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Today’s tomato plants are engineered to produce high-yield, durable, disease-resistant fruit — with the flavor bred right out of it. Perfectly shaped, smooth-skinned, firm and tasteless, they tend to be a thing of beauty on the plate but a disappointment for the palate.
Heirloom tomatoes, on the other hand, are charmingly misshapen, curiously colored, cunningly textured and supremely delicious. They run a culinary gamut of sophisticated flavors — sweet, acidic, juicy or richly complex — and offer up a diversity that makes them suited to everything from canning and cooking to sandwiches and sauce. And their names are as fetching as their flavors: Green Zebra, Silvery Fir Tree, Mortgage Lifter, Mr. Stripey, Three Sisters, Hillbilly and Cherokee Purple — vivid images that describe a rich heritage.
When generations of gardeners save generations of seeds from a prized plant for more than 50 years, we honor it with the title “heirloom.” Like little living museums, these seeds tell a story rooted in history, sustained by lineage and bright with promise. They “breed true”: Plant one, and the fruit it yields will be the genetic equivalent of the parent plant.
Heirloom breeds stay pure because “tomatoes generally do not cross-pollinate easily in nature,” explains Peggy Cornett, curator of plants at the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants at Monticello, where they specialize in heirloom plants. “Bees move tomato pollen around some, but it is not wind-dispersed. Tomatoes are primarily self-pollinated.”
Cornett warns gardeners against planting heirloom tomatoes too early in the season. “They like warm soil,” she says. “Wait until the end of May, and bury the roots deep or sideways to protect them.” Laying the stems down in a shallow trench will promote a robust root system and a stronger stem, because roots will sprout all along the underground green shoot. Cornett also cautions against too much nitrogen in the soil, which signals the plant to produce leafy growth. Instead, give them soil rich in potassium and phosphorus to encourage fruit production. She recommends a simple soil test, and adding lime to your soil if it’s too acidic.
Heirloom tomato plant vines amble endlessly along the ground instead of growing upright. “Control them by pinching them back, or stake them,” Cornett suggests. Or train them on trellises. “Air circulation is important to manage disease and harmful bacteria. Don’t plant them too close together,” she says. “And don’t strangle them when you tie them. Panty hose make perfect plant ties.” Give them full sun and even water, and they will reward you with a bounty steeped in history.
Heirlooms have a shorter shelf life and lower disease resistance than their hybrid cousins, and they are inclined to cracking. Older varieties are more susceptible to disease and damage, and they’re prone to lower yields. These minor inconveniences are eclipsed by their rich history, culinary appeal and quirky visuals.
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You, like generations of gardeners before you, can preserve the legacy of your favorite heirlooms by saving seeds. Here’s how:
- Cut a ripe tomato in half and scoop out the gooey, seed-studded gel.
- Place it in a clean jar, cover with water, tighten the lid and let it sit to break down the seed’s natural germination inhibitor, shaking from time to time.
- After three to five days, rinse the seeds in a strainer and smear them on a stack of paper towels to dry.
- Once dry, pick them off and store them in the refrigerator. Tomato seeds have an unusually long shelf life. They will germinate years later, Cornett says, so be bold, save many and share.
