HEIRLOOM TOMATOES

[Cardinal Fan]

I'm going to attempt to grow Heirloom tomatoes this year. Any advice? Thanks!

[lavender]

Try to find seeds that come from this area. Heirlooms, of any kind, are generally adapted to the area in which they are grown. Heirlooms don't have the resistance to Verticulum wilt, Fusarium and nematodes that hybrid tomatoes do. The hybrids are bred to be VFN resistant so grow them as clean as possible and watch for disease and nematodes in the soil . Don't plant them too close so you can cultivate in between  to keep weeds down or mulch. Good air flow keeps down disease. Watch for sun scald and if it starts shade the fruit. I lost a whole crop of Cherokee purple to sun scald one year. Good luck!

[Petee]

I'm going to attempt to grow Heirloom tomatoes this year. Any advice? Thanks!

We have a link on the BUDS website for growing seeds.  It's pretty complete but if you need help just ask.  I raise almost all of the plants for the BUDS plant sales and once you learn a few dos and don'ts, it surprises you want all the seeds just do for themselves.  I always marvel that the little bit of seemingly dead tissue ends up in huge plants and fruits.  I have leeks and pansies growing right now and the fun never ends watching them germinate and get bigger every day.

 

http://www.budsgardeners.com/Seed%20Starting.html

 

[Cardinal Fan]

Well it's almost the middle of August and my Heirloom tomatoes are the size of peas. There are a lot of them, but they are so small. This is my first attempt at growing them. I feed them and they don't have bugs, the plants look very healthy. Is this size normal? My friends regular tomatoes are nice size already. What am I doing wrong?

[Petee]

You may have a longer season tomato that won't put on a growth spurt till late in August.  Some larger tomatoes take 120 days so later frosts make it possible for us to grow them.  Do you remember what kind they are?

 

Just keep them fertilized right up to harvest with tomato food (half strength every two weeks) and keep them well watered, and you'll see them grow when it's their time.

 

Sometimes people will prune off some of the fruit to make the remaining tomatoes larger.  It reduces the number of tomatoes but they grow bigger.

[lavender]

Well it's almost the middle of August and my Heirloom tomatoes are the size of peas. There are a lot of them, but they are so small. This is my first attempt at growing them. I feed them and they don't have bugs, the plants look very healthy. Is this size normal? My friends regular tomatoes are nice size already. What am I doing wrong?

You aren't doing anything wrong! See why I said get heirloom tomatoes that are adapted to local conditions? I don't know what you planted but the chances are good that you planted something that is adapted to a more southern region where the growing season is longer. It has been abnormally warm this summer, and tomatoes enjoy the heat, so they should be well along by now.  My suggestion at this point is to top the plants. If you have indeterminate tomatoes (those that just keep getting taller) taking out the top of the plant with the growth tip will stop the plant from growing taller and may allow it to concentrate its energies on growing and ripening the tomatoes. You want no more actual leaf or plant growth at this point so keep the plants watered and personally I would stop all feeding unless you have something that is very low in nitrogen. Nitrogen just promotes more plant growth.  

[Cardinal Fan]

Thank you all for the info!

[Petee]

Also, if you're feeding with regular Miracle Gro, it's not meant for tomatoes, it's meant for foliage and a few flowers.  Use a specific formula meant for tomatoes which will say "Tomato" food.  It's lower in nitrogen so you don't get all plants and little fruit.