer can be put.  I like to mix up a handful each of Sulpomag (available on the web), greensand, blood or cotton meal, bone meal, and a tablespoon or so of dolomitic lime.  I mix it all together and add about a tablespoon to each planting hole.  Place the tomato in the hole, add some water to the hole and then back fill.  Water again.  If cutworms are a problem in your area, take a little newspaper  strip and wrap it several times around the stem to keep them from chewing into and hauling away the stem.  By the time the plants are no longer vulnerable the paper will have rotted away.  Continue planting in this way until all the plants are planted. 

To stake or not to stake, that is the question.

Tomatoes do not need to be staked.  They sprawl on the ground in the wild and ramble wherever they want.  Commercially they are grown in fields and allowed to sprawl.  There are some draw backs to this.  First, it makes weeding, cultivating, and harvesting difficult.  Second, it is easier for slugs and critters to eat into the tomatoes causing damage and allowing rots to get in.  Staking and or growing the tomatoes in a cage has the distinct advantage of getting the fruit off the ground…out of easy reach of rodents and slugs.  It also makes the crop easier to harvest.  The vines are upright and it is easy to see and pick the fruit.  Staking and growing in cages does add cost to the venture, but they can be used every year if they are stored out of the elements over the winter.  

Stakes need to be at least 6’ tall.  As the heirloom tomato grows, the stem is loosely tied to the stake with cloth ribbon.  I tear old clothes into strips about an inch wide and use this.  Twine can be used but it tends to cut into the stems if the plant leans away from the stake because its fruit is heavy.  Tie the stem to the stake every couple of feet of growth or at shorter intervals if the plant seems unstable.  

Crotching.  This is something done to the plants to encourage one main stem and therefore larger fruit.  Little sprouts, which will become a stem, grow in the leaf axils…where the leaves meet the stem.  These are removed, just dig them out with your thumb nail or break them off if they have gotten bigger than a sprout.  A funny thing happened when I was looking at a French site on tomatoes.  I can’t read French so I used a web translator to translate it into English.  It took me a few minutes to figure out what was meant by “digging the sprout out of the armpit”…crotching.  One thing to note is to make sure the sprout is a stem and not flowers.  It’s best to let it grow a little bit so it can be identified until you get the knack of it. 

Growing Heirloom tomatoes in cages.

This is the easier way to grow tomatoes.  Just put the cage around the plant and let it grow.  No, crotching is necessary because the cage will support all branches.  Choose a cage with openings large enough to pick the tomatoes through the cage.  

Common problems

Heirloom tomatoes are susceptible to major tomato diseases just like commercial varieties.  Fungicides can be purchased to control early blight, the deadly late blight, and other spots.  I prefer to use copper soap, an organic control.  Follow the directions on the label. 

Insect pests aren’t generally a problem.  I have seen aphids and flea beetles on my plants and I control them with neem oil and soap.  Neem is available on the web.  Be sure to get pure neem oil.   Mix 1½ tsp of dish soap and an equal amount of neem oil to a quart of water.  Apply with a sprayer.  It kills on contact and also has a few days residual effect.  Insects not contacted with the spray and do not feed on the plant are unaffected by the neem.  Only those insects which feed on the sprayed plants are affected.  Neem causes the insect to stop feeding and it can’t reproduce nor young become adults.  It shouldn’t be applied in full sun and the mixed solution needs to be used immediately because water causes the active ingredients to break down.  Neem is very safe to handle.  It has many uses in its native India including as food.  Neem also controls the plant disease powdery mildew. 

Blossom end rot.  This is a physiological problem characterized by a blackened area at the blossom end or the bottom of the tomato.  It is not a disease but actually a calcium deficiency.   Calcium gets into the plant with water.  If there isn’t enough water because of a drought, the calcium can’t get into the plant and the deficiency develops.  Make sure the plants always have ample water.

Cracking of fruit.  This occurs when the plants have been growing on the dry side and then they receive a lot of water either from watering or rain.  The fruit swells until it cracks.  This can be avoided by consistent watering and mulching.  Mulch material can be anything that covers the soil.  Mulch fabric, straw, and newspaper are a few examples.  The mulch conserves the water and a consistent supply is available to the plant. 

Weeds.  Unwanted plants need to be removed from the bed to reduce the competition for water and nutrients.  Mulch can be used and it needs to be at least 3 inches thick to be a good barrier to weed growth.  See cracking of fruit to get suggestions for types of mulch.  Good ole fashion hand pulling for the bigger ones and a hoe for smaller ones.  Do not let them get big enough to go to seed because they will become part of the seed reservoir in the soil and will be an increased problem in following years.   Another way around weeds is to grow heirloom tomatoes in pots.  The pots need to be at least 3 gals with good potting soil. The plants can be staked.  The tomatoes can be more prone to cracking and blossom end rot when grown in pots so careful watering is advised.  

Growing Heirloom Tomato Plants from Seed

The best way to start tomato plants is under artificial light.  Florescent light fixtures with double bulbs can be used.  The lamps on adjustable chains are the best because they can be raised or lowered to accommodate the plants’ growth.  The tomatoes get enough light if they are within 4 inches of the light.

If all that is available is window space, a south window is the best.  They still will probably get leggy and lanky, but that can be dealt with at planting.  Do not start tomatoes any earlier than 8 weeks before they go out.  They just get too darn big if started earlier than that.  The stress of being large, in the house, sets them back when they get planted.  It’s best to have smaller, sturdier plants which will grow quickly once planted. 

I like to use 3 oz solo cups.  I start 12 seeds per cup to conserve space.  Don’t sow any more than that because they will get crowded, compete too heavily and all will not  be thrifty.  Barely cover the seed with soil, keep warm and moist.  Germination occurs over a couple of weeks.  When the seeds are 3” high or so, divide them into groups of 3 and put them in their own community pots.  Plant the seedlings half their height deeper than they were growing.  If they were 3 inches tall, plant them one and a half inches deeper than they were previously growing.  Let them grow on until their roots fill the cup. Just knock the root ball and look.  If there are lots of roots in a tangle around the root ball, it’s time to pot them up individually in their own 3 oz cup.  Plant these with the bottom of the stem and roots touching the bottom of the cup, making the plant deeper in the pot again. They can stay in these cups until they are planted.  

http://www.maniplantsandmalas.com/servlet/StoreFront?cart_id=2463538 as a source for heirloom tomato plants and seeds as well as other types of plants.