The Blue Tomato
Devoted to the cultivation of the unusual tomato
Sorry, no blues, but here are just a few other colorful choices
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Black Krim - Heirloom tomato from the Black Sea area of Russia. Sweet fruits are dark, deep reds (almost black). |
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Cherokee Purple - Medium sized fruits are pink - purple (brownish). Fruits average 8 - 12 ounces |
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Evergreen - Medium to large fruits are firm and solid. Fruits stay green when ripe. |
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Green Zebra - Small fruits are orange and green striped when ripe and bright green inside. Tart flavor. My personal favorite for BLT sandwiches. |
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Persimmon Orange - Large, plump, golden orange fruits average one to two pounds. |
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Lemon Boy - Lemon yellow (not gold), fruits add a tangy taste to salads. Fruits average 8 to 12 ounces. |
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White Beauty - Eight ounce fruits are a creamy white color inside and out. Fruits have a high sugar content and are mild. |
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Pineapple - Heirloom bicolor red and yellow grows very large (up to 2 lbs.). Rich, fruity and sweet flavor. |
Grow 'em low or grow em' high?
There are two basic types of tomato plants, determinate and indeterminate. Determinate varieties are a bush type and produce their fruit over a short time period. Commercial varieties are determinate to allow a shorter harvest season. Indeterminate varieties produce over the entire season and should be staked because the plants grow upwards instead of bushing. Indeterminate types are usually favored among home gardeners and are usually pruned to achieve taller plants.
Plants or Seeds?
For most gardeners, purchasing plants from their favorite greenhouse may be the most practical solution. Growing plants from seeds
will require either a sunny window or an artificial light source and a certain amount of dedication. Growing plants from seed however, may be the only way that you can obtain the specific varieties that you intend to raise.Seed Sources
Part of the winter fun for the gardener that raises plants from seed is searching for the source and anticipating the coming season. Searching the Internet for seed suppliers is a great winter activity for the seed grower. Here are two sources to start with:
OK, so this is a red tomato, but it's unique . . .
The Burgess Stuffing Tomato is shaped like a bell pepper. The seeds are all contained in a core and resemble strawberry seeds.
This is a good tomato for stuffing as well as a tomato for those who cannot tolerate seeds.
THE TOMATO GROWERS BANE
The tomato hornworm, he doesn't care what color the tomatoes are, he likes them all! The hornworm
is difficult to spot as it blends in with the tomato leaves. If the upper branches of your plants suddenly
become bare, you probably have a hornworm. The hornworm is the larva stage of the Five-spotted
Hawk Moth which is a stout-bodied, grayish-colored insect with a wing spread of 4 to 5 inches
