The list below includes all the varieties we will be carrying this spring. However, we don’t necessarily have all the varieties available at once. If you have your heart set on a certain variety, please call before your visit to make sure it’s in stock.
TERMS:
Days to maturity (days) – the approximate number of days from date of transplanting to date when crop begins to be ready to harvest.
Open Pollinated – A variety from which it is possible to collect and save seed that will produce plants with the same qualities and traits as the ‘mother’ plant. Care must, of course, be taken to prevent unintended cross-pollination from another variety. All heirloom varieties are open-pollinated. There are varieties that were originally developed as F1 hybrids, but through the patient efforts of gardeners, seed growers and breeders, have been selected and re-selected until a ‘stable’ hybrid has been achieved, transforming the hybrid into an open-pollinated variety. Some examples are Gypsy pepper, Gold Nugget tomato.
Heirloom – An old variety that owes its present availability to the seed-saving efforts of gardeners (rather than commercial seed growers), often for many generations. All heirloom varieties are open-pollinated.
Hybrid – usually the first-generation offspring of two different varieties, not stabilized and therefore cannot reproduce itself in kind from seed.
Determinate – Bush tomato varieties that spread laterally and should not be pruned, and may be grown with or without staking. Determinate varieties usually ripen their crop within a concentrated time period, so are a good choice for canning or drying. Many are good candidates for container-growing.
Indeterminate – Vining tomato varieties that are customarily staked, trellised or caged, and pruned for largest fruit. Caging/staking without pruning delays ripening, reduces fruit size, but increases production, prevents sunburn, and reduces fruit cracking and rotting. Indeterminate varieties produce and ripen fruit over an extended period until frost.
Cracking – splitting of tomato skin. Large-fruited varieties with low fruit-set and high sugar content are most likely to crack, but even some cherry tomatoes are subject to cracking. To reduce cracking, avoid heavy watering and wide day/night soil temperature fluctuations, and maintain adequate calcium delivery in your soil.
The list below includes all the varieties we will be carrying this spring. However, we don’t necessarily have all the varieties available at once. If you have your heart set on a certain variety, please call before your visit to make sure it’s in stock.
2019 TOMATO STARTS
AMISH PASTE – Heirloom, indeterminate, 85 days
Very meaty, rich, sweet flavor intensifies in sauces. Consistent taste test winner, fresh or cooked into sauce/paste. Makes “tomato candy” when dried! Droopy foliage is normal.
“ANASAZI” – Early Midseason, Open-Pollinated
A mysterious and delicious entry in our Taste of Tomato a few years ago, sharing second place (with Pineapple). You won’t find this tomato from seed companies, as we saved seed from the tomatoes donated by the participant who simply said that it came from the location of an Anasazi ruin. The very dark red/purple/black, 2″, round or oval fruit have rich, complex, old-fashioned tomato flavor and pleasing texture and begin ripening in midseason. The productive plant is indeterminate, with regular leaves. It has been a star is Eve’s garden, and she collects and processes seed for us every year. If you grow this one, please let us know what you think and how it performs in your garden!
ANNA BANANA RUSSIAN NEW!
~75 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate
A beautiful bright yellow version of the famous Anna Russian tomato. The fruits are definitively heart-shaped, weigh from 6 to 13 ounces, and have delicious, well-balanced flavor with mild fruitiness. They often have a slight pink blush on the inside. As with many other heart-shaped heirloom tomatoes, the tall vines are skinny, with wispy foliage, and should be staked. ‘Anna Banana Russian’ originated as an accidental cross from Anna Russian that was stabilized by Michael Walker of Ellensburg, Washington.
AUNT GERTIE’S GOLD
75 days, Heirloom OP, Indeterminate
This is not only one of the best-tasting yellow tomatoes, but it is one of the best-tasting tomatoes of any color. Fruit is typically about 1 lb. with beautiful golden color. While their shape can be a little irregular, their delicious flavor is wonderfully fruity and sweet yet complex, with lots of character! Large plants have potato-leaved foliage. Heirloom variety from Virginia.
AUNT RUBY’S GERMAN GREEN
85 days, Indeterminate, Heirloom OP
Just delicious, and one of the largest green beefsteaks, with fruits often weighing over 1 pound. Brilliant, neon-green flesh, both meaty and juicy, with a strong, sweet, and fruity flavor, at least as tasty as the best red tomatoes. Ripens early for its size, on strong healthy, productive vines. The winner of the 2003 Heirloom Garden Show’s taste test, and a star at our 2018 Taste of Tomato!
AUSTIN’S RED PEAR
AZOYCHKA NEW!
68-70 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate
A very productive Russian heirloom found at the Bird Market in Moscow. A regular-leaf vine that produces an abundant crop (40-50 tomatoes per plant) of smooth, 3-inch, 10-16 oz., slightly flattened oblate, meaty, yellow/orange tomatoes with a deliciously citrusy flavor; unlike most yellow tomatoes, Azoychka has a good acidic balance to its fruity sweetness resulting in robust, complex flavor. Dependably early, productive, and adapted to both cool and warm climates, it produces well into the season. Great in salads, sliced, sandwiches, sauces or canning
BEAM’S YELLOW PEAR
70-80 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate
Introduced to Seed Savers Exchange in 1983 by John Hartman of Indiana. Superior to other yellow pear varieties in flavor, texture and performance. Provides a seemingly endless supply of 1½” fruits with great flavor. Ideal for salads. Kids love them!
BELLA ROSA NEW!
