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Bright Red Circle of Life

My family used to have a hothouse where we grew tomatoes - lots of them.  I don't know what variety they were or who originally planted the older ones, but in summer, you'd open the door and oh, what a delicious, fresh smell! And oh...what a delicious fresh taste. None of your mealy, white fruits here - I could eat them like apples.

So the fact that I really can't remember eating better tomatoes is because 1) I've actually never eaten better-tasting tomatoes, 2) eating tomatoes within 20 min of picking makes a difference, or 3) there's just something about planting your own and seeing them grow from seed to fruit.

I'll be planting some container-based heirloom seeds soon on my balcony (um, fire escape)...we'll see how it goes.

-Jenifer Morgan...off to plant some fog-friendly Sebastopols...

Posted by: hsnavely on 03/11/2008
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Anita  on March 11, 2008 at 04:07 AM 1
Don't forget to shop at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds!! www.rareseeds.com They have great variety, great prices, and the cheapest shipping ($3 for 12 seed packs for my order - and it would have been $3 if I bought twice as many)! You can also get some great seeds (not all heirlooms, but a good number of the tomatoes are) from wintersown.org Happy gardening!!
MamaT  on March 11, 2008 at 07:33 AM 2
Another vote for Baker Creek! They have great gardening forums, and also publish and heirloom gardening mag. Love them!
Kristin  on March 11, 2008 at 07:39 AM 3
Seed Savers rocks! Really nice gardens, visitor center, and hiking trails as well as heirloom seeds, cattle, and kittens!
Anna  on March 11, 2008 at 08:16 AM 4
Consider also Heirloom Seeds. (http://www.heirloomseeds.com/) They sell a variety of heirloom seeds in which alot of them are organic certified. I have ordered all of my seeds from them in the past three years. In addition, they are very reasonable and you can order online. As a thought consider saving your seeds from your plants. It is my understanding that you can only do this with heirloom seeds to make sure you get the same plant next year. Can any gardeners confirm this? I saved my tomatoes seeds their first year and they grew fine the next year. Anna www.green-talk.com
Stephanie  on March 11, 2008 at 11:19 AM 5
The Popular Farming Series magabooks has a volume (number 7) devoted to heirlooms. It is call Heirloom Farm and it has loads of info on varieties from flowers to fruits and veggies. You can get it on Amazon or at shopanimalnetwork.com. It also has seed and nursery resources listed in the back!
laura  on March 11, 2008 at 12:05 PM 6
You could also try just stopping by someone's house and asking if you could have a tomato (or whatever it is that you're looking for). It's a great way to meet your neighbors and if the plants they've got are doing well, there's a good chance yours will too since you're both in the same climate and all. This works for roses and other flowers as well.
Amber  on March 11, 2008 at 12:20 PM 7
A resounding Yeah! for Baker Creek! They have they biggest selection. Make sure to check their tigger melons. Check out heirloomacresseeds.com they have a lot of the same varieties, but for much cheaper. As to seed saving, yes, only saving stabilized varieties and heirlooms will guaranty having the same variety next year. But to have they best and healthiest plants you are supposed to collect from as many different plants as possible to provide a good genetic base for that variety.
April  on March 11, 2008 at 05:41 PM 8
Most, but not all, heirloom tomatoes have superior flavour....BUT, and this is a big BUT... They also have MUCH less disease resistance, so you generally get less yield, even though it tastes better. My favourite heirlooms? Paul Robeson, Black Plum and Black Cherry. Black Krim can be nice, and tastes great but is REALLY prone to blossom end rot, splitting and cat-facing. All of these problems can be solved by chemicals, but since I'm an organic gardener, I don't use them. Heirlooms are a nice idea. In reality..it can be a bit disappointing. So, this year, I'm growing all of the above heirlooms, but I'm also growing some Roma II's(a hybrid), just in case, because they yield like crazy, and I prefer to grow my own organic veggies.
Amber  on March 12, 2008 at 10:29 AM 9
I've never had productivity problems with heirlooms. Blossom end rot is caused by 1. a calcium deficiency in the soil 2. inconsistent watering. Yes with heirlooms you need to take care of the soil. If you feed your soil and load it down with organic matter, water regularly, and compost when needed for the plant being grown (seaweed is awesome)you will have more gorgeous, tasty fruits than you could possibly use.
Linda  on March 12, 2008 at 10:43 AM 10
I'm really not a gardner myself, but all this talk about fresh, homegrown veggies is making my mouth water! As a matter of fact, I just might check out the sites mentioned in the above posts. If I don't go heirloom, although heirlooms sound intriguing, I can always go with my Gramma's favorite tomatoes, Big Boy. She always grew Big Boy tomatoes, Kentucky Wonder pole beans (green beans), potatoes, and often summer squash and zucchini. And, since she liked radishes and I like broccoli, she'd usually grow them, too. Garden-fresh veggies are such a treat, and the ONLY way I'll eat green beans is if they come fresh from the garden. I don't like 'em either canned or frozen.
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