A favorite that you will find in most gardens is tomatoes. Tomatoes come in all different sizes, shapes and colors. You can find white, yellow, orange, striped, purple, chocolate-brown and pink tomatoes in addition to the standard red ones.
Some are labeled as heirloom and others are hybrid. But what is the difference and is one type really better than the other?
During the 1970's, hybrids became popular and widely used. Hybrid tomatoes have been cultivated to be disease resistant and more uniform in shape.
They also yield more and produce earlier than heirloom tomatoes. Some popular hybrids include Better Boy, Big Boy, Big Beef, Early Girl and Super Sweet 100.
Heirloom tomatoes have been gaining popularity recently. To be an heirloom, the tomato must be an open pollinator. The tomato usually is of such quality that the seeds have been saved and passed down from generation to generation.
Heirloom tomatoes taste better than hybrids and come in a wonderful variety of colors. They do not have the disease resistance of hybrid tomatoes nor is the fruit as firm. But planting a few heirlooms opens up a whole new world of taste and types of tomatoes you can enjoy and savor this summer.
Some of the more popular heirlooms include Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine, Kentucky Beefsteak , Rutgers, Jubilee and Mr. Stripey, a favorite of mine. You will never be short of flavor with these and there's a little bit of interesting piece of history behind each heirloom.
I chose Mortgage Lifter as one of my tomatoes in my garden this year because of its name even before I knew the history behind the tomato. Back in the 1930's, Charley Byles, a radiator shop owner in West Virginia, took 4 of his biggest tomatoes and cross pollinated them. He then sold the plants from this new variety of tomatoes for a $1 a piece. Within 6 years, he paid off his mortgage. This tomato became known as Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter shortened to Mortgage Lifter.
Regardless of the tomato you choose to grow, you will need to make sure it gets 8 hours of sunlight. Tomatoes grow best with 2-4 feet of space between them.
Since tomatoes mature anywhere from 55 to 85 days depending on the type, you will want to find tomato seedlings from a local nursery or garden store. That way you will get to enjoy the tomatoes from July to September.
Next year, you can start from seed 6-8 weeks before it is time to plant. If you grow heirlooms this year, save a few seeds to plant next year.
As your tomatoes start to grow, try picking a few before they ripen for fried green tomatoes. It's a treat you just might enjoy.The summer heat has arrived and with it our threat for frost has diminished. It is prime time for summer gardens.
To enjoy tomatoes even after the first frost, plant one or two along the back of your house. The warmth of the house and a light covering at night will keep the tomatoes on your table a little bit longer after the others have succumbed to the frosty nights.