75 days, Hybrid, Determinate, VFFAStTSWV
Bred for excellent disease resistance, this high-yielding variety produces 10-12oz. flavorful, firm, round red fruits with a good balance of tart and sweet. It is also heat-tolerant, continuing to set fruit in hot weather. The determinate plants are vigorous but relatively compact. Considered the best-tasting of the varieties resistant to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, which has become an issue in Front Range gardens. If you’ve had TSWV problems in your garden, Bella Rosa may enable you to grow tasty tomatoes again!
BLACK CHERRY
64 days, Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated
Bred in Florida by the late Vince Sapp, the fruits are almost black in color. Large, vigorous, indeterminate, regular-leaf, plants yield abundant crops in huge clusters of 1″, round, deep purple, mahogany-brown cherry tomatoes. The delicious fruits have wonderfully complex flavors that are fruity, balanced, very rich, sweet, and intense, , characteristic of the best flavorful black tomatoes. Disease resistant.
BLACK ETHIOPIAN
70-80 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate
A wonderful, rare heirloom, variously reported as originating in Ukraine, Russia, or Hungary, despite being named Ethiopian. Nevertheless, the large, vigorous 4-5’ tall plants yield heavy crops mahogany-bronze, 5-oz., plum-shaped fruits with exceptional, rich flavor that’s both tangy and sweet. At our first annual Taste of Tomato, acclaimed local chef Bradford Heap chose Black Ethiopian as his top favorite.
BLACK FROM TULA – Russian Heirloom, indeterminate
70-80 days from transplant
The happiest, healthiest, most prolific and most delicious full-sized tomato in our experience. Vigorous, medium-sized plant bears loads of 3” to 4 ½” mahogany fruit with green shoulders and deep red interior flesh. The flavor is superb – rich, complex, sweet, tart, even spicy. Winner of Boulder Culinary Gardeners’ tomato-tasting in 2010, a fave at several Taste of Tomato events, and one of Eve and Mikl’s top favorites. Very heat-tolerant (produced in the heat of 2012 when many others did not). Also the only variety we know of that tolerates being planted in cooler soil without stunting or compromising the performance of the plant
Black ICICLE NEW!
~75 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate
With stunning,2-3” long and pointed deep purplish-brown fruits, this Ukrainian heirloom tomato looks like a paste tomato but has the deep, rich, complex flavor of the best large dark heirlooms. A great variety for both home gardeners and chefs, it is delicious eaten fresh or cooked down for fabulous sauce. The productive vines are tall and skinny, with wispy foliage.
BLACK KRIM – Russian heirloom, indeterminate, 69-80 days from transplant
One of the most productive heirloom tomatoes and early too! Striking fruits are black, green and iridescent purple-red on the outside, partly black in the glistening interior. Fruits average 12 to 18 oz. Has unusual flavor described as sweet, intense, smoky, and texture is juicy and meaty. Important – harvest Krims when half green and still firm – at that stage they are dead ripe and delicious. If you wait too long, they will be mealy and over-the-hill.
BLACK PRINCE – NEW
70-75 days from transplant, heirloom, Indeterminate, Open-pollinated
A superior home-gardening heirloom variety from Irkutsk, Siberia. These handsome 5 oz tomatoes are round and very uniform. The color is a wonderful iridescent, mahogany brown, and the flavor is deep, sweet, fruity and rich, and slightly smoky, tangy and salty. Black Prince has earned a reputation for outstanding flavor similar to that of Black Krim, but without Krim’s fragility and tendency to crack. The texture is meaty, not watery, making it a perfect and unique salad or sandwich tomato. The reliable plants produce prolifically, beginning early and continuing through the season.
BLACK SEA MAN – Heirloom, determinate, 75 days from transplant
One of the very few compact ‘black’ tomatoes (can be grown in a mid-sized container where it can produce 20+ fruits!), this potato-leafed Russian heirloom bears an early and abundant crop of beautiful, large round 12-16 oz tomatoes with no dimples or lobes. Skin is deep mahogany-colored with green shoulders and the deep red flesh is rich with excellent complex, full-bodied, flavors. Introduced by Seed Savers Exchange in the early 1990’s. We loved the gorgeous, huge specimens grown and donated by Boulder’s Cure Farm at our Taste of Tomato a few years ago!
BLACK TRUFFLE or JAPANESE BLACK TRIFELE
Heirloom, indeterminate, 69-80 days from transplant
Pear-shaped, burgundy-black 6-8 oz fruits with pretty green shoulders are high in both sugar and acid, with intense, complex, full-bodied flavor. Great for slicing, caprese, salads and roasting. Short potato-leaf plants have huge production of smooth, crack-resistant, medium-sized fruit. Don’t over-water and you’ll be rewarded with deep, chocolaty, smoky, rich-flavored tomatoes
BRAD’S ATOMIC GRAPE Tomato NEW! Very Limited Supply
~75 days, OP, Indeterminate
Highly productive, open, vining plants with wispy foliage. Large, elongated, pointy grape tomatoes borne in large clusters. Sounds dull, huh? Well, the colors of these 2-bite gems are extraordinary, and every fruit appears hand-painted! Lavender and purple stripes, orange turning to technicolor olive-green, red, and brown/blue stripes when fully ripe. The olive green interior is blushed with red when dead-ripe. Flavor? They came in second place after Sungold in the Cherry tomato category at our 2018 Taste of Tomato! The fruits are juicy and firm, crack-resistant and exceptionally sweet, which is what many people are looking for in a snacking tomato. The fruit holds well on the vine or off. This release from Wild Boar Farms also won best in show at the 2017 National Heirloom Expo.
