The Heirloom Tomato Mystery

From Gardening

Ahh, well, last time I posted I ranted without photos. I had hopes that the heirlooms I grew from seed wouldn't suffer the same fate as my transplants, but this was what I discovered when I looked more closely at the Amish paste tomatoes. I guess the other tomatoes I grew from seed from the same company were organic but not heirloom, and are doing so well that I made tomato salad for dinner. Next year - no heirlooms. I'm kind of in mourning about it. After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle I had it in my head that eventually I would grow only heirloom plants in my garden, so we could have unique varieties of plants that we couldn't just buy at store. Good for genetic variety, good for feeling like the time and cost is justified.

Admittedly, the heirloom greens grew without problem. Maybe it is just tomatoes that aren't meant to be. I find ripping the plants out by their roots incredibly therapeutic, and I'll quit pouting soon.

Ripping out the heirloom tomatoes

From Gardening

This happened last year and this year isn't any better - my heirloom tomatoes look good until they ripen and they turn black and/or mushy, or look beautiful but when you touch them you realize there is no firmness, just pitiful mushy tomatoes, no good for eating.

I'm ripping them out! I follow the Clemson Extension Upstate Horticulture in Facebook, and they announced that fall planting (greens, cabbages, broccoli) should happen this week or next week, and I can use all that space for those plants. I don't see the point in watering or caring for plants that refuse to grow properly.

I'm excited to have greens again, and I have a bunch of heirloom varieties from the Asheville company, Sow True, the place we got our original Appalachian greens seeds from that have out produced anything else in the garden. Is there anything I should keep under consideration when planting in such hot weather? I'm hoping it dips below 90 this week; I'd feel better about that.

I'll let the hybrid cherry and sweet 100 tomatoes live, as well as everything I grew from seed. Now I really don't understand why, but the heirlooms I grew from seed aren't having the same problems as the ones I bought as seedlings and transplanted. Any ideas? We've been getting great yellow pear tomatoes from one.

I didn't take any pictures today, but last weekend I planted pumpkin seeds, some in the raised bed and some in a random pile of dirt near the raspberries. The random dirt seeds have sprouted, and we may have pumpkins this fall!