Best heirloom veggies

jadye09 4/21/2010, 5:24 pm

I've been curious about the heirloom varieties of vegetables. Currently I have two brandywine tomato plants and one cherokee purple tomato. Last year I tried to grow some brandywine tomatoes in a row garden but I didn't have any luck. Most of the blooms developed what looked to be a kink at the stem and fell off and the ones that did make fruit fell off as well.

Now that I'm using the square foot method my heirloom tomatoes are looking good. I would like to grow more heirloom vegetables in my garden. I know it's a little late to start growing others but I was just curious what are the best heirloom vegetables to grow in texas and which are ultimately have the best flavor?

martha 4/21/2010, 6:15 pm

May I suggest starting with Seed Saver's Exchange? You can find them on line and see what they offer - but it is all heirloom. I won't have any useful info about growing in Texas, but someone will!

AFLfan 4/21/2010, 6:19 pm

Yes, Seed Saver's Exchange is great for heirlooms! I love Black Krim and Mortgage Lifter tomatoes (among many others), and am planting Paul Robeson for the first time this year. Chioggia beets are excellent as well.

Retired Member 1 4/21/2010, 7:06 pm

Yellow pear is a real winner for Texas, but be forewarned, one plant will produce enough for the whole neighbourhood.
This year I'm trying 9 different heirloom varieties of tomatoes and 6 beans.
Tomatoes are:
black and red boar
cherokee purple
pineapple
striped German
marglobe
italian market
sausage
romeo roma
and of course, yellow pear

Beans are
pole:
mennonite purple
roma
uncle steve's italian
bush:
purple queen
sequoia
dragon's tongue (this is my all favourite bean good fresh and shelled)

A great source for heirloom tomatoes is www.wintersown.org You can choose 6 varieties for free and 10 for a $5.00 donation.

I'll be writing updates in my "journal" in the Lower South section of this forum.

Here's a link to a good description page for heirloom tomatoes:
http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Category:Tomato_Variety_List

argardener 4/21/2010, 8:29 pm

Has anyone grown Amelia's before? I bought one Amelia and one Celebrity before I learned the difference between determinate and indeterminate. I have eaten Celebrity before, but trying Amelia for the first time this year.

I also have some Red Beefsteak and Big Beef. I saw some Yellow Pear last wknd, but read that it has a sweet flavor and I love acidic.

Rebecca

**timwardell** 4/22/2010, 9:31 am

I'm a big fan of Seed Savers - http://www.seedsavers.org/ - and have grown something from them every year. This year I have 2 types of watermelon, cucumber, cantaloupe, summer squash, a hot pepper, and 6 varieties of tomatoes all from Seed Savers! All are looking very good at the moment.
Too often you hear that hybrids are better for Texas gardens because of the heat but I've found that most heirlooms do just fine - especially in a SFG - and the variety is SOOOOO much greater. You just don't see the variety in size, shape, color, and flavor in the hybrids.

**timwardell** 4/22/2010, 7:28 pm

Interesting article about hybrids vs. heirlooms in yesterday's Wall Street Journal. Read it here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704448304575195960955885080.html?KEYWORDS=tomato

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