BRANDYWINE, PINK – Heirloom, indeterminate, 85 days
Classic rich flavor, squat lobed fruits to 7″ across! Sudduth strain – the ‘original’ Brandywine. A nation-wide favorite, and the standard against which ‘beefsteak’-type tomatoes are judged for flavor. Irregularly-shaped fruits and cracking are par for the course with Brandywine
BROWN SUGAR NEW!
Mid-season, Open-Pollinated, Indeterminate
Brown Sugar is an open-pollinated Russian commercial variety that provides early production, beautiful color and delicious flavor. A high-yielding, indeterminate, regular-leaf plant, Brown Sugar produces lots of medium-size (~6oz.), round, purple-brown fruits with green shoulders. The deep red interior has rich, complex flavor, a little more sweet than tangy. Very well adapted to colder and short season regions.
BUNDABERG RUMBALL – NEW
60 days from transplant, Dwarf Indeterminate, OP
An exciting release from the Dwarf Tomato Project. Very early and productive ‘tree-type’ dwarf plants bear 2-3oz round, chocolate-colored fruits with delicious, balanced, sweet flavor. Perfect for small gardens and containers
BURBANK SLICING
CARMELLO
70 days, Hybrid, Indeterminate
A classic French slicing tomato, Carmello has a deservedly great reputation both in America and Europe due to its wonderful flavor, perfect sugar/acid balance, and crack-resistant skin. It produces heavy clusters of round fruit on strong, uniform plants. Especially impressive is its generous-size 10-12oz. fruit and well-developed flavor for such an early hybrid tomato. Bright red juicy tomatoes have a beautiful round shape. Expect very high yields on exceptionally disease-resistant plants.
CHEROKEE PURPLE – Heirloom, indeterminate, 77 days
Delicious deep pink 3-4″ fruits now on Slow Food’s Ark of Taste. A favorite at our 2015 Taste of Tomato, and for many gardeners, the only tomato they will grow because it never disappoints.
CHIANTI ROSE – Heirloom, indeterminate, 80 days
Abundant, big, rosy-red fruits of the beefsteak type. A crack-resistant Brandywine cross with superb flavor and creamy texture. Vigorous potato-leaf variety, tolerates cool summers.
CHOCOLATE CHERRY – Open pollinated, indeterminate, 70 days
Appearing in clusters of eight all over the fairly compact vine, the 1” to 1 ¼” fruits ripen from green to lavender to rich mahogany and are extremely flavorful. Fruits hold stems very well, resist cracking and can be picked several days before completely mature and allowed to ripen to perfection off the vine without sacrificing quality.
CHOCOLATE STRIPES – Heirloom, indeterminate, 79 days
This one is a beauty queen – so lovely and unique, we had to try it. Fruit is deep reddish-brown inside; the outside is covered with beautiful orange and lime colored stripes. Very large regular-leaf plants yield an abundance of beautiful flattened round 3-6” fruits with delicious, sweet yet complex, earthy, rich flavor. Produces over a long season and well into autumn. A great sandwich and salad tomato.
COSMONAUT VOLKOV – Heirloom, semi-determinate, 65-72 days
Always a taste-test winner, this Ukranian tomato was a clear favorite at our 2012 Taste of Tomato. Compact, prolific plants dependably produce ripe fruits by early or mid-August, even in cold summers. The slightly flattened 8-12 oz (2-3”) globes are deep red with greenish shoulders. Delivers true tomato taste – rich, balanced, both sweet and tangy. Superb home-garden variety and works well in high tunnels.
COSTOLUTO GENOVESE – Heirloom, indeterminate, 78-85 days
An Italian, heat-loving, heirloom tomato that has been a favorite for many generations for both fresh eating and pasta sauce. The beautiful medium to large, glossy deep-red fruits have a singularly fluted profile, are deeply ridged, and heavily lobed. They are meaty, full-flavored, slightly tart, and delicious. Because of their scalloped edges, perfect for use in arrangements of different colored sliced tomatoes.
COYOTE CURRANT – Open pollinated, indeterminate, 75 days
A small, currant-like cherry tomato that is extremely prolific, producing hundreds to even a few thousand fruits on a single plant. Flavor is rich, sweet and high quality. Fruits ripen to very light yellow–really a creamy, translucent color. This variety was originally found growing wild in Mexico.
CREAM SAUSAGE NEW!
70-75 days, Determinate, Open-Pollinated
A new, uniquely colored and stunning elongated plum-shaped paste tomato that is creamy white to pale yellow in color. The sweet and mild flavor of the meaty fruits should be a hit with gourmet cooks. The productive bushy plants do not require staking, and are excellent for growing in containers. Bred by SeedSavers Exchange member Thomas Wagner.
CUOR DI BUE – Heirloom, indeterminate, 70 days
This curious and striking tomato is sure to turn heads as well as satisfy appetites. Its name is simply Italian for “ox heart” and it’s been a favorite in Italy for many years. The shape is bottom-heavy reminding you of a pouch with a gathered top. A large, 12 oz, sweet and tasty saucing type with dense flesh and lustrous, orange-red skin, it can be eaten fresh as well as cooked. Hard to find.
DANCING WITH SMURFS (a.k.a. Indigo Cherry Drops, Blue Cherry) NEW!
Very limited quantities!
