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For many gardeners, tomatoes are the essential crop in the kitchen garden, the summer fruit eaten fresh that justifies spring's earthy labors. The vast array of tomato varieties is a clear signal of their popularity and ease of cultivation. The best temperatures for tomato growth are between 65°F and 80°F. A site with a minimum of 4 hours of direct sun is essential to harvest fruit. Plants that grow lushly, but provide no fruit often do not receive enough sun or have been given too much nitrogen. Tomatoes require well-drained, loose soil of moderate fertility. Warm soil is also critical to getting transplants off to a quick start. To warm cold soil, lay black plastic over the tomato bed two weeks before the intended planting date. Remove it at planting time or slit it to accommodate the transplants. Space plants 4 to 6 feet apart, a distance that should help keep foliage dry and lessen the impact of water-borne diseases that turn green tomato leaves yellow and then brown. Transplant seedlings 2 to 6 inches deeper than they were growing in their pots (removing leaves as necessary), either by putting them straight in the hole or in a shallow, long trench on their sides. Provide plant support at the time of transplanting. Side dress with a fertilizer formulated for tomatoes after the first fruits appear. Tomato plants are available beginning in late April.

Tomato. 'Amish Paste'. 85 days. Indeterminate heirloom. Large, oblong, ox heart shaped fruit is very sweet. Rated highly in taste tests.

Tomato. 'Arkansas Traveler'. 85 days. Indeterminate heirloom. Flavorful pink fruits in the 6 to 8 ounce range are produced in abundance on a plant known for its ability to withstand hot weather.

Tomato. 'Aunt Ginnys Purple'. 75 days. Indeterminate heirloom. This beefsteak variety is considered by many experts to be superior to Brandywine in flavor. Deep pink fruits up to 16 ounces are produced.

Tomato. 'Aunt Rubys German Green'. 80 days. Indeterminate. Heirloom green beefsteak with a deliciously sweet flavor that's enhanced by a spicy undertone. Globe-shaped large fruits are smooth with light green skins at maturity and just a hint of yellow. Flesh is green blushed with pink, meaty, and flavorful. Pick by feel , not look, when soft to the touch, they are ready. Makes interesting juice!

Tomato. 'Aussie'. 85 days. Australian heirloom. Large quantities of up to one pound, red fruit borne on indeterminate plants.

Tomato. 'Better Boy'. 75 days. Indeterminate. Our most popular large, round, red tomato. Better boy maintains good fruit production and has disease resistance.

Tomato. 'Big Beef'. 75 days. Indeterminate. All-American Winner Big Beef has globe-shaped flavorful red fruit on a plant that has high tolerance for adverse growing condition.

Tomato. 'Big Girl'. 78 days. Indeterminate. If large red, firm-fruited tomatoes in profusion are what you want, Big Girl may be all you need. A customer reported she lost count after picking 300 tomatoes from one plant!

Tomato. 'Black Brandywine'. 80 days. Indeterminate. This black version of Brandywine has fruit with the same luscious flavor of Pink Brandywine combined with the richness of black tomato taste. Same flattened beefsteak shape and size as Brandywine, but this fruit is more like the color of deep mahogany. Tomatoes are 12 to 16 ounces. and grow on vigorous plants.

Tomato. 'Black Cherry'. 65 days. Indeterminate plants produce easy to pick, small, round, black cherry fruit. Irresistible flavor is sweet yet rich and complex.

Tomato. 'Black Plum'. 82 days. Indeterminate. Small, oval, mahogany fruits are sweet and tasty. Great for adding to salads or straight off the vine!

Tomato. 'Black Tula'. 80 days. Indeterminate. Russian heirloom. Reddish-brown beefsteak. Sweet fruit with smooth texture weighs between 8 and 12 ounces. Sets well in hot weather.

NEW FOR 2008! Tomato. 'Black Zebra'. 75 days. Indeterminate. Vigorous plants produce 3 to 4 oz. deep burgundy fruit with green stripes. Rich complex flavor typical of black tomatoes. The result of a cross between a black tomato and Green Zebra. A unique and stunning variety.

