Heirloom Tomato Plants
I grow a variety of heirloom tomato plants, as well as basil plants to sell each spring. These are large plants, organically grown, with deep, well-developed root systems.
The number of days noted after each variety are the approximate number of days (according to the seed catalogs) it takes to get a ripe tomato after you set the plant in your garden. Varieties marked with a * are better suited for container growing.
My large plants have a good head-start on the commercial nurseries' plants and will often produce ripe fruit a little sooner in your garden. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for some basic tomato-growing tips, if you're new to the game.
Tomato plants will be available mid-April through early May. I will have them at both farmers markets. You can also come out to the farm for plants - please do so by appointment.
Tomato plants are $4 each; basil plants are $3 each.
Red or Pink Tomatoes
Aker's West Virginia (80) Large robust plants produce red 1-pound slightly flattened tomatoes with a good balance of sweetness to acidity. A family heirloom originally from West Virginia.
*Hazelfield Farm (72) A smaller tomato coming in at 4-6 ounces. Very tolerant of heat and drought stress. Red fruits, very prolific. A volunteer plant gathered at Hazelfield Farm in Kentucky.
Royal Hillbilly (85) This one has a beautiful deep pink color with a purple tinge and exquisite flavor. l pound beefsteak tomatoes brimming with juice and flavor that is a complex blend of sweet and tart. Also famous for its large yields.
German Johnson (80) A famous NC heirloom tomato. Very large pink fruits are meaty, quite sweet, low-acid. I'm not wild about it (a little too sweet for my taste) but for many it's a must-have for summer tomato sandwiches.
Orange & Yellow Tomatoes
Dixie Golden Giant (85) Fabulous, sweet fruity taste in a huge, clear lemon-yellow beefsteak tomato make this variety outstanding. Some of the 1 to 2 lb. fruit have a pink blush on their blossom ends.
Kellogg's Breakfast (80) My hands-down favorite tomato. Brilliant orange color, 1-2 pound tomatoes are the perfect balance of meaty and juicy, sweet and acid. Vigorous, prolific, disease-free vines grow absolutely enormous - give it a lot of space. I can't imagine summer without these.
Purple Tomatoes
Cherokee Purple (80) Another famous North Carolina heirloom, said to have originated with the Cherokee tribe in western NC, refined by Craig LeHoullier of Raleigh. Rose-purple fruits have a fabulous sweet, smoky flavor, and can grow up to one pound each. These are the ugliest, but best-tasting tomatoes you'll ever grow. I have never found them to be very vigorous or productive, but the Cherokee has its addicts anyway.
Paul Robeson (75) One of the most highly regarded black tomatoes, this one features medium sized deep maroon fruits. Skins are too thin and delicate for anything but a home garden - you'll never find this variety at a market. Their flavor is complex, sweet yet tangy, and characteristic of that distinctive richness that makes black tomatoes special. Russian heirloom.
Green Tomatoes
*Green Zebra (70) Small to mid-sized fruits are green-and-gold striped when ripe. Excellent yields, the plants are robust but not too big, and one of the hardiest, most disease-resistant tomatoes I've ever grown. The tomatoes have a sweet flavor that's well balanced by a zippy tang - the perfect salad tomato.
Striped or Bi-colored Tomatoes
Virginia Sweets (80) average two-pound fruits, flesh is red streaked with gold, very striking in a platter or salad of sliced tomatoes. Sweet low-acid & juicy.
Cherry Tomatoes
*Mini Orange (75) tiny tangerine-orange 2-oz tomatoes, perfect for snacking & salads
Lollipop (75) lemon-yellow sweet mild cherry tomatoes in clusters; high yielding
*Black Cherry (70) dusky purple cherry tomatoes, sweet rich flavor
*Peacevine (70) small sweet red cherry tomatoes. According to Seeds of Change, this indeterminate variety had "the highest Vitamin C content in a cherry tomato among 30 varieties analyzed by Rutgers University."
*Coyote (65) creamy ivory with hints of yellow, the flavor is not only sweet but is also marked by a fruity complexity; grown in long grape-like clusters
*Isis Candy (65) yellow-gold cherry tomatoes with red marbling, sweet taste that is also rich and fruity. Very productive plants bear throughout a long season
Sauce & Canning Tomatoes...
*Jersey Devil (75) a Jersey classic. Large, six-inch long pepper or banana shaped fruit. Thick rich flesh better tasting than most roma types. Easy to grow, great for canning.
