Margie tells all about heirloom tomatoes
notes from presentation by Margie Pikarsky given at Edible Gardens Festival
Heirlooms are varieties handed down from generation to generation of saving seeds. Heirlooms are open pollinated and stabilized cross. Hybrids are cross bred, so planting seeds may result in plants that look like parents and everything in between. With heirlooms, you get the same tomato every time, but with small variables. When you’re selecting generations, you end up with your own variety but adapted to where you are living. Heirlooms are hand me downs valued and treasured for flavor. Hundreds of varieties evolved this way. Some tomato varieties are documented back to the 1800s, brought here by families, or attained classic status. Most open pollinated tomatoes are indeterminate, which means there is no determined end to growth. The plant keeps going until something stops it. In this area, it’s a combination of heat, bugs and humidity.
Varieties. The closer to the wild types the better they do in the tropics. Tomatoes are said to have originated in Chiapas Mexico. They are small cherry types or tiny currant types. Really have to baby the big ones, beefsteak don’t have good pest resistance, have problems with birds and worms. The plant puts out a lot of energy to make 5 large fruit.
Everglades tomato is a small red cherry variety that was grown by Indians and pioneers. Can still find some, need to ask around. Very similar to Matt’s Wild Cherry, which is much like the wild tomato from Chiapas. Indians probably brought the same tomato, they are almost identical. Green tomatoes that grow well here – Green zebra, lime green salad (short plant), green grape, green gage (yellow outside, green seeds inside), Aunt Ruby’s German Green has had mixed results.
Seeds. Get seeds from Seeds of Change, TomatoFest, Seed Savers Exchange (also seed bank for members), Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (has varieties that are good for here).
Black zebra starts
Seeds or starts. Big box stores grow starts from a handful of hybrids that aren’t ideal for here, and may not do well here. Many heirlooms don’t have any real disease or pest resistance. When adapting to this area, save seeds from the plants that show the most resistance, and grow that variety for 3-4 years to decide keepers. It’s the weather, not the tomato. If it dies during the first year, try it MORE than one year before you decide a variety is a keeper, because growing conditions are often very different from one year to the
next.
Planting and Growing. Grow organic, that means no synthetic fertilizers or chemicals for pest control. Organic on the label doesn’t always mean that it’s acceptable for production. Look for OMRI (Organic Materials Research Institute) paid seal of approval, or NOP (National Organic Program) approval. That indicates that only natural things were used. Same with fertilizers and pest controls. Don’t confuse organic with safe. Read the caution label before applying it.
Can grow in ground or in a pot. In a pot, if the soil is moist to the touch, it’s NOT time to water yet! Pot is easy to mismanage. Tomatoes like to be even when getting water, and a little on the dry side. Better to grow in ground, in raised bed. In most parts of this area, soil is only 1/4 inch deep over solid rock, and needs to be amended with compost, cover crops, and mulch. Put compost onto the bed, let it sit, then turn it over before planting. If growing in pots, use any good potting soil.
When planting from seeds, plant twice the depth of the diameter of the seed. Will come up fast in 2 or 3 days. Can plant directly into the soil or into pots to make starts. Transplant start and plant deeper up to the first leaves. Plant will grow new roots and will be stronger. If the soil is shallow, plant the start sideways. Don’t overwater or the plant will get spoiled and expect a lot of water all the time and that will cause problems. The soil should be moist to touch. Tomatoes prefer to be on the dry side. Will start bearing in 2 months. Some early ones bear in Dec. By April leaves are dying from the bottom up, still producing on top, could go into May.
Learning about tomato plants
Tomatoes grow tall, need trellis support, at least five feet high, and plants grow over and off to the sides. Trellis – use square mesh wire 4×6 or 2×6, hold in place with rebar staked into the ground. Or make a big circle with compost on the inside and plants outside. To pinch side shoots or not — choice of more tomatoes only smaller, or less tomatoes and bigger. Prefer more fruit over bigger. Tied with jute rope or string (natural material) or weave stems through square 2×6 or 4×6 wire mesh as they grow.
Water from underneath, use drip tape on a timer so you don’t have to think about it. Watering overhead can help spread diseases. Wait to pick until after the dew dries, so as to not transfer disease. Pick just as fruit start to ripen, just start turning red and yellow, let them finish ripening on the table. Never refrigerate tomatoes, please! Tropical fruit lose flavor when refrigerated, and tomato is a tropical fruit.
For frost, cover with sheet if a few plants. User Reemay spun polyester material to cover rows. Provides minimal protection, need to attach somehow so it doesn’t blow away. (Plastic will burn plants, so do not use.) Remove after frost has gone. Can find in garden supply stores locally or online. It’s also known as spun polyester floating row cover.
Picking out an assortment of tomato starts
Pest control. Use BT Bacillus Thuringensis for caterpillars. BT is a natural bacteria that makes the caterpillars sick so they stop eating and die, harmless for us. Can hand pick caterpillars if you just have a few plants. Organocide is a combination of sesame and fish oils, use it sparingly. Organocide will help with some diseases. Can do nothing about viruses – plants may or may not die right away. Some are tolerant of viruses, and will still bear tomatoes. To prevent mildew and mold, space plants 2-3 feet apart with good ventilation. Choose seeds that are disease resistant, especially those that resist mosaic virus. Margie doesn’t sterilize soil but other growers do. Nematodes, also known as root knot, are microorganisms that slowly damage plant roots. Start with sterile soil in pot. Use a special kind of marigolds known as nematocidal marigolds grown from seed, grow them intermingled with the tomatoes. Nematocidal marigolds are available from Seeds of Change.
To kill nematodes, solarize the soil with black plastic sheeting for 6-8 weeks before planting. If you use clear plastic, weed seeds will germinate because of the light. The heat kills all microorganisms. Sugar solution will work. Methyl bromide is used by commercial growers but it is very carcinogenic, and is getting phased out. The more organic matter in the soil, the better the plants can defend against nematodes, because there are more beneficial organisms in the soil. If you grow tomatoes in one place last season, grow them in a different spot (crop rotation). Don’t grow tomatoes in the place year after year. Rotate around different plant families each year. For example, alternate legume-brassica-tomato. Don’t build up disease or pest problems.
Iguanas – build a giant cage around tomatoes to keep iguanas out. Don’t use chicken wire, they will flatten. Bird netting works while plants are young. Electrified fence?
Cover crop. Sunn hemp or mustard greens are good to suppress nematodes, let them go to seed and till under. Mustard has a lot of pest control properties, used to be more popular in the past. Mustards get large and start crowding tomatoes, have to keep picking.
Saving seeds. When harvesting, save the really nice ones before the end of the season. Squeeze out the seeds and dry them on wax paper, not paper towel. Seeds have a gel coating and to remove, soak them in a cup of water. When you start getting scum on top, pour through colander and rinse. If the gel coating is still on, put back in water and watch for a day or two, then strain again. The gel coating inhibits germination. Strain, rinse and dry on more wax paper. Wait until seeds are DRY. Humidity is the enemy, seeds will sprout and that’s no good. Use paper envelopes to store seeds, not plastic because it will trap moisture. Keep in air conditioning, or in jar with packet of desiccant.
Choosing tomato plants at the Edible Garden Festival
Redland Rambles 