Heirloom Tomato Plants

You might have heard about the increasing popularity of heirloom vegetables. While most of the commercially grown vegetables are hybrids, heirloom cultivars are not preferred for this purpose. During the recent past, there has been a growing interest in heirloom vegetables and heirloom tomatoes are one of the popular ones among them.

What are Heirloom Tomato Plants

Tomatoes are one of those versatile vegetables that have been used by humans for a very long time. While, most people are familiar with the hybrid tomato varieties that are commonly available in the market, very few are aware of heirloom tomato plants. Heirloom plants are those plants that were grown by our forefathers. There are various theories regarding the origin and definition of heirloom plants. In general, an heirloom plant can be defined as a plant that was grown in the earlier periods of history. No specific time period can be attributed for the origin of an heirloom plant, as different theories suggest different ages. In general, it can be said that those plants, which were widely cultivated before the advent of hybridization in the 1950s are heirloom plants. Whatever it may be, heirloom plants are open pollinated ones that are not preferred for modern-day commercial cultivation.

Nowadays, hybrids that are made with specific desired qualities, like, disease resistance, are grown under controlled conditions. While heirloom tomato plants are allowed to get ripe in the plant itself, in case of hybrids, the fruits are harvested, when they are green and are ripened artificially. Contrary to heirloom plants, in which, open pollination is done by insects, birds, etc. controlled or manual pollination is done in hybrids. Even the seeds of hybrids, if grown to plants, will be like the parent plants only. This is not the case with heirloom tomato seeds, which are used for propagation of the specific variety. In this case, the genetic composition of the new plants may vary, due to open pollination. However, the disadvantage of these tomatoes is that they tend to be fragile and may get cracked, as they get ripe. But, these tomatoes provide good color, excellent flavor and nutrition, as compared to hybrids.

Heirloom Tomato Varieties

There are many different types of heirloom tomato plant varieties. While, some are ideal for eating raw, others are used for preparing sauce, jam and juice. These varieties vary in color, size and flavor. Some of the popular among them are Brandywine, Cherokee purple, Green zebra, Jubilee, Big rainbow, Blaby special, Black krim, Hillbilly, etc. Brandywine tomatoes are one of the most popular heirloom tomato plants. This specific variety yields large pinkish fleshy fruits that are perfect for eating raw, as in sandwiches. It is said that the revived popularity of heirloom tomatoes is mainly due to this specific variety. The color of heirloom tomatoes may range from various hues of red, purple, white, yellow, green, orange, black and pink. Even a combination of two or more colors is seen in some varieties. Their size can range from small, as in cherry tomatoes to really large ones with a weight of around a kilogram. They can be round, oval, oblong, pear-shaped, elongated and with deep ridges.

In short, you may find many different varieties of heirloom tomato plants. If interested, you can start growing the plant of your choice and reap the goodness of heirloom tomatoes. For this purpose, you can contact the local nursery or a horticulturist for more information about the specific variety that is ideal for your region. You may also get the seeds or seedlings from them. You can purchase them online too.