Wild Onion's Pink Plum (80) Seed was initially gathered from a volunteer plant I found growing in my tomato field a few summers ago. Produces large, meaty, light pink oxheart-shaped fruits. Sweet with just a hint of acidity, very productive, disease-resistant. Tends to set most of its fruit within a 2-week period.
Basil Plants
Lemon Basil
Thai Basil
Genovese (sweet Italian) basil
Other garden plants may be available to purchase, such as sweet and hot pepper plants, eggplant starts, possibly more. Go to the home page and sign up for my newsletters to receive weekly updates on what may be ready for your garden.
The number of days noted after each variety are the approximate number of days (according to the seed catalogs) it takes to get a ripe tomato after you set the plant in your garden. Varieties marked with a * are better suited for container growing.
My large plants have a good head-start on the commercial nurseries' plants and will often produce ripe fruit a little sooner in your garden. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for some basic tomato-growing tips, if you're new to the game.
Tomato plants will be available mid-April through early May. I will have them at both farmers markets. You can also come out to the farm for plants - please do so by appointment.
Tomato plants are $4 each; basil plants are $3 each.
Red or Pink Tomatoes
Aker's West Virginia (80) Large robust plants produce red 1-pound slightly flattened tomatoes with a good balance of sweetness to acidity. A family heirloom originally from West Virginia.
*Hazelfield Farm (72) A smaller tomato coming in at 4-6 ounces. Very tolerant of heat and drought stress. Red fruits, very prolific. A volunteer plant gathered at Hazelfield Farm in Kentucky.
Royal Hillbilly (85) This one has a beautiful deep pink color with a purple tinge and exquisite flavor. l pound beefsteak tomatoes brimming with juice and flavor that is a complex blend of sweet and tart. Also famous for its large yields.
German Johnson (80) A famous NC heirloom tomato. Very large pink fruits are meaty, quite sweet, low-acid. I'm not wild about it (a little too sweet for my taste) but for many it's a must-have for summer tomato sandwiches.
Orange & Yellow Tomatoes
Dixie Golden Giant (85) Fabulous, sweet fruity taste in a huge, clear lemon-yellow beefsteak tomato make this variety outstanding. Some of the 1 to 2 lb. fruit have a pink blush on their blossom ends.
Kellogg's Breakfast (80) My hands-down favorite tomato. Brilliant orange color, 1-2 pound tomatoes are the perfect balance of meaty and juicy, sweet and acid. Vigorous, prolific, disease-free vines grow absolutely enormous - give it a lot of space. I can't imagine summer without these.
Purple Tomatoes
Cherokee Purple (80) Another famous North Carolina heirloom, said to have originated with the Cherokee tribe in western NC, refined by Craig LeHoullier of Raleigh. Rose-purple fruits have a fabulous sweet, smoky flavor, and can grow up to one pound each. These are the ugliest, but best-tasting tomatoes you'll ever grow. I have never found them to be very vigorous or productive, but the Cherokee has its addicts anyway.
Paul Robeson (75) One of the most highly regarded black tomatoes, this one features medium sized deep maroon fruits. Skins are too thin and delicate for anything but a home garden - you'll never find this variety at a market. Their flavor is complex, sweet yet tangy, and characteristic of that distinctive richness that makes black tomatoes special. Russian heirloom.
Green Tomatoes
*Green Zebra (70) Small to mid-sized fruits are green-and-gold striped when ripe. Excellent yields, the plants are robust but not too big, and one of the hardiest, most disease-resistant tomatoes I've ever grown. The tomatoes have a sweet flavor that's well balanced by a zippy tang - the perfect salad tomato.
Striped or Bi-colored Tomatoes
Virginia Sweets (80) average two-pound fruits, flesh is red streaked with gold, very striking in a platter or salad of sliced tomatoes. Sweet low-acid & juicy.
Cherry Tomatoes
*Mini Orange (75) tiny tangerine-orange 2-oz tomatoes, perfect for snacking & salads
Lollipop (75) lemon-yellow sweet mild cherry tomatoes in clusters; high yielding
*Black Cherry (70) dusky purple cherry tomatoes, sweet rich flavor
*Peacevine (70) small sweet red cherry tomatoes. According to Seeds of Change, this indeterminate variety had "the highest Vitamin C content in a cherry tomato among 30 varieties analyzed by Rutgers University."
*Coyote (65) creamy ivory with hints of yellow, the flavor is not only sweet but is also marked by a fruity complexity; grown in long grape-like clusters
*Isis Candy (65) yellow-gold cherry tomatoes with red marbling, sweet taste that is also rich and fruity. Very productive plants bear throughout a long season
Sauce & Canning Tomatoes...