78-84 days, Open-Pollinated, Indeterminate
We are told that this variety is named after the 13th episode of the 13th season of the animated TV series ‘South Park’. We don’t have a television, so don’t ask us!
Bred by Tom Wagner of ‘Green Zebra’ fame, this deep blue/purple cherry tomato is descended from OSU’s anthocyanine line and is very high in powerful antioxidants. In summer heat, the purple coloration is equally visible as the underlying red. But when night temperatures drop, fruits darken to purple-black. Productive, purple-blushed vines to 6’ tall are disease-resistant and bear 1” or larger fruits in clusters of 6-8, with much better flavor than the original ‘blue’ varieties. Described as ‘tart and sweet true-tomato, with faint undertones of rhubarb’.
DARK GALAXY NEW!
75 days, Open-Pollinated, Indeterminate
Another unique selection from Wild Boar Farm’s anthocyanine series, Dark Galaxy bears 2-8 ounce round fruit that is slightly flattened, with red and orange stripes covered in random speckles, and layered over by deep blue. The vines themselves display a purple blush and grow 5-6 feet tall while producing good crops of the striking tomatoes. The firm,flavorful flesh is sweet and tangy.
DJENA LEE’S GOLDEN GIRL – Heirloom, indeterminate, 78 days
Produces striking golden orange fruit with meaty flesh and a semi-thick skin, developed in the 1920’s by Djena (pronounced “Zshena”) Lee, who was part Native American and the daughter of Minnesota financier Jim Lee. It was given to Rev. Morrow in 1929 when he was 15, and has been grown by his family ever since. It has an excellent balance of acid to sugar giving it a sweet yet tangy flavor that was so highly prized that it won first place at the Chicago Fair ten years in a row. Now on Slow Food’s Ark of Taste. Regular-leafed plants produce huge yields of 5-10 oz. oval fruits.
EARLY GIRL F1 hybrid – NEW – 59 days from transplant, Indeterminate, Hybrid
We have added Early Girl in response to many customer requests. Early Girl is a medium-sized (4-8oz), round red slicing/salad tomato, popular with home gardeners because it is reliable, prolific and ripens early, with decent flavor. The tall, rambling vines need support. Early Girl can tolerate temperatures as low as 40 °F and is also well-suited to hot, dry climates.
EVERETT’S RUSTY OXHEART
85 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate
Everett’s Rusty Oxheart is a rare and truly unique tomato. We first became acquainted with Everett’s at one of our Taste of Tomato events, where it arrived late, but didn’t escape our notice and appreciation. The exterior is a rusty-bronze color, and the interior is a rainbow of pink, green and gold. The delicious and distinctive flavor is a combination of fruity, zippy and tangy. The vines are lanky and the foliage wispy and droopy, but all this is normal for most Oxhearts. The plants produce lots of 6-16oz. heart-shaped fruits with few seeds.
FRUIT PUNCH CHERRY NEW! Limited Quantities
75 days, Open-pollinated, Indeterminate
A lot of online raving about this one: “the Ultimate in cherry tomatoes!” Of undetermined origins, ‘Fruit Punch’ has pinkish-red, 1oz. round fruits with good crack-resistance, even in heavy rains, despite the skin being thin. They are described as exceptionally sweet and fruity, but still possessing ‘true-tomato’ tanginess, and great, juicy texture. The vigorous, regular-leaf plants bear heavy crops, beginning in early mid-season.
GARDENER’S DELIGHT CHERRY – Open pollinated, indeterminate, 68 days
Bred in Germany in 1950-51, this is a parent of the famous hybrid ‘Sweet 100′. Abundant 1″ to 1½” deep red cherry tomatoes resist cracking and are meaty, juicy, sweet and richly flavored. The large plants need staking and will bear until frost. One of Eve and Mikl’s top favorites.
GLACIER – Open pollinated, semi-determinate, 55 days
The best, most reliable ultra-early variety, bearing 2” fruits with rich tomato flavor that won it very high ratings at our Taste of Tomato a few years ago. Plants are quite compact, and continue to bear throughout the season. If you want to be the first on your block with tasty ripe tomatoes, plant Glacier in a Solar Cap!
GOLD MEDAL – Indeterminate, 75-90 days
The beautiful, bi-colored fruit are deep yellow, blushing with rosy red that radiates from the blossom end. The flavorful firm flesh is fruity, sweet and mild, very little acid; great for fresh eating. From the late, legendary seed collector, Ben Quisenberry.
GOLD NUGGET
Open pollinated (stabilized from original hybrid), determinate, 55-60 days
Very prolific compact plant bears delicious 1”+ golden-yellow, pretty egg-shaped fruits packed with sweet tomato flavor. The skin is tender yet crack-free, and there are few seeds. Usually the very first to ripen; great for eating out of hand, in salads, or for drying. The healthy plants are great for growing in containers and small gardens.
GREEN DOCTORS FROSTED – Open pollinated, indeterminate, 79 days
A sport from a yellow heirloom cherry tomato (Dr. Carolyn). Large vines produce huge yields of delicious oval ¾” x 1 ¼”, sweet, low-acid, frosty kiwi-green fruits that blush gold when ripe. A top favorite at our 2011 & 2017 Tomato Tastings. Named after Dr. Amy Goldman & Dr. Carolyn Male, both writers of great tomato books. Resists Early Blight.
GREEN GRAPE NEW!
60-65 days, DET, OP.
