Heirloom Tomato Plants at Coleman Florist Inc.

We are excited to announce the arrival of our homegrown heirloom tomato starter plants, for sale in our greenhouse at Coleman Florist.  We have many varieties to choose from to get you started on your way to enjoying some of the most tasty varieties we have experienced.

If you have never heard of heirloom tomato plants you are missing out on gem but, you are in for an experience.

Home gardens are growing in popularity, some out of necessity during our weakened economic times, some from the satisfaction and love of tending, growing and reaping the rewards of a garden and some from the quest to grow a plant that produces a unique look and flavor not found in the local supermarkets. 

What is a heirloom tomato?

Two of the industry tomato experts, Carolyn Male and Craig Lehoullier, break heirlooms down into 4 categories as follows:

 

The Commercial Heirloom Tomato. Introduced by seed companies before 1960,commercial heirlooms are open pollinated tomato varieties more than 40 years old.                              

 

The Family Heirloom Tomato.  Favorite tomato varieties whose seeds have been  saved and passed down from generation to generation. One variety is Aunt Ruby's German Green, and we have these available.

 

The Created Heirloom Tomato.  A tomato that's been crossed deliberately using two heirlooms, or an heirloom and a hybrid, to have certain characteristics.  Initially a hybrid, it becomes dehybridized through saving and replanting the seeds for about 5 seasons, until it grows consistently true to what the grower has intended. 

 

The Mystery Heirloom Tomato.  A tomato which arises accidentally from natural cross-pollination or mutation in the garden. This is the way most heirloom varieties originated.  

We will be posting the varieties available in a few short days, so stay tuned for much more to come, along with tips for planting, growing and enjoying your tomatoes.