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Okay, so I have recently become obsessed by the idea of finding the best heirloom tomato. What is everybody’s favorite? It should taste good, grow well, and look awesome! Something to really shock the neighbors.
(I’m in Washington so extra points to one that works good on the west
coast.)
Alrighty! When you're talking about tomatoes you need to know what you're looking for. There are two basic kinds: Indeterminants and determinants.
Indeterminants are often taller and continue to grow, fruit and flower until frost. Early Girl and Burpee's Burger are two popular examples. Determinant tomatoes are often shorter and bushier and are great for growing in containers. Northern Exposure and Sweet Tangerine are two popular determinants.
In my garden, Oregon Spring and Forth of July are usually the first two varieties to reach maturity. They also get major bonus points because they taste great! Early Girl and Sungold (a yellow colored cherry tomato) also receive rave reviews. By the way, you can't beat the flavor of a Sungold tomato.
I'm pretty sure all of these tomatoes will grow well in the Pacific Northwest. Just remember, tomatoes crave rich, well drained soil, consistent heat (a south facing wall works great), and plenty of sunlight. Give them the love and care they need and your tomatoes will be the talk of the neighborhood.
That is a big shiny tomato! What do you think of the more exotic kinds like green zebra or hilbilly? are they worth growing or do they just look pretty not taste pretty?
yes, both Hillbilly and Green Zebra are well worth growing.
As another exotic, you might like "Paul Robeson". This is a very dark, dusky almost black tomato that origninated in the Soviet Union. The taste is just as exotic/different as the color.
There are those who argue Paul Robeson may be the finest tomato though there is, of course, no universal agreement on that point!!
I'm trying both Green Zebra and Paul Robeson this year. Stay tuned.
Hey there… we've just moved to the Texas Hill Country and while clearing some brush on the property, I've run across some tomatoes growing. I thought before the deer eat them all up I would containerize them up on the porch. How far around the base should I dig, how deep and will I inevitably kill these wild girls?
Ya know, if your really careful and transplant them into a big container (a half whiskey barrel at least) I don't see any reason that you couldn't keep them alive for the rest of the season. (Longer if you bring them inside when its cold) I would try digging a couple of feet around the plants and see if I encounter any of there root systems. If they haven't spread that far yet keep digging in till you find the main bulk and handle them carefully as you transplant them to the chosen container. At least I think that should work fine…
A tomato that looks like a pepper! Great for stuffing.
Burpee Exclusive.
Wonderful yellow tomatoes that will inspire plentiful oohs and aahs. At first glance, you'd swear it is a yellow bell pepper, with a perfect pepper shape and feel. But it's very much a tomato, making a tasty conversation piece when stuffed with your favorite salad. Suitable for either appetizers or entrees, 'Yellow Magic's' walls are uniquely firm, thin and tasty, so preparing them is a pleasure.
The mature fruit grows to 4" wide. A delicious and welcome addition for both gardeners and magicians.
75 days.
Sorry, plants CANNOT be sent to AK, AZ, CA, HI, or NV.
Plants ship in spring at proper planting time. ( click here for shipping schedule )
I grow these from seeds and stuff em w tuna salad and there is no debate with neighbors or workers, these are by far coolest tomatos you can grow.
The best coolest tomato is of course the green zebra!!!! This tomato is an eye catcher. I make salsa with it and the orange blossom and it is really good and is cool looking. I love trying all the different looking tomatoes. The striped german is good too, just hard to grow, it seems to get end rot pretty bad.
So much sweeter, juicier and extra flavorful than a commercially-raised tomato, homegrown heirloom tomatoes restore one of summer’s greatest pleasures. We offer several unique varieties here.
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