An old-fashioned tomato originally developed in 1986 by Tom Wagner of Tater Mater Seed Co. by crossing heirlooms Yellow Pear and Evergreen. The distinctive 1 ½” juicy, golden-green fruits are borne in clusters of 4-12 that resemble large muscat grapes and are translucent pale, lime-green inside. The high-yielding plant makes a compact bush – great for raised beds and small gardens. Green Grape tomato has become popular in restaurants and markets because of its excellent, crisp, fresh flavor and unique attractiveness. Great for snacking!
GREEN ZEBRA – Open pollinated, indeterminate, 75 days
Beautiful dark green/gold striped 3” round crack-free fruits have a unique, well-balance but zesty flavor. A modern tomato bred from heirloom varieties.
HONEY DROP CHERRY – Open pollinated, indeterminate, 62 days
Originating as a chance sport in the tomato patch of Crabapple Farm in Maine, Rachel and Tevis Robertson-Goldbery selected and developed this OP rival to the ubiquitous Sungold hybrid, with all of its delicious fruitiness but much less cracking. The sweet, juicy, honey-colored, egg-shaped treats taste almost like light grapes and surpass many other cherry tomatoes in earliness, sweetness and complexity. You may see some of the recessive pink fruit off-types (currently being selected and developed as Pink Princess), but these are so yummy too!
INDIGO APPLE – Open -Pollinated, indeterminate, 75 days
With much better and sweeter flavor than Indigo Rose (the first “blue” tomato), Indigo Apple is deep black-purple when immature, maturing to red with purple shoulders and stripes. The medium-sized fruits are held in showy, pendant clusters. Resists sunscald, cracking, and disease and has excellent shelf life. Very high in anthocyanins, lycopene, and vitamin C, making it an exceptionally healthy choice.
ISIS CANDY – Open pollinated, indeterminate, 67 days
1″ round morsels of red and gold garden candy have a starburst pattern on the blossom end when ripe. Sweet and fruity, in clusters of 6-8, on large, prolific plants. A top 10 winner at tomato tastings, out-shining Sun Gold at our 2016 Taste of Tomato! Crack-resistant, regular leaf. Bred by Joe Bratka of New Jersey.
JAUNE FLAMME – French heirloom, indeterminate, 70 – 80 days
Beautiful, small, deep orange, apricot-shaped fruits are 2-3 oz, great for fresh eating, but also for drying or sauce. Very prolific and dependable.
JULIET – Hybrid, indeterminate, 60 days
The 1999 All America Selection, this tomato plant produces deep red, 2″ (1 oz), oval, crack-resistant fruit borne in large clusters. A versatile tomato perfect for fresh eating, drying, marinating. Vigorous plants are disease-resistant.
KELLOGG’S BREAKFAST – Midwest heirloom, indeterminate, 85 days
Stunning, brilliant golden-orange, meaty beefsteak tomatoes are 4 to 5″ (1-2 lbs) or larger! Old-fashioned flavor is rich, fruity and full, among the best-tasting heirlooms of all time. The vigorous vines require staking. One of Eve and Mikl’s top favorites. In 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden, Dr. Carolyn Male says, “There isn’t another large orange beefsteak variety that I’d rather grow than Kellogg’s Breakfast.” We agree! This fine tomato originated with Darrell Kellogg of Redford, Michigan.
KORALIK – Open-pollinated, determinate, 57-61 days
Extra-early, great-tasting bright red 1” cherry tomato, said to be from Russia or Poland. Determinate plants can grow to up to 4′ tall and get very bushy. Prolific fruit set on large trusses, with all fruits on a truss ripening together. Fruits are slightly oval in shape, ripen to red, and have beautiful green shoulders when they are not ripe. Do not prune your plants, unless you want reduced harvest! Excellent sweet and rich flavor. Very disease-resistant.
LEMONY (LIMMONY) – NEW
85 days from transplant, Indeterminate, heirloom OP
This large, light yellow lobed beefsteak is a heavy producer of 4-6” flavorful fruits, and was one of the first Russian heirlooms popularized in the U.S. Unlike most yellow tomatoes, this one is neither mild nor very sweet, but very flavorful, with both sweet and tangy flavors.
LUCID GEM NEW!
75-80 days, Open-Pollinated, Indeterminate
Winner of the sweetest tomato award at the 2017 National Heirloom Expo, Brad Gates’ Lucid Gem has become one of the most popular anthocyanin tomatoes because of its excessive beauty. A slicing-type with stunning fruit, inside and out! Yields loads of 5-ounce, flattened round fruit, very meaty and containing very few seeds. First they ripen yellow, then orange when very ripe, with beautifully contrasting black anthocyanine-splashed shoulders. Just as beautiful when sliced. The juicy flesh is marbled yellow to red, and the flavor is superb – fruity, sweet, rich and earthy, with a very tomatoey finish.
MALACHITE BOX – Open pollinated, indeterminate, 70 days
Another favorite at our 2016 Taste of tomato. Bred and tested in Siberia. The early, light-to-olive green, medium-sized fruits have succulent, juicy bright green flesh with truly delicious, bright, perfectly balanced flavor. The vigorous, disease-resistant vines (to 8’) are productive even in the north. Benefits from amendment with calcium to prevent blossom end-rot. Named after the lovely green boxes that are made from this mineral that comes from the Ural Mountains and other areas.
MAMMOTH GERMAN GOLD
85 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate
Mammoth German Gold is an heirloom tomato from the 1800’s. It is very productive. This huge, bicolor tomato is gold with red streaks. The fruits weigh about 2 pounds. The fruity flavor is well-balanced, not overly sweet, with a tomatoey finish. Unusually heat-tolerant.