*Jersey Devil (75) a Jersey classic. Large, six-inch long pepper or banana shaped fruit. Thick rich flesh better tasting than most roma types. Easy to grow, great for canning.
Wild Onion's Pink Plum (80) Seed was initially gathered from a volunteer plant I found growing in my tomato field a few summers ago. Produces large, meaty, light pink oxheart-shaped fruits. Sweet with just a hint of acidity, very productive, disease-resistant. Tends to set most of its fruit within a 2-week period.
Basil Plants
Lemon Basil
Thai Basil
Genovese (sweet Italian) basil
Other garden plants may be available to purchase, such as sweet and hot pepper plants, eggplant starts, possibly more. Go to the home page and sign up for my newsletters to receive weekly updates on what may be ready for your garden.
Tips for growing great tomatoes
Some basic advice for getting your tomatoes to a bountiful harvest...
Soil Preparation:
Start with good garden soil in a location that gets at least six hours of sun per day. There's no such thing as a tomato that will grow in shade. Sprinkle a little limestone (for calcium, to help prevent blossom end rot) and kelp meal (to help prevent disease and provide micronutrients) in your planting area and scratch them shallowly into the soil surface. A few shovelfuls of compost are also a good idea. Don't over-fertilize with nitrogen or you'll end up with a plant that makes a lot of leaves, but sets no flowers or fruit. Have some mulch handy.
Planting:
Dig a hole with a trowel large enough to accommodate the rootball of your plant. Pinch off any blossoms or discolored leaves. Place the plant in the ground up to the first set of leaves. If your tomato plant is looking tall and leggy, you can plant it sideways, burying the stem, right up to the first or second set of leaves. The plant will root all along the buried part of the stem. Water in well. Mulch around the base of the plant. Mulch will keep the soil moisture even (which will prevent the tomatoes from cracking), keep the foliage from coming in contact with the soil (see "Pests & Diseases"). Most importantly, mulching will let you sit on the porch sipping lemonade instead of yanking weeds out of the ground all summer.
Container planting:
While hot peppers and basil plants will do just fine in containers, your tomato will be most productive if you plant it in the ground. If you must plant in a pot, give each tomato plant a large container (at least a 5-gallon size). You'll probably need to water daily. You'll still need to provide a stake or other support for the plant. I do not recommend those "topsy-turvy" planters.
Staking:
These are all large, sprawling, indeterminate or vining types of tomatoes; they'll need some kind of support. You can use sturdy stakes, a trellis, fenceposts, tomato cages, anything that will hold it up off the ground. Here on the farm I use long rows of 5-foot wire mesh fencing supported with T-posts or rebar, and tie the plants up to the fence as they grow.
Watering:
Stick your finger in the soil up to your second knuckle. If the soil is dry at your fingertip, give the plant some water. Container plants should be checked daily, as the soil will dry out much faster. Even moisture is best (mulch it!).
Pruning:
I don't. That's a lot of extra work. And they grow just fine without it.
Pests, Diseases, and Other Problems:
The most common tomato pest you'll find are tomato hornworms. They'll defoliate large portions of the plant in no time. Since these guys are the exact same shade of green as the foliage on your plant, they're easiest to find by looking for the large castings (yes, worm poop) on the ground. You'll usually find the worm lounging on a newly-stripped stem, digesting it's snack. My favorite method is to snip them in two with pruners or scissors. Other 4-footed pests may include groundhogs, deer, etc. There are a lot of gimmicky sprays and products out there that claim to keep the varmints away; in the long run the cheapest and best solution is a fence. Entire books have been written on diseases that can afflict tomatoes. Your best defense is in careful soil preparation and proper staking to keep the plant's foliage off the ground. Check your plants regularly. If you see unhappy-looking (discolored or spotty) leaves, strip them off and discard them somewhere else. Cracked fruits are caused by an uneven supply of water. Mulch to keep the ground evenly moist, and don't overwater. Sometimes we get a lot of rain all at once, your near-ripe tomatoes will crack, there's not much you can do about it. Blossom end rot looks like a black, sunken spot on the bottom of the tomato. This is due to an insufficient supply of calcium in the soil. Sprinkle some limestone around the plant and scratch it into the soil. Catfacing is caused by extremely hot weather when the blossoms are setting fruit. It's just a cosmetic thing, go ahead and eat that tomato anyway!
