Spring is just around the corner, and gardeners everywhere are dreaming of amazing Tomatoes…not the hopeless cardboard impostors found in most grocery stores, but fabulous, full-flavored, homegrown Heirlooms with all their quirky names, odd shapes, rainbow colors, and incredible range of sweet, fruity, spicy, smokey flavors.

This year, Two Dog Organic Nursery is proud to offer 53 varieties – big ones, little ones, black ones, pink, red, orange, white and bi-colored ones! We’ve benched several varieties and added 17 NEW ones for 2012. We “taste tested” and took copious notes at the Heirloom Expo last Fall, and listened to your comments. We’ve also made a point of selecting 3 Determinate varieties – perfect for Canning, some small Container/Patio varieties and those which grow well in Cooler, Later times of the season.

Of the 53, 3 are famous hybrids, and ALL are Certified Organic! We continue our Organic Certification through CCOF making us the only Certified Organic retail nursery in the greater Los Angeles area.

Weather permitting, we plan to debut this year’s Tomato Line-Up at the Farmers Markets on the weekend of March 10th!

SAVE THE DATE! SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MARCH 17th & 18th: (yes, 2 days…last year was so well attended, we decided to make a whole weekend of it this year!)

Two Dog will hold its Annual Nursery Sale & Spring Food Drive at the Home Nursery from 10am – 3pm. Everything, including Tomatoes (and all other Organic Seedlings), Soil, Books, EarthBoxes, Smart Pots, Tomato Cages, Compost, Worm Castings, Fruit Trees, Berry Bushes, etc., will be 10% off! “Admission” to the Sale is a mandatory donation of canned and/or packaged food items (or monetary donation) to benefit the critically important work of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. We do this 3 times a year, and it’s always fun. Please plan to join us!!

Plants are also available at the Nursery by appointment, and we’ll be devoting two of our EarthBox Planting Classes (March 26th & April 9th) exclusively to “Planting & Caring for Your Organic Tomatoes.” Please click here to see the full schedule and sign up.

At Two Dog Nursery we use only organic, non-GMO seeds and grow in OMRI-Listed seedling mix, which is fortified with OMRI-Listed worm castings. We encourage our seedlings along with sips of Great Big Tomatoes Organic Liquid Compost and Malibu Biodynamic Compost Tea. All Two Dog Tomatoes are hand-sown and transplanted with love, one organic seed at a time, and are fully hardened-off before being sold.

We’ll be growing our Roof Top Trial Garden again this year; some of our favorites from 2011 were: Gajo de Melon, Green Zebra, Sugar Sweetie, Kellogg’s Breakfast, Black Krim, Julia Child, Amazon Chocolate and Aunt Ruby’s German Green. We’ve already planted an organic “cover crop” of red clover, rye and hairy vetch right in the pots after removing the old plants to help rebuild the soil (which, in itself, has been a thrill and a great education!) We can’t wait to get another two dozen tomatoes going for this year’s Taste Trials.

SOIL & INPUTS
Since tomato health and luscious flavors depend on fabulous soil, now is the time to start preparing! For those planting directly into the ground, please till your soil and amend it well with quality organic Compost. If your soil is mostly clay, amend with Coco Peat and Compost. Tomatoes have large root systems and really benefit from rich, aerated soil. 

And since organic gardening is about living soil, we also recommend using Mycorrhiza, which is a naturally occurring beneficial fungi which encourages explosive, healthy root development. We offer individual Mycorrhizae “tea bags” which can be dropped right into each newly-dug planting hole. We also have great faith in organic Worm Castings as an excellent fertilizer and for imparting disease-resistance to the plant tissue.

If, like us, you grow your tomatoes in EarthBoxes, please use excellent quality soil. Consider it a sound investment. Remember quality soil is living soil. We use Black Gold Organic WaterHold Potting Mix. We sell it in the 16 qt. size, which is really easy to handle; you’ll need 3 bags per EarthBox. In addition to the Kit’s granular fertilizer and dolomite lime, we also add 4 cups of worm castings and 1 Mycorrhizae “tea bag” per box.

PLANTING OUT
Tomatoes love full sun and require at least 6 to 8 hours a day, so whether you plant in EarthBoxes or in the ground, carefully consider your site. When you plant out, dig a good sized hole, and add 1/2-cup of organic granular fertilizer and one tea bag. Gently place the plant deeply into the well-watered soil, all the way up to its first set of leaves; the sunken stem will develop roots all along its length, thereby creating an even stronger foundation for your eventually-huge plant. Tamp it in firmly, and remove any yellowed leaves and all blossoms - you want your plant to be concentrating on developing a great root system for the first few weeks. Water it in thoroughly and wish it happiness.