MARTINO’S ROMA
70-80 days, Italian Heirloom, Determinate
This classic paste variety has been aptly described as ‘bullet-proof’. I can attest that Martino’s is immune to blossom-end rot, resistant to early blight, and thoroughly reliable. Big yields of plum-shaped tomatoes on compact, bushy plants with attractive, rugose foliage. The paste-type fruit weigh 2-3 ounces, are dry-fleshed and very meaty with few seeds. Makes great sauces, salsas and pastes. The very heavy set of fruits ripen over a 2 week period
MATT’S WILD CHERRY – Heirloom, indeterminate, 55-70 days
These small deep red cherry/currant tomatoes explode with intense, sweet tomato flavor! Perfect to sprinkle on a salad. A cultivar ostensibly based on the original wild tomato plants, acquired by a friend of Dr. Matt Liebman in Hidalgo, Mexico. Liebman raised it in Maine, eventually releasing it under his own name. The tall, super-vigorous vines require staking and produce incredible numbers of delicious fruits in clusters. Reportedly resistant to Early Blight and somewhat resistant to Late Blight and frost. Kids love them, and they are highly nutritious!
MEXICO MIDGET – Heirloom, indeterminate, 60-70 days
Old-time, south-of-the-border favorite that consistently proves its value as a salad tomato. Produces hundreds of little 1/2″, dark red, round, cherry-type fruits packed with irresistible flavor.Very reliable and prolific harvests throughout an extended growing season. Kids love them, and they’re highly nutritious!
NORTHERN LIGHTS – 55-75 days from transplant, Indeterminate, heirloom, OP
A striking bicolor tomato, yellow-orange with a red blush on the blossom end and beautiful red patterning in the center, is named for the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. The regular-leaf plant produces good yields of 8-16 oz., 4-inch, irregularly shaped, beefsteak tomatoes with wonderful, intense, well-balanced, fruity and tangy flavors. Usually ripens very early (for a beefsteak type), and bears until frost.
ORANGE KING NEW!
65days, Open-Pollinated, Determinate
One of the best producers of early 4-6 oz, meaty orange globes. Blemish free and durable fruit form on bushes that are easy to cage. A really excellent variety with great sweet, fruity flavor. There are a few varieties with this same name but this Orange King was bred by Tim Peters of Peters Seed and Research in Oregon.
PAUL ROBESON – Heirloom, indeterminate, 78-90 days
This rare, maroon-brick 6-12 oz slicer boasts prize winning distinctive sweet smoky flavor. We tasted this one in 2009 for the first time and were very impressed. Pick while shoulders are still green and the fruit is firm.
PEACEVINE CHERRY – Open pollinated, indeterminate, 78 days
Selected from old favorite ‘Sweet 100’ hybrid and almost identical in fruit size, flavor, and rampant vining habit. The rampant vines bear gazillions of sweet 1″ nutritious red fruit in clusters, very high in vitamin C and gamma-amino butyric acid (a natural nervous system sedative).
PINEAPPLE
85 -95 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate
High yields of colossal, meaty 1 to 2 lb. golden beef-steak type fruits with red streaks inside and out. Unique, sweet, fruity, full flavor. Sometimes the shape is funky, but slices are beautiful on the plate! ‘Pineapple’ tomatoes donated to our 2012 Taste of Tomato event were the top favorite in the slicing/beefsteak category.
PINK BERKELEY TIE-DYE (Beefsteak)
68 days from transplant, Compact Indeterminate, OP
Regarded as the best of the Wild Boar series from breeder Brad Gates, this tomato has everything going for it: great heirloom flavor, early productivity, size, disease tolerance, and gorgeous good looks! These are ‘beefsteak’ tomatoes, averaging 9 oz, with the color of port wine and metallic green stripes. Many of our local market farmers have had great success with this variety and make it a mainstay of their tomato production.
PRINCIPE BORGHESE – Indeterminate, 70-75 days
The Italian heirloom that is famous for sun drying. Small 1-2 oz. grape-shaped fruit have few seeds and a rich tomato taste that is wonderful for sauces. Vines yield clusters of fruit in abundance. Eat fresh in salad or make outstanding oven-roasted tomatoes (slice in half, drizzle with some olive oil, bake at 250°F until mostly done, sprinkle with fresh basil, oregano, etc.) use as Bruschetta topping or to freeze for later use. If dried they can be rehydrated for 10 minutes in water or broth and used in soups or stews, or on pizza.
PRIZE of the TRIALS NEW! Limited Supply
75 days, Open-pollinated, Indeterminate
Said to be “one of the most productive and largest of the cherry tomatoes, with evenly-sized round, golden-orange fruits, the size of ping pong balls, with a vibrant, tangy, flavor. Earliest fruits are egg-shaped. The heavy trusses are very highly crack-resistant”. We have not yet trialed this variety, so please let us know what you think.
PRUDEN’S PURPLE – Heirloom, indeterminate, 72 days
Large, dark pink, wonderful flavor, exceptionally early and delicious Brandywine-type.
PURPLE CALABASH – Heirloom, indeterminate, 75 days
Unusual 3″ wide x 1½” fruits shaped like Cinderella pumpkins are very deeply ruffled, with light green-purple shoulders shading to dark purple toward base. Flesh is deep purple. Frequent winner of blind taste tests, with very complex, rich blend of rich tomato flavors reminiscent of a fruity Cabernet wine. Ours were very productive, and plants reportedly yield abundantly even under very hot and dry conditions. Delicious fresh, and makes awesome roasted tomato sauce. One of Eve and Mikl’s top favorites.
