Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
|
![]() |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
![]() |
#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Canada (Zone 6b)
Posts: 119
|
![]()
I notice on these forums that there is a lot of talk about heirlooms. I have tried growing both, but I find that most heirlooms succumb to diseases readily, have poor fruit set, and poor keeping qualities.
I would like to know what keeps people interested in heirlooms. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,930
|
![]()
As a home gardener, it's all about flavour and variety for me. I don't have much disease in my area. I also like to save OP seed and collect many different varieties. "If you have Seen one red regular leaf hybrid beefsteak, you have seen em all"
![]() KarenO |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 | |
BANNED FOR LIFE
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 13,333
|
![]() Quote:
![]() I'm growing both hybrids and heirlooms and plan on saving seeds from all of them. Taste is the most important part. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Alabama
Posts: 2,250
|
![]()
Heirlooms have traits that are unavailable in hybrids. The most important is flavor. If you want a typical cardboard grocery store tomato, grow most any hybrid. If you want a juicy ripe delicious home grown tomato, grow heirlooms. There are exceptions. By and large, Big Beef and Ramapo are very good flavored hybrids. You are correct that there can be more problems with heirlooms, but I have plenty of heirloom varieties that outproduce all but a handful of hybrids.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SoCal Inland
Posts: 2,705
|
![]()
Like others, I grow for my own use and taste is the most important factor. I don't have a lot of disease pressure where I live either. I do grow a few hybrids, like Sungold and Brandy Boy also.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7
Posts: 4,916
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Northern New Mexico
Posts: 34
|
![]()
(Just in case the original poster is still reading the thread but not commenting,) I sort of understand his point. Almost all of the big-name heirlooms seem to be hot-climate long-season monsters that just won't grow on my mountain side. My nights are too cool and my season too short to get them to ripeness. If that was all that was available to the non-hybrid market, I would be buying hybrids, too.
However, TV isn't just about heirlooms. The tomato snobs here ![]() My go-to tomatoes for the past 20 years are sure producers in my difficult climate, two with a Russian origin, one from Sweden, all originally commercial varieties. Because they are OP, I am able to save seed from one year to the next with very little genetic drift (although we now maintain two strains of Amber-Colored, one with plants that are about 18" tall, the other with plants about 24-30" tall). I also provide a few plants to neighbors and co-workers. This year I am trying out some of the dwarf project varieties. I still have to choose for my short season, so my selection is limited, but I still have several. But, again, these aren't "heirlooms," they are new open pollinated creations. ![]() Catherine Last edited by Catherine+twin; April 1, 2015 at 11:03 AM. Reason: spelling! |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Sunol, CA
Posts: 2,723
|
![]()
I think there are a few snobs here who are also interested in hybrids, and some with very discriminating taste who do not need to save their own seeds.
Hybrids can be grown again, as long as there is demand and seed for sale. I like to save seed. I like OP varieties. I also like hybrids, and I would shudder to think that I had to choose one or the other. I also wonder, sometimes, why people insist on spending endless hours (and if time = money, a considerable investment) trying to dehybridize something so they don't have to pay for hybrid seed that costs a few dollars. Is it really so bad to love a hybrid? Quote:
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: zone 5
Posts: 821
|
![]()
Diversity is critical to species success. Monoculture is one disease epidemic away from extinction.
I love exploring the different traits of different vegetables. Yellow carrots, purple potatoes, white cucumbers, blue tomatoes, brown peppers, purple broccoli, rare parsleys and celery...they all have the slightly different traits than the most common variety of their species. But different does NOT mean inferior. In many cases different is superior in all ways except for popular opinion or perhaps shelf life. I don't grow based on either of these things. Hybrids are fine for some but far too narrow of a niche for many of us. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: FL 8b/9a
Posts: 262
|
![]() Quote:
1) Open Pollinated varieties can be saved and grow true 2) No need to maintain parent lines and possibly lose the hybrid cultivar 3) Variety of shape, texture and flavor viewed as unavailable in hybrids 4) Nostalgia, the impression of preserving a piece of the past 5) Price premium when sold due to consumer perceptions of heirlooms 6) Personal satisfaction to successfully grow challenging tomatoes 7) Maximum yield not always important for the home gardener growing more tomatoes than they can eat |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Chicago
Posts: 115
|
![]() Quote:
I would agree with all of your reasons except for selling my tomatoes. I love growing tomatoes for personal reasons and not financial ones. Having said that, I can understand when someone is into growing a lot more than they can consume and might be interested in making a buck or two. I personally like heirloom tomatoes simply to be able to save the seeds for the varieties that fit my soil and my gardening style. Believe it or not, I did collect some random seeds from a community garden in my town and their seedlings are growing like crazy. The heirloom seeds I purchased are struggling to stay alive and none of them is really thriving. I wonder why? Do you have any idea as to why these nameless varieties are growing big and are thriving while the heirlooms I purchased are struggling to stay alive? |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#12 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 4,488
|
![]() Quote:
![]()
__________________
Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Montreal
Posts: 1,140
|
![]()
I'm growing one or two hybrids, but last year I grew Brandy Boy and I didn't have great results. My heirloom tomatoes did much better and flavor is outstanding. Sun gold and sun sugar will always have a place in my garden.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ny
Posts: 1,219
|
![]()
The variety and flavor. Also it makes sense to me to grow things that normally would cost $$$ in the stores (and harder/impossible to find) versus typical hybrid tomatoes that are everywhere and cheap.
__________________
Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7! |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: S.E. Wisconsin Zone 5b
Posts: 1,831
|
![]()
Hybrids are made from OP's so why wouldn't you just grow the OP(heirlooms).
Dutch
__________________
"Discretion is the better part of valor" Charles Churchill The intuitive mind is a gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. But we have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. (paraphrased) Albert Einstein I come from a long line of sod busters, spanning back several centuries. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Tags |
disease resistance , heirloom tomatoes , hybrid tomato , shelf life |
|
|