Join The Heirloom Tomato Craze - A Beginner's Guide

Welcome back to @dansgardening.

There continues to be an ever increasing interest in heirloom tomatoes these days. They are appealing in many ways. Some people may be drawn to the many colors, sizes, and shapes available. The true tomato lover knows that the real reason is taste. You simply can't beat the flavor of heirloom tomatoes. They take you back to what tomatoes should taste like.

So just what is an heirloom tomato? It is generally considered to be a variety that has been passed down through several generations of a family because of its desired characteristics. In contrast, modern day hybrids have been bred for commercially desired qualities, mainly uniform size and shape, and disease resistance.

There are also disadvantages of heirlooms compared to the hybrid varieties. They are more susceptible to some diseases, and tend to be more irregular in shape.

At this point I can probably guess what you are thinking. With so many varieties available, where do I begin?

Following is a great source for many heirloom tomatoes for you to explore:

Tomato Fest

This site gives a pretty good description of each variety. But looking at this might just add to the question of which ones to choose.

My suggestion, unless you have a certain size and/or color in mind, is to try a variety. There are quite a few selections available as seed packets if you start your plants yourself. Some are even available as plants. Following is some of what I found, starting with the one I have been using for several years:

Rainbow Blend From Park Seed

Contains Aunt Ruby's German Green, Dixie Golden Giant, Black from Tula, Brandywine Red, Big Rainbow, and Cherokee Purple. Available as both seeds and plants.

I have been very satisfied with this selection as the germination is good and it is a good sampling of heirlooms.

Rainbow Heirloom Blend From Gurney's

May contain black, pink, red or yellow Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, White Wonder and orange Nebraska Wedding

Rainbow HeirloomBlend From Burpee

The mix is composed equally of Bonny Best (red), Brandywine Pink (pink), Golden Sunburst (yellow), Black Krim (purple), Evergreen (green) and Djena Lee's Golden Girl (orange).

Heirloom Blend From Urban Farmer

The Heirloom Blend includes Marglobe Supreme, Black Krim, Rutger, Pink Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Golden Jubilee, Sweetie Cherry and Roma.

Rainbow Beefsteak Blend From Seeds 'N Such

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This spectacular mix has at least 12 different beefsteak varieties, with colors ranging from pink, yellow and orange to deep red, green and black. Fruits weigh anywhere from 12 oz. to 2 lbs., every ounce juicy and delicious.

I hope this will help get you started on your adventure into the world of heirloom tomatoes. You won't be sorry you tried them. The flavor is undeniable.

Stay tuned for more posts as I plan on starting my tomato seeds in a few weeks. I will follow their progress from seedlings to wonderful garden tomatoes.

Thanks for visiting.