ROMA VF
80 days, Open Pollinated, Determinate
A classic pear-shaped sauce, paste, juice and canning tomato. Large, vigorous, determinate plants produce heavy yields of blemish-free, 4-7oz. deep red plum tomatoes, resistant to Verticillium and Fusarium wilts. Thick-walled fruits are meaty, with few seeds.
ROPRECO PASTE NEW!
65-70 days, Heirloom, Determinate
A fine old Italian heirloom paste tomato that actually tastes good fresh, unlike the many mealy Roma types out there. It is highly disease resistant to most common tomato foliar and fruit ailments, and produces well in short-season gardens. Does not require staking as it produces its fruit in a concentrated set. Suitable for salads, sauce, drying and other canning projects. Fruits are 2-3 ounces, oblong and bright red.
SAN MARZANO REDORTA
78 days from transplant, Indeterminate, Heirloom Open-pollinated
Here’s a case where a Super-Sized food is a good thing! We offered San Marzano Redorta for the first time in 2017, and got rave reviews. A very large paste tomato with even better flavor than the renowned San Marzano, but twice the size – weighing 8 – 10 oz, and at least 4” long. The large, vigorous, disease-resistant plants grow to 4-5’ tall, and are very prolific, both in heat and in cooler weather. SM Redorta is an excellent paste tomato that is great for canning, salsas, sauces and roasting, and delicious enough to eat fresh off the vine! The flavors are even richer than San Marzano, with a balanced sweetness and tanginess with a touch of salt. Thick walls have lots of meaty flesh with an easy to peel skin and a small seed cavity. Named for the Pizzo Redorta mountain outside Bergamo, in Northern Italy.
SASHA’S ALTAI – Siberian Heirloom, indeterminate, 59 days
These slightly flattened 3”, 5-8 oz bright red fruits are incredibly early, sweet, flavorful and prolific, consistently winning blind taste tests. It performs really well in the foothills, where the growing season is short. Bred by a home gardener in a small Siberian town, Sasha’s Altai has a good story behind it, so if you ever get to hear seedsman Bill McDorman speak, be sure to ask him about it.
SIBERIAN
50 days, Heirloom, Dwarf
Yes, it’s true – fruits ripen only 50 days from transplant, and they’re really delicious!! The bright red, perfectly balanced sweet and flavorful little tomatoes, ranging from 2 to 5 oz., are borne in clusters on compact plants. They’re wonderful for salads, slicing and drying. ‘Siberian’ has been a great favorite at our tomato tastings, and I grow it every year. The dwarf plant sets fruit very early; it is reportedly capable of setting fruit even at 38 degrees. A great choice for small gardens, large containers, and cooler, short-season/high altitude gardens.
STRIPED GERMAN- Open pollinated, indeterminate, 78 days
Top winner for outstanding flavor at our 2016 Taste of Tomato! This heirloom vine to 4-6’ tall bears huge (1-2#) ‘beefsteak’ flattened round fruits with ribbed shoulders, and are yellow with red marbling inside and red striping outside. The complex flavor is rich and fruity. Quite early for the size of the fruits.
STUPICE – Czech heirloom, compact indeterminate, 65 days
A great potato-leaf variety that comes from the former Czechoslovakia. So early, so productive, so tasty, and such a healthy plant, tolerant of cold and heat! One of the best early tomatoes, this is among the earliest. Excellent flavor for an early type; these produce lots of 2” red fruit over a very long season. Highly popular in areas with short summers.
SUNGOLD CHERRY – Hybrid, indeterminate, 57 days
Candy on a vine! Plentiful, plump, tangerine-colored, 3/4″ fruit, verysweet and juicy. The earliest and most famous cherry tomato, usually winning 1st place at our Taste of Tomato event, and a customer favorite. Fully ripened fruit have best flavor but are very prone to cracking. Vines can grow very large and are extremely productive until frost.
SUPER SIOUX/SUPER LAKOTAH – Heirloom, semi-determinate, 71 days
This versatile tomato has old-fashioned flavor, combining complex, earthy flavors and sweetness with a pronounced tartness. The 4oz. round, bright red fruits are meaty and thick-walled, crack-free, and are great for sandwiches & burgers, canning and sauce. Very dependable and highly productive, continuing to set fruit even in extended hot, dry spells as well as cool weather. ‘Super Sioux’ was developed by D. V. Burrell Seed Growers of Colorado and is an improved version of the old variety ‘Sioux’ which had been bred at the Nebraska Experimental Station and introduced in 1944.
SUPERSWEET 100 – Hybrid, indeterminate, 65 days
With the same great flavor that made its predecessor Sweet 100 a garden standard for many years, Supersweet 100 has extra sweetness and better disease resistance (Verticillium and Fusarium wilts) and reportedly offers the highest Vitamin C content of any tomato. Bright red, 1″ globes are amazingly sweet and ripen prolifically on long pendulous clusters right up to frost.
TAXI
65-70 days, Open-Pollinated, Determinate
Considered by many to be the best early, lemon-yellow tomato, especially for short-season gardens. Compact, dark green, 2’ by 2’ vines produce a concentrated early set of blemish-free, bright lemon yellow, meaty, 4-6oz. baseball-sized fruits with mild, acid-free flavor. Taxi is widely adapted, easy to grow, and a heavy yielder over a 3-4 week period.
