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Growing heirloom tomatoes is all the rage in the gardening world today. Not only do the tomatoes great taste, but they keep the genetic line going from special plants that are great example of the tomatoes almost everyone loves.

What are HeirLoom Tomatoes?

The question of an exact definition of heirloom tomatoes is a controversial subject. One train of thought is that the definition should be based on the age of the cultivars. For example, these people define heirloom tomatoes as a line that is over 100 years old, or 50 years old, while others say that any tomato line which began by 1945, the end of World War II qualifies as an heirloom tomato.

Others define heirloom tomatoes as a cultivar that has been nurtured, carefully chosen, and handed down from family member to family member for generations. Still others define these tomatoes as cultivars introduced generations ago which have such great qualities that the line has been saved and maintained over the years.

No matter which definition of heirloom tomatoes you agree with, the common point is that their heirlooms must be open-pollinated and not hybridized in any way. No genetically modified specimens can qualify as heirloom tomatoes.

Pricing of HeirLoom Tomatoes

When you shop for heirloom tomatoes, you will notice that the price of these specimens is greater than for hybrid of non [heirloom tomatoes] . Why is this true? Well, the heirloom tomatoes where selected for handing down from generation to generation for specific qualities.

Tenderness and taste are major reasons for continuing a line of tomatoes. Some of the specimens can grow to huge sizes and others produce unique colors and shapes. The main driver for growing the pure-bred heirloom produce is flavor. Nothing is quite like a perfect, beautiful heirloom tomato served sliced with a tiny bit of salt as an accompaniment to fresh vegetables.

These attributes mean that the prices are higher than for modern tomatoes. After all, these heirloom fruits are “antiques” and, whether you buy furniture, cars, clothing, or anything else that is an antique, you will pay more than you would for a modern version. However, those who grow these tomatoes attest that the additional investment is well worth the price.

Attributes of HeirLoom Tomatoes - Unique, Colorful, and Shapely

We think of tomatoes as green fruits which turn red when ripe. With heirloom tomatoes, this is not always the case. Heirloom specimens of various varieties ripen to purple, green, pink, gold, orange, striped, even white. Huge old-fashioned beefsteaks that are large enough to stuff are an example, and some heirlooms are even shaped like an accordion.

HeirLoom Tomatoes Varieties

Examples of some of the available heir-loom tomatoes include:

Aunt Ruby’s German Green: Ripes to a bright green and is very flavorful and large — up to one pound..

Brandywine: An Amish heirloom from 1995 which produces large fruit, up to 1.5 pounds, and has a wonderful flavor. It ripens to shades from pink to blackish purple.
Cherokee Purple: This tomato from the 1890s ripens to a flavorful, large fruit which is deep pink-purple.

Galinas: This heirloom hails from Siberia and produces small, golden yellow tomatoes which are sweet yet tangy.

English Rose: Dated from pre-World War II, this tomato has been passed down through a single family. It is noted for a large size and pink fruit and has leaves shaped like potato leaves.

Break-O-Day: This heir-loom dates from 1931 and provides red fruit that is great for canning. The fruit are uniform in shape and have rich red color. The flavor is considered tangy.

Marmande: This ribbed red tomato comes from France and is richly flavored. The tomatoes are medium to large size and the plants produce well even in cooler climates.
Old German: The Mennonites developed this exquisitely flavored tomato with large, yellow-skinned fruits streaked with red. There may be marbling of red both on the skin and inside the tomato.

Orange Banana: This heirloom is great for making paste, drying or canning. It is orange and sweet when ripened properly. They also taste great fresh when included in a meal as a side dish.

Pink Accordion: This tomato is mild in flavor and heavily ribbed, reminding one of an accordion. They are semi-hollow inside, making great choices for stuffing. The ribbed shape also makes an impressive display on a place when simply sliced for serving.

Principe Borghese: This heirloom hails from Italy and has fruits shaped like grapes with few seeds. The flavor is relished but the fruit is small — only one or two ounces.
Plum Lemon: Hailing from Moscow, these heirlooms are canary yellow when ripe and measure about three inches in length, looking very much like a lemon. They are sweet in taste.

Thai Pink Egg: This heir-loom tomato from Thailand produces crisp, sweet, pink tomatoes which are full of flavor and uniform in color. Each tomato may be only one ounce and is shaped like a grape.