Harvesting:
Especially with the more unusual-colored tomatoes, the best way of knowing when your tomato is ripe is by touch and smell. A ripe tomato will feel slightly soft to the touch, and smell divine...like a ripe tomato. If it still feels hard, it's not ready yet. These are all indeterminate vining plants, which will produce ripe tomatoes for at least 6-8 weeks, possibly much longer. One of the most common questions I get from new gardeners is "how many tomatoes will I get per plant?" It depends on the specific variety you choose and how well it is grown. It's not easy to put a number on that. I've noted in the list above which varieties I've found to be more prolific than others.
Soil Preparation:
Start with good garden soil in a location that gets at least six hours of sun per day. There's no such thing as a tomato that will grow in shade. Sprinkle a little limestone (for calcium, to help prevent blossom end rot) and kelp meal (to help prevent disease and provide micronutrients) in your planting area and scratch them shallowly into the soil surface. A few shovelfuls of compost are also a good idea. Don't over-fertilize with nitrogen or you'll end up with a plant that makes a lot of leaves, but sets no flowers or fruit. Have some mulch handy.
Planting:
Dig a hole with a trowel large enough to accommodate the rootball of your plant. Pinch off any blossoms or discolored leaves. Place the plant in the ground up to the first set of leaves. If your tomato plant is looking tall and leggy, you can plant it sideways, burying the stem, right up to the first or second set of leaves. The plant will root all along the buried part of the stem. Water in well. Mulch around the base of the plant. Mulch will keep the soil moisture even (which will prevent the tomatoes from cracking), keep the foliage from coming in contact with the soil (see "Pests & Diseases"). Most importantly, mulching will let you sit on the porch sipping lemonade instead of yanking weeds out of the ground all summer.
Container planting:
While hot peppers and basil plants will do just fine in containers, your tomato will be most productive if you plant it in the ground. If you must plant in a pot, give each tomato plant a large container (at least a 5-gallon size). You'll probably need to water daily. You'll still need to provide a stake or other support for the plant. I do not recommend those "topsy-turvy" planters.
Staking:
These are all large, sprawling, indeterminate or vining types of tomatoes; they'll need some kind of support. You can use sturdy stakes, a trellis, fenceposts, tomato cages, anything that will hold it up off the ground. Here on the farm I use long rows of 5-foot wire mesh fencing supported with T-posts or rebar, and tie the plants up to the fence as they grow.
Watering:
Stick your finger in the soil up to your second knuckle. If the soil is dry at your fingertip, give the plant some water. Container plants should be checked daily, as the soil will dry out much faster. Even moisture is best (mulch it!).
Pruning:
I don't. That's a lot of extra work. And they grow just fine without it.
Pests, Diseases, and Other Problems:
The most common tomato pest you'll find are tomato hornworms. They'll defoliate large portions of the plant in no time. Since these guys are the exact same shade of green as the foliage on your plant, they're easiest to find by looking for the large castings (yes, worm poop) on the ground. You'll usually find the worm lounging on a newly-stripped stem, digesting it's snack. My favorite method is to snip them in two with pruners or scissors. Other 4-footed pests may include groundhogs, deer, etc. There are a lot of gimmicky sprays and products out there that claim to keep the varmints away; in the long run the cheapest and best solution is a fence. Entire books have been written on diseases that can afflict tomatoes. Your best defense is in careful soil preparation and proper staking to keep the plant's foliage off the ground. Check your plants regularly. If you see unhappy-looking (discolored or spotty) leaves, strip them off and discard them somewhere else. Cracked fruits are caused by an uneven supply of water. Mulch to keep the ground evenly moist, and don't overwater. Sometimes we get a lot of rain all at once, your near-ripe tomatoes will crack, there's not much you can do about it. Blossom end rot looks like a black, sunken spot on the bottom of the tomato. This is due to an insufficient supply of calcium in the soil. Sprinkle some limestone around the plant and scratch it into the soil. Catfacing is caused by extremely hot weather when the blossoms are setting fruit. It's just a cosmetic thing, go ahead and eat that tomato anyway!
Harvesting:
Especially with the more unusual-colored tomatoes, the best way of knowing when your tomato is ripe is by touch and smell. A ripe tomato will feel slightly soft to the touch, and smell divine...like a ripe tomato. If it still feels hard, it's not ready yet. These are all indeterminate vining plants, which will produce ripe tomatoes for at least 6-8 weeks, possibly much longer. One of the most common questions I get from new gardeners is "how many tomatoes will I get per plant?" It depends on the specific variety you choose and how well it is grown. It's not easy to put a number on that. I've noted in the list above which varieties I've found to be more prolific than others.