SPACING & SUPPORT
Speaking of huge plants, Heirloom tomatoes get very large and need good air circulation, so please allow at least 3’ between your plants (2’ between Determinate varieties), and provide them sturdy support. Allowing your plants to sprawl on the ground will only encourage diseases. We offer strong, stackable, square tomato cages, which fold flat for winter storage; they’re made of galvanized, powder-coated steel wire to see you through many bountiful seasons. We also offer galvanized steel cone-shaped cages which fit perfectly into an EarthBox. Stacking 2 cages one on top of the other provides more than 8’ of vertical support, which will come in very handy as the season progresses!

WATERING
The biggest mistake when growing tomatoes is over-watering. Don’t trust your eye; trust a moisture meter if you’re unsure. If it reads “moist”, resist the temptation! Depending on your location, a once-a-week, slow, thorough watering should suffice. Please do not water your plants with a sprinkling system! As best you can, keep the foliage of your plants dry; otherwise, you’re inviting fungal diseases. And if you feed with a foliar spray (Great Big Tomatoes is excellent), please do it in the morning, so the leaves have time to dry in the sun. 

It’s also a very good idea to mulch your tomato beds. This will discourage weeds, keep the soil moist and warm, and help prevent splash-back when watering. Deep layers of straw, leaves, ground cloth held in place with earth staples or simply sheets of plastic…it doesn’t really matter which. Recent studies have shown that RED plastic mulch increases tomato (and strawberry) yields by 12–20%. The OMRI-Listed EarthBox Kits we now carry include one red mulch cover along with the two traditional black ones. Can’t wait to try it!

FERTILIZING
We suggest an application of granular fertilizer at the time of planting out, and again when blossoms appear. A third and final application can be made mid-season, but please, no more than that. We offer Black Gold Organic Tomato & Vegetable Fertilizer for your granular feedings, and Great Big Tomatoes for foliar sprays and soil drenches. We grow in EarthBoxes, and therefore, do not fertilize after planting; we do, however, apply foliar feedings of Great Big Tomatoes Liquid Compost every few weeks. You’ll find what works best for you, but over-fertilizing can lead to lots of great foliage and disappointingly few tomatoes.

COMMON PROBLEMS
For Powdery Mildew, which comes from moisture in the air, not the soil, we offer OMRI-Listed Mildew Cure. It’s the only product we’ve found that can keep powdery mildew in check, but it must be used regularly. And for those attractive Horn Worms, which can eat an entire plant practically overnight, we suggest OMRI-Listed End All by Safer, a formula which includes Neem and Pyrethrins and is used in organic gardening. And although it’s a point of some debate, it has been our experience that, in addition to an even, deep-watering schedule, tomatoes benefit from a dose of Dolomite Lime (mixed into the soil) to help prevent the heartbreak of Blossom End Rot. All of these great organic products are available at our Farmers Markets, the Home Nursery, and on our Products We Love page.

TO SUM IT UP…
Check your plants daily, pick off any worms you might find, try to keep the foliage dry, keep the End All and Mildew Cure handy, and don’t over-water. Things should go smoothly. Remember, too, as soon as a plant begins to set fruit, the leaves are no longer its focus; now it’s concentrating on producing incredible tomatoes for you, so don’t freak out if your foliage doesn’t remain “pretty” like when it was young. 

And finally, because leaves do tend to get yellow and fall off, we are not big fans of excessive pruning. Your tomatoes need sufficient foliage for photosynthesis and to help shield them from sunburn, otherwise known as “sunscald.” If too much direct sun ever threatens your tomatoes, and foliage is sparse, a temporary canopy of shade cloth can save the harvest.

HELPFUL TOMATO TERMINOLOGY
“HEIRLOOM” – There are many definitions of what constitutes an Heirloom variety. Dr. Carolyn J. Male discusses this topic fully in her wonderful book, 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden (see Books We Love), but the general idea is that to be called an Heirloom, a tomato (or other edible) must have been around for at least 50 years and have had the seeds handed down from generation to generation within the same or extended family.

