Heirloom Tomatoes

Seems like every morning I receive a few emails asking about heirloom tomatoes. Brown and green thumbs alike are wondering.... What's good? What's bad?  

Bad? Well, I don't believe there is a bad heirloom. You don't get to be this old by slacking on flavor.

They're also asking...  What's easy? What's fast?

Fast and easy? 
Now that I can answer.


My mountain growing season is pathetically short but I've discovered a number of cold hardy, quick-growing heirloom tomatoes that do well in higher elevations.  

Here are a few of my faves:

Paul Robeson ~ This Russian original is probably the tastiest, easiest heirloom to grow. Hefty, black-red tomatoes, bursting with flavor, ready for picking in about 65 days.

Black from Tula ~ If you’re big into BBQs, Tulas are absolutely worth the effort. Ready for harvest in about 80 days, with a bold, delicious smokey flavor. Roast the Tulas, place them on a burger and learn, first hand, the meaning of love at first bite.

Peacevine Cherry ~ Think Napa Valley and all those luscious grapevines... If you have a fence bordering your garden, consider planting this crazy rambler. She’ll stretch a good 15 – 20 feet along the fence line and display big clusters of tasty little tomatoes. They look like grape clusters, hence the name. Ready for picking in less than 60 days.

Elfin Grape Tomato ~ This little guy is great in a flower pot on your sunny deck. Nothing small, at all, about the flavor. Tasty 3/4 inch grape tomatoes are ready for a salad in about 2 months.


* Before you get all wild and crazy with chemical fertilizers, please think about it. You're planning to eat these goodies. Miracle-Gro and other chemical, synthetic fertilizers, are prohibited from use in certified-organic farming.