Tigerella Orange: These red-orange tomatoes are small to medium in size and have a tangy flavor. They are prized due to their productive vines and disease resistance. This is a great choice for slicing and eating along with vegetables.

White Currant: This wild-type heirloom produces clusters of cherry tomatoes that ripen to a creamy color with a slight yellow tint to the skin. They are very sweet and much loved by fans of heirloom tomatoes.

Preserving the HeirLoom Tomato Lines

When you grow heirloom tomatoes, it is important to keep the line pure and preserved for future generations. To do this, simply prevent cross-pollination with other tomatoes by growing other tomatoes in another area of the garden or in a different part of the property (i.e. grow one type in the front garden and the other in the back garden). Save some seed from the heirloom specimens to plant again the next year. Do this each year, and your initial investment, even though it is more than buying hybrid tomatoes, will pay off for you in flavor, beauty, and enjoyment of growing something that has been around for generations.

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Gardening for the lazy gardener does not mean the person creating the garden is lazy. It does mean that the lazy gardener wants to work smarter instead of harder. Many people who simply love to garden can not perform the tasks of digging, shoveling, bending, weeding, and other physical tasks. Other lazy gardeners simply have better things to do with their time — like sitting in the shade and enjoying the fruits of their labor with friends and family members.

First, let’s look at the elements which make up a beautiful, lush garden, whether in a flower bed, herb garden, colorful shades of green and gold non-flowering plants, or whatever the lazy gardener loves best. The requirements are:

Rich, nutritious soil,

A weed-free environment,

Mulch to hold moisture,

Drainage to allow excess moisture to flow away from the plants.

This can be created by digging out a bed, pulling all the weeds and unwanted growth by hand, spending hours working enrichment into the soil, and digging holes for plants. Then, a layer of mulch is placed over the garden. Sounds like lots of work, doesn’t it? Well, it really is, especially for someone with back problems, knee problems, and other physical issues.

The solution is so simple and easy, you’ll wonder why everyone hasn’t been using this technique for years. The plants will have all the same elements, but almost all the shovel and spade work will be removed from the process.

The simple answer for the lazy gardener is no big secret. Instead of planting your garden into the ground, plant directly into biodegradable bags of potting soil! Let’s look at how to successfully garden using this method.

Choose a location for your garden and measure how long and wide the space you wish to plant is in all dimensions. Just get a general idea at this point, because you’ll adjust your measurements slightly later to make things as easy as possible.

Next, take the measurements of a bag of potting soil in the largest size you can successfully manage to move into your wheelbarrow and from there onto the ground. You will want to adjust your plot measurements to allow the width of the garden to fit the bags. In other words, if you had thought a garden 3 1/2 feet wide would be nice, but the bag of soil you wish to use is only 3 feet wide, simply adjust your plot. If you truly need that extra one-half foot covered, you can cover it with mulch in the final steps of the process.

Purchase the number of bags of potting soil needed to fit your plot. Wheel them to the area you wish to plant. Line them up on the ground, about one bag width from the back edge of the place you wish the plotting soil bag to lay for the planting.

Use a knife, shears, or other sharp implement to puncture each bag of potting soil on the side that will be next to the ground in at least six small places. Puncture the bag up to 12 times if you need extra drainage for the type of plant you plant to grow.

Now, simply flip the bags of soil so that they lay where you wish to plant your plants. You may have to drag them a bit to get each in perfect position. Lay the bags end-to-end along the length of the planting area. Add another row of bags if needed to fit your plot.

Again, use your knife or other sharp implement to slit the top of each bag of soil from end-to-end. Use a small gardener’s hand spade to create a hole for each plant and insert the plant into the hole, using the same techniques you would in a traditional planting. Press the soil around the plant firmly. This work will go amazingly quickly since you are not digging into hard ground.

After you have planted your garden, cover the entire garden with a layer of mulch. This helps prevent weeds from invading the rich soil. The unwanted plants under the potting soil bags will simply die and become enrichment for the soil.

The potting soil bags will biodegrade over a period of time. During the early months of gardening using this method, reduce supplemental watering slightly because the partial cover on the bag bottom will help hold moisture around the plant roots.

Next season, you can simply perform the same [lazy gardener] process if you are a seasonal gardener. If you have chosen plants which will last for years, simply begin fertilizing by late fall and again in early spring.

Anyone, even a lazy gardener, really can have a beautiful garden without ever digging. This same method can be used in planters and window boxes using smaller bags of soil.

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