Homestead tomato!

Thanks Dice,

I probably grew the Homestead #2 variety. It seems the most descriptive as semi determinate. The nursery had simply labeled it as Homestead. Most of the forum reviews on the internet seem to be for Homestead 24.

I had seen "Creole Tomato" seed for sale, I may even have grown it. I don't really remember. If I did grow it, it didn't impress me. I remember Chef John Foulk preparing a Cajun recipe with some different types of tomatoes sitting in front of him. Some of the tomatoes had fluted shoulders. Some were pink. Some were red. They were obviously a collection of different varieties. He said "aren't these Creole tomatoes lovely".

One summer, I grew every tomato variety that supposedly had heat adaptability: I could acquire. My standard Better Boy hybrid out performed all of them in the heat for growth and production. The Better Boy tomatoes were not as large and tasty as some of the other varieties, but they made a lot of tomatoes in the heat and humidity.

Ted

[dice]

I see both Homestead and Homestead 24 seeds for sale or trade
here and there. With Homestead 24, you know what you are getting
(assuming that is what they really are). With just "Homestead", the
distinctions between those different Homestead selections could
easily have been lost between when they were released and when
the seed source obtained them, and one could be growing any of
those listed variations (including Homestead 24).

[greenthumbomaha]

Towards the end of last summer I purchased a package of Homestead from American Seed in Walmart for $.50 . It was at a Wal Mart in a small town I don't shop at often, so I am surprised to read that it is hard to find. The package reads :

Sets an abundance of flavorful , 7oz fruit under hot, humid conditions. Bushy plants with large leaves cover the fruit preventing sunscald. Determinate.
Homestead is ideal for processing but save a few for slicing.
Days to harvest : 80

I'll be happy to share, but you don't get many seeds for $.50 , so pm me and I'll split the pack 3 ways which will be 5 seeds each.

Lisa

Thanks Lisa,

That is a nice offer, but I won't be adding them to my grow list this year unless my farm store has them as seedlings again. I'm pretty sure they will., I don't have a spot planned for them, but I may have a variety not germinate which will make a spot for Homestead.

I browse the American seed racks at Walmart every time I go in. I buy most of my lettuce seed from those racks. I've never bought the tomato seeds because the names are usually too generic as cherry tomato, beefsteak tomato, and roma tomato. If they have Homestead tomato in their new supply in the spring, I will buy a few and try them.

Another good place to find that kind of inexpensive seed are most of the "Dollar" stores like Family Dollar and Dollar General. They set up a gardening isle pretty early in the spring after they have moved their Easter stuff to storage.

Ted

[Rockporter]

I think I grew Homestead 24 here in South TX now that I see the list of varieties available. Mine were good.

[vegomatic]

Waking up an old thread! I planted a few this year. My sub-variety is Homestead Improved #2 donated by Peto Seed Co to the USDA in 1960, which is where I got my seeds.

Here's the USDA description: HOMESTEAD IMPROVED NO 2. (Open-pollinated) 83 days, fruit is rich red. Large, average 7 ounce, uniform fruit, flattended globe, thick walls and firm, crack resistant. Vine determinate. Reselected for uniformity and high yield. Sets fruit under almost any conditions. Raised worldwide. Open pollinated. Peto Seed Co. descr. 1960. Seed obtained from the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, Colorado NSL 5840."

Though I'm a bit north in South Dakota, I grew my veggies full-season in a green house, and the Homestead did well in there since my gh was always on the warm to hot side. I liked it well enough I planted the whole 50 seeds in the USDA pack over a few seasons and I was down to just two seeds left when I managed to grow them and save plenty of fresh seeds to carry the variety on for future grows.

I started a few toms over a month ago, very early for my zone. I just did it for fun and to test out some CFL bulbs as grow lights which seem to work fine for starting seeds. I took the largest plant, about a foot tall, to the local hardware store that stocks a GH to sell a few flowers and plants in the spring. I figure it will be a conversation starter having a tomato plant in the window in February! Early to mid-May is a more typical plant-out time here and even then can be risky for a late snow or frost.

I always liked the Homestead variety. I thought the "#2" kinda implied it was an older version and the "24" and "61" types were released much later. I got curious about that and did a search and found this topic. So I learned something today! Belated Thanks!

Anyone still growing one of the many Homestead derivatives?
-Ed

[clkeiper]

I just asked about Homestead last week and when I "searched" it in the forums this did not come up. thanks. I am trying it this year.

[creeker]

I have grown Homestead 24 (seed from Tomato Growers Supply) a couple of times. Not a big producer but as I remember was consistent through the hot summer and into fall. Most info says it is a descendant of Rutgers. Will probably grow it again if I get over the craze for the new more exotic type. Any hope?

[Gardeneer]

I was at Lowes today.
They had Homestead Tomato seeds on the rack.

[kurt]

I drive thru mater fields here in Homestead Fl.The "homestead red"as the locals way before I showed up is in the common lexicon here.Now when asking bout it they(locals)shrug thier s houlders,spit out some number ship them green to up north(to the chagrin of some here) and call it a day.Most fields here are leased,farmed by a mish mash of combines,concerns,corps,handshake deals basically for that season.Gone are the Gator skinned hardscrabble family farmer rednecks that moved here farmed their hearts out and disappeared into the sunset.Our fearless leader from Fla Tag ginger2778 can attest,she lived not to far from here.Now down here backyard gardens have one or another variant of said mater.Most grove stands have the mater as a commodity seller on the tables.

[Sun City Linda]

I actually just started some as late seedlings the other day. Some from an old Walmart envelope and the other somebody here sent me a few years ago labeled as Homestead 2

[Rockporter]

I was out this morning looking at my tomatoes and checked the label on my Homestead, that's all it says, Homestead (Heirloom). I planted two of them. But some animal broke off all stems on one of them a couple of days later. All it left me was a main stem sticking out of the soil. I left it to see what it would do. Well, what a strong mater, because it's gone and taken on two new stems with lots of leaves. I am sure I will get to enjoy some maters from that one, lol.

[sjamesNorway]

Here's Tatiana's article about the Creole variety: http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Creole
Here's Homestead with lots of variations: http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Homestead

Steve

[MadCow333]

I am growing a few American Seed Homesteads this year. Seed packet from Dollar General in 2016, which I suspect are repackaged Ferry Morse from the previous year. Lol. I kept a couple plants but gave most to my sister to take to North Carolina. I paid $. 05 on clearance, so I thought I had nothing to lose growing a few.

[mensplace]

Some great info on all of the many "improved" varieties, but my question is ...Which has the best FLAVOR?