Tomato. 'Boxcar Willie'. 80 days. Indeterminate. Prolific yields of smooth, reddish-orange fruits averaging a large 10 to 16 oz.! With an old-fashioned flavor you'll remember from childhood, these high-yielding, multi-use tomatoes will last throughout the season and are ideal for canning, freezing, or for home-cooked meals. Crack-free and disease resistant.

Tomato. 'Brandy Boy'. 78 days. Indeterminate. This Burpee Seed introduction is a Brandywine hybrid. The resulting cross has improved vine vigour and fruit yield over the heirloom parent, with little sacrifice in flavor.

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• Before You Visit Us
  • This is not an availability list!
    Please call to check our supply before you visit.
    

    This catalog lists most of the varieties I am growing or plan to grow, however, it is not possible to list everything. Some plants are tricky to propagate; others are too new for me to describe in any detail. Demand for certain varieties is sometimes greater than I anticipated and we run out. Usually, during the Spring season, there is another crop on the way.

    
    

    I can guarantee the quality of our plants because we grow them ourselves. I cannot guarantee that every item listed will be available at any given time.
    
    

• About Our Veggies
  • About Our Veggies
    The strength of the vegetable garden is its ability to yield the freshest produce from superior varieties that are unobtainable in the supermarket. That philosophy carries over into what I select to offer you. The way my plants are grown also offers you benefits. All vegetable plants are sold in individual pots to permit you to select just the number you need when you need them. Plants in individual pots tend to be more vigorous, grow faster, and produce a larger harvest. For you this means better vegetables sooner. Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants, and most other vegetable plants are %s each. Lettuce, Italian and Asian greens are %s specified.
• Blossom End Rot
  • Blossom End Rot

    The dark soft spot that appears on the end of a tomato (to a lesser degree eggplant or pepper) opposite the stem, ruining the fruit, is an annual problem that frustrates many gardeners. The condition is not caused by a disease but a calcium deficiency that weakens the cell walls of tomatoes. The most common causes of this malady are uneven periods of soil moisture (which can also cause cracking and cat-facing) and improper soil pH. Both interfere with the plant's ability to properly transport calcium to the fruit. Overly wet soil is difficult to prevent in our unpredictable climate, but raised beds will allow excess water to drain. Conservation of soil moisture during dry spells is relatively easy through mulching and drip irrigating (overhead irrigation can foster bacterial and fungal diseases of the foliage). Check beneath the mulch one or twice a week and irrigate if necessary. If the soil is too acidic, the plant will not be able to use efficiently calcium already in the soil. Lime, a chief source of calcium, is used to raise the pH (your local extension agent can help with soil samples and recommendations on the amount needed to achieve the target pH of 7). A fertilizer which obtains its nitrogen from calcium carbonate rather than acid-forming ammonium is also recommended.

• Understanding Tomato Talk
  • Understanding Tomato Talk
    The initials after the tomato name indicate the types of disease resistance. The number of days is an estimated time to the first harvest. The terms "determinate" and "indeterminate" indicate the length of the fruit-bearing season.

    • Indeterminate vines, often robust and in need of pruning, produce over the entire season.
    • Determinate vines, frequently short and well-behaved, produce most of their bounty all at once. Determinate varieties are useful when canning tomatoes.
• Supporting Tomatoes and Peppers
  • Supporting Tomatoes and Peppers

    Supporting tomato plants helps control disease and makes it easier to harvest the fruit. The support systems I have seen for sale at garden centers are generally laughably short; a contraption three feet high and a foot around is not going to provide much support for a six-foot plant three feet in diameter. My grandfather favored large home designed tomato cages made from concrete reinforcing wire. The cages were 6 feet high and nearly three feet in diameter and provided support for lush growth and heavy yields. The cages had some drawbacks, however; they were heavy, hard to move, and they took up a lot of storage space. My father started out with stakes made of stout pieces of wood, but found they could be snapped easily when a strong, wet wind blew against a mature plant. He used 1/2-inch diameter by 10 foot long metal, electrical conduit for a number of years and found it worked well for tomatoes as well as eggplant. I usually cut the conduit into 8 foot lengths. It's light and easily pushed into garden soil, and is easily stored. The metal conduit lasts for years with virtually no maintenance. To tie the stems of tomatoes and eggplants to the conduit, I use plastic stretch ties (available at the nursery). Old pantyhose or cheese cloth work well also.

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