Heritage Tomatoes

Gosh, it looks crowded. we have planted 27 heritage tomatoes in the Kitchen Garden Beds 3, 4 and 5. Thanks DD for your time, generous energy and grow lights. As instructed we planted each tomato half way up its stalk after removing the lower leaves. This way, more roots develop from the plant and help it to thrive in the soil. By the way, this year's soil is dark, friable and filled with worms. As you can see, we have mulched the beds to keep the soil moist and weed free.

Because these tomatoes are vines, we have given each one its own stake, manila plant tag and, of course, a jar to protect the writing on the tag from rain, but especially from crows who like to rip at the tags for nest material. By "heritage", we mean plants that may be referenced prior to 1886, the year to which Riel House has been restored. Here's a typical description from Heritage Harvest Seed of one of our tomatoes:

• Red Fig Tomato (1700’s) A historic variety that was grown since the 1700’s as an ornamental and for preserves. In the 1840’s "tomato figs" became popular because it was an inexpensive way to create a substitute for figs. The Red Fig Tomato is 1-1 ½" in length and pear shaped, resembling miniature bowling pins. They are an excellent addition to salads or eating out of hand, not to mention essential for making old fashioned "tomato figs". Very productive. Indeterminate, regular leaf foliage (70 days from transplant) 

I will admit that there is one cheat in this year's crop, but you will have to go on-site and read the Kitchen Garden plant list to see which one it is.

PS an "indeterminate" tomato plant means it just keeps growing and producing tomatoes until frost, as opposed to a "determinate" tomato which will only produce a certain number of tomatoes before it shuts down and dies.