THESSALONIKI – Greek heirloom, indeterminate, 75 days
Beautiful, smooth, round, red, baseball-sized (5 to 8 oz) tomatoes with outstanding, rich, balanced, classic flavor. Resists cracking, blemish, sun scald and rot. Great for slicing, salads, canning and keeps well. Plants are very productive and very dependable, and Eve always includes Thessaloniki in her tomato patch. If you have room for just one indeterminate tomato variety, this may be the one!
THORBURN’S TERRA COTTA Tomato NEW! Very Limited Supply
~75 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate Our friend Thomas brought this very rare and completely unique tomato to our 2018 Taste of Tomato public tasting (where this remarkable new-old variety took second place in the Slicers category) and we’d never seen anything like it! Incredible color, flavor and history! Introduced in 1893 by J.M. Thorburn & Co. seedsmen of New York, this sensational tomato has glossy/waxy terracotta brown skin, orange-pink flesh, and green seed mass. Dr. William Woys Weaver has spent years growing out and selecting from the seeds he was gifted one hundred years later! His patient and artful work has restored this stunning and delicious, juicy slicer, which produces heavily during early/mid-season and then drops off quickly once cool weather sets in. Reviews from gardeners in Colorado reveal that this variety seems to like our hot, dry summers, whereas complaints of cracking came from growers in the wetter upper Midwest and Northwest. When cooked, it will yield a beautiful pumpkin-orange sauce with a floral aroma. Read the back-story, written by Dr. Weaver in 2012, at https://www.heirloomgardener.com/plant-profiles/edible/terra-cotta-tomato-zmaz12wzfis
TINY TIM (Cherry Tomato) – 45 days from transplant, Dwf. Determinate, OP
Very popular since its introduction in 1945, Tiny Tim was bred specifically to be grown in containers. Bushy plants are typically only 12” tall, 14” wide, with more tomatoes than foliage. Heavily laden branches may need support. For a period of about 1 month, it produces a heavy crop of bright red, 1” round cherry tomatoes with good flavor and slightly thick skins. Reliable and able to grow indoors and outdoors in pots.
TOMMY TOE cherry tomato NEW!
~70 days, Heirloom OP, Indeterminate
Tommy Toe is a great old heirloom from the Ozark Mountains that produces huge numbers of large, 1.5 oz red cherries with old fashioned flavor reminiscent of heirloom ‘beefsteak’ tomatoes. The large, vigorous plants will need staking/trellising to control.
WEAVER’S BLACK BRANDYWINE – NEW
80-90 days from transplant, Indeterminate, Heirloom, Open-pollinated
We’ll try to make this long story short! A fine variety, also known as True Black Brandywine, from famed seed collector and food writer, William Woys Weaver. It was passed down to him in the collection of his grandfather, with whom it had been shared in the late 1920’s by amateur breeder Dr. Harold E. Martin. According to Weaver’s grandfather, True Black Brandywine was a controlled cross between Brandywine and the original brown Beefsteak tomato known as Fejee Improved. These vigorous potato leaf plants produce irregular flattened large ‘beefsteak’ shaped fruits that look coal-dusted over crimson, with shadows of green, purple and brown. The shoulders are a dusky, dark mahogany color that bleeds deeply into its flesh. The rich, complex flavor, full of the deep, earthy, smoky and sweet nuances that have made blackish-purple tomatoes so popular, combines with the full, tart/sweet balanced flavor of Pink Brandywine. Our seed source says “Weaver’s flavor intensity of peaty whiskey and rich tomato is not for the faint of heart, but everyone who tries it will have an opinion.”
WHITE TOMESOL NEW!
75-85 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate
White Tomesol is not only a beautiful addition to the color palette of tomatoes, but is perhaps the easiest ‘white’ tomato to grow, and full of fragrance and flavor, sweet, rich but mild. The lovely smooth, pale yellow fruits have a pretty blush of pink on the blossom end, and look like a smaller beef-steak type, averaging about 8oz. Fruits with full sun exposure will develop deeper yellow color. The vigorous, disease-resistant vines set heavy yields, producing late into the season and adapting well to difficult growing conditions. We see it as a worthy replacement for the fabulous ‘Moonstone Blanco’, for which we can no longer find seed. Introduced to Seed Savers in 1998 by Dorothy Beiswenger of Crookston, Minnesota.
WISCONSIN 55 NEW!
80 days, Open-Pollinated, Indeterminate
We are growing the new, resurrected strain of this classic, flavorful tomato, producing 6–8 oz. slicers that are great for fresh eating and popular for canning, particularly for stewed tomatoes. This long-popular workhorse variety was developed by the U. of Wisconsin, Madison in the 1940’s. There are several strains of Wisconsin 55 on the market, but their quality has degraded over time. Johnny’s Selected Seeds identified this strain, which shows more consistent size, healthier plants, and fewer fruit defects. They also believe it to be closer to the original variety.
YELLOW PERFECTION NEW!
70 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate
We’re growing this small yellow tomato at the urging of Colorado’s High Mowing Seeds. It was the top-ranked yellow tomato in their trials, with round fruits of sensational flavor, averaging 1.5 to 2”., on vigorous potato-leafed plants. They found it wasone of the first to set fruit, maintaining heavy yields through late summer. A great snacking and salad tomato, thin-skinned and delicious, suitable for both warm and cool regions.