It's NOT too late to plant heirloom tomatoes

WAITSBURG – In 2023, the USDA moved Waitsburg into a new growing zone from 7a to 7b, indicating a longer growing season. Given a little luck, I can now push my garden into early October.

Our family moved to Waitsburg over thirty years ago, and the first thing we did was put in a garden. I didn't know much about gardening, let alone heirloom varietals. After my husband mentioned the garden to his folks, we received a letter in the mail that contained tomato seeds.  Unknown to me, his family in Pennsylvania had been growing a tomato for generations, which they just called "The Hockersmith Tomato".

It was a surprise when those first tomatoes, weighing a pound or more, were delicious on a BLT. Now that I know more, my guess is that the Hockersmith is an Ox-Heart variety, and who knows, it may be unique. I've just been growing them and saving the seeds since that first flavorful BLT.

Heirloom tomatoes are open-pollinated, meaning they are pollinated naturally by wind and insects. These non-hybrid tomatoes let you harvest seeds and grow the same kind every year. Passed down for generations, they are valued for their rich flavor and vibrant colors.

Many heirloom varieties are eaten fresh, such as Brandywine on sandwiches and Green Grape on salads, or cooked, like Amish Paste for sauces.

Kate :Hockersmith

Heirloom tomatoes have a wide range of color, shape and flavor.

In my experience, homegrown heirlooms taste better than store-bought hybrids. Hybrids usually have tougher skins and a uniform size, making them easier to ship and display. Seeds from hybrid tomatoes still grow into tomatoes, just not the same kind as you started with.

Growing heirloom tomatoes isn't hard. Sometimes, I think it would be harder not to! Some varieties are determinate, growing as bushes that ripen all at once. Others are indeterminate-they grow as vines, keep getting bigger, and keep producing tomatoes right up to the first frost.

So, the best trick for growing heirloom tomatoes is to bypass those standard, tiny tomato cages. My tomato cages are made of hog panels, cut to size, rolled, and held together with zip ties. One stake in the ground to keep them from blowing over, and you're ready to grow tomatoes – forever.

Eric Umphrey

Hockersmith's tomato starts are at Waitsburg Garden Center.

This year, I have worked with the Waitsburg Garden Center (Nancy's Dream Garden) to offer my favorite heirloom tomato varieties. They still have some in stock. Visit the Waitsburg Garden Center soon to pick up these heirlooms and start growing your own unique tomatoes this season.