Plant Heirloom Tomato Plants in Your Vegetable Garden

By Kris Wetherbee
Published on June 13, 2011
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Shoppers at a local farmers’ market find a wide variety of harvested heirloom tomatoes ready for purchase.
Shoppers at a local farmers’ market find a wide variety of harvested heirloom tomatoes ready for purchase.
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Black Prince tomatoes ripen on the vine.
Black Prince tomatoes ripen on the vine.
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A stack of Tigerella tomatoes awaits slicing.
A stack of Tigerella tomatoes awaits slicing.
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Green Zebra tomatoes definitely earn the name.
Green Zebra tomatoes definitely earn the name.
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The Old German variety offers a fruity flavor and a good size for slicing.
The Old German variety offers a fruity flavor and a good size for slicing.
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Brandywines are a favorite heirloom tomato for many people.
Brandywines are a favorite heirloom tomato for many people.

As a former certified organic market grower, I love tomatoes. I have grown more than 100 varieties and tasted even more, have served as a tomato-tasting judge, and have attended the world’s largest tomato festival. So when it comes to “the perfect tomato,” I’ve discovered that it’s really a matter of personal preference. That’s one of the things I love about heirloom tomato plants. The wide range of unique flavors, complex colors and intriguing shapes certainly give heirlooms the upper edge.

Sidebar:
13 Top Tasty Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirlooms defined

Purists define heirlooms as varieties that are more than 100 years old, but most tomato growers accept any open-pollinated variety that has been in existence for more than 50 years as an heirloom. In the less-than-50-years-old category are “created heirlooms” – varieties that have been deliberately produced by crossing two known heirlooms, such as Green Zebra. However, the one constant experts agree upon is that an heirloom must be an open-pollinated variety.

Choosing an heirloom

More than 1,000 varieties of heirloom tomatoes bring exciting color and flavor from garden to table. You’ll find familiar shades of red and yellow along with gold, orange, pink, purple, deep garnet and rose. Varieties are even green, chocolate brown or white along with multicolored stripes. Fruits can be round, oval, elongated, flattened, ribbed or lumpy. Some are shaped like pears, acorns, strawberries or sausages.

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