“REGULAR LEAF” – Regular leaves are the most common type and have serrated edges. 
“POTATO LEAF” – Potato leaves are less common. They are large and have distinctly smoother, un-serrated edges.
“RUGOSA” (or “RUGOSE”) – Rugosa leaves are crinkly or wrinkled, dark-green in color, and associated with a dwarf growth habit.
“DETERMINATE” – Determinate varieties are “bush” types which are smaller and more compact…excellent for container gardening and not requiring lots of support. They grow only until they set their first fruit, and typically, their fruits ripen all at the same time, which is great for sauce making.  
“INDETERMINATE” – Indeterminate plants grow, set blossoms, and produce fruit simultaneously and continually until killed off by frost. They average at least 6 to 8 feet in height and require substantial support. 
THE NUMBER OF “DAYS” – This is time it takes from planting out until you can expect to find mature fruit. Use this information when selecting which varieties are right for your growing season and to plan your Early-, Mid-, and Late-Season harvests.
FRUIT OR VEGGIE? – In case you were wondering, tomatoes ARE fruit, but in 1893, the United States Supreme Court allowed them to be re-classified as “vegetables” as a way to increase tax revenues…hmmm. 

FINAL SUGGESTIONS
As a “beneficial companion,” plant lots of fragrant, edible French Marigolds around your tomatoes (the flower petals are lovely in salads). Their roots exude a substance that kills Root-Knot Nematodes, which can render tomato roots incapable of absorbing soil nutrients. (The formula in Great Big Tomatoes includes a special nematicide, too.) 

Since bees are your garden’s best friends, try also growing Borage with your tomatoes. It’s a totally edible, re-seeding annual that produces lovely blue star-shaped flowers that attract tons of bees! You can “candy” the flowers to decorate your next batch of cupcakes, or freeze them in ice cubes to float in your Summer Punch!

Shaking your plants gently for a few seconds once a week will help distribute pollen and increase tomato yields. And please don’t forget to talk to them – honestly, they’re listening.

Most of all, be confident! Your greatest “cheerleader” is Mother Nature, Herself, and She knows what She’s doing!!
Thanks so much for your business. Have fun, and as always, Happy Harvests!

Cherry Tomatoes

SUPER SNOW WHITE   • New for 2012! •

75 Days. A new “color” for us! Larger than Snow White, these very sweet ivory-colored Heirloom cherries reach 2 oz. in size. Beautiful, bountiful, and early! Indeterminate.

$5.75

ISIS CANDY   • New for 2012! •

65 Days. This early season Cherry produces an abundant harvest of 1” round bi-colored beauties. Red-with-gold fruits are sweet and rich and feature a little “cat’s-eye” star of yellow on the blossom end. Candy on the vine! Indeterminate.

$5.75

YELLOW PEAR CHERRY

80 Days. A very tasty Heirloom, with abundant pear-shaped bright yellow cherry tomatoes, which has been grown in the U.S. since the 1700s. Even Thomas Jefferson enjoyed their clusters of colorful fruit as “dessert tomatoes”. Eaten fresh or dried as “tomato figs”. Rich in vitamins and very popular for the home garden. Bushy and requires some staking or caging. Indeterminate.

$5.75

SUGAR SWEETIE CHERRY

65 Days. This perfect red cherry tomato has classic sweet flavor. They rarely make it in from the garden to the salad bowl! Huge sprays of 1" fruit are produced in grape-like clusters until late in the season. We never miss growing Sugar Sweetie! Indeterminate.

$5.75

BLACK CHERRY

65 Days. The only truly black cherry tomato. Indeterminate plants are large, sprawling and disease resistant. Produces huge clusters of 1” round, deep purple-mahogany fruits with sweet/smokey/rich flavors. Irresistibly delicious and beautiful! Indeterminate.

$5.75

SUN GOLD CHERRY

57 Days. Literally by popular demand! We always have so many requests for this lovely early cherry that it has a permanent place in our annual tomato line-up (and in our own garden.) One of our three Hybrid varieties, Sun Gold bears long clusters of pretty bright orange fruit whose taste is very sweet, fruity and absolutely delicious! Indeterminate.

$5.75

GAJO de MELON

75 Days. This is an exciting Heirloom variety which produces loads of sweet, melon-y cherry tomatoes with no acid. Fruits come in a mix of lovely pink and orange marbled melon tones, which are very pretty. This strong producer was in the Top 5 of our personal Taste Test and will definitely be in the garden again this year! Indeterminate.

$5.75

AMY'S SUGAR GEM

71 Days. Very Sweet and juicy, “candy-on-the-vine” cherry tomatoes on tall, sprawling, regular-leafed vines. Huge crops of golf-ball sized fruit with tiny light gold sparkles in the red skin. A 1982 cross between Red Cherry & Tappy’s Finest. A great snacking and salad tomato! Indeterminate.

$5.75

GREEN GRAPE

60 Days. Growing on compact bushes, