“Edible perfection. This emerald-green cherry tomato produces tons of fruit all summer long.” – Venelin Dimitrov, Senior Product Manager, Burpee; Warminster, PA
“This beefsteak makes a damn good Bloody Mary.” – Anthony Sasso, Executive Chef, La Sirena; New York City
Related: How to Trellis Tomatoes Fast with a Florida Weave
“Fried green tomatoes, OMG! I live in the South, so this beefsteak tops my list.” – Kevin Mitchell, Chef/Instructor, Culinary Institute of Charleston; Charleston, SC
“A super-tasty psychedelic wonder that comes hard and quick in 75 days.” – Aimee Olexy, Co-owner, The Love; Philadelphia
Related: How to Grow Your Own Tomatoes, Part 1: Starting Seeds Indoors
“Extra-large with a consistently moist center, ‘Pineapple’ beefsteak is one stunning specimen.” – Kurt Timmermeister, Owner, Kurtwood Farms and Kurt Farm Shop; Vashon Island, WA, and Seattle
“New-to-me varieties with quirky names always prove hard to resist, but these won me over with their low acidity and unique candelabra-bulb form.” – Ilene Rosen, Co-owner, R&D Foods; Brooklyn
Related: How to Grow Your Own Tomatoes, Part 2: Transplanting
“The most reliable and flavorful purple beef- steak, hands down.” – Peter Zuck, Vegetable Product Manager, Johnny’s Selected Seeds; Winslow, ME
“Our go-to beefsteak has the perfect
wide stance for sandwich filling.” – Matt Lee and Ted Lee, Founders, The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue; Charleston, SC
Related: How to Grow Your Own Tomatoes, Part 3: Staking, Training and Pruning
“Created by a breeder famous for Willy Wonka”“esque varieties, this is the granddaddy of slicing tomatoes – earthy and juicy with no pucker.” – Shannon McCabe, Horticulturist and Gardening Writer, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds; Mansfield, MO
“This slicer has long been my favorite – pinkish and incredibly sweet.” – Michael Pollan, Author, The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Cooked; Berkeley, CA
Related: How to Grow Your Own Tomatoes Part 4: Disease Prevention
“These awesome, easy-to-grow cherry tomatoes hold on their trusses and never split!” – Lane Selman, Founder/ Director, Culinary Breeding Network; Portland, OR
“This beefsteak is one of two heirlooms that started Seed Savers Exchange. The great-grandparents of our co-founder Diane Ott Whealy brought the seeds to Iowa when they emigrated from Bavaria in the 1870s.” – Alicia Chilton, Marketing and Development Manager, Seed Savers Exchange; Decorah, IA
“Yes, I’m from Battle Creek, Michigan, where the cereal company is based. But it’s the low seed count and beautiful orange color that had me using these beef- steaks all last summer.” – Thomas Lents, Executive Chef, The Apparatus Room; Detroit
Related: From Poison to Passion: The Secret History of the Tomato
“An Italian plum tomato, ‘San Marzano Redorta’ creates wonderfully complex sauces and salsas.” – Gary “Tomato Man” Ibsen, Founder, TomatoFest; Little River, CA
“These delicious cherry tomatoes manage to reseed themselves in our Zone 3”“4 garden every year.” – Alissa Hessler, Founder, Urban Exodus; Camden, ME
T&D Willey Farms care for 75-acres of farmland in Central San Joaquin Valley in Madera, California, where they’ve been farming since 1980, and have been certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers since 1987. They run a CSA with about 800 customers, as well as selling directly to organic food wholesalers. Denesse Willey was kind enough to answer our questions about why you want to pick up a green tomato right now — even if there may still be a
I have become obsessed with heirloom seeds over the past decade. I save them, trade them and read about them. Now it looks as though I write about them. Some seeds arrive with a rich history while others are shrouded in a bit of mystery. They produce delicious and unique plants, and I am always on the lookout for a lost gem. For the beginner, heirlooms may seem a bit overwhelming. Some plants need to be separated from others such as sweet corn and popcorn. Others take a bit more work in order
Choosing tomato varieties can be confusing because there are so many, so use our Tomato Chooser to help you pick the best for your garden. Our article Learn Tomato Terms explains some basic (but important) tomato terms, such as hybrid, indeterminate vs. determinate, and VFN (disease resistance). Its a good idea to grow a range of varieties, including at least one or two disease-resistant types, since, of all veggies, tomatoes tend to be the most susceptible to disease. How to Plant a
Photo credit These nocturnal critters are found throughout the country, especially near water. Their diet consists mostly of small animals and insects. They are mild-mannered creatures and will only shoot their notorious spray when threatened. Skunks only occasionally bother the garden, perhaps feeding on corn thats close to the ground. Mostly, their damage is due to nighttime digging in lawns and flower beds looking for one of their favorite food: grubs. They may dig many 3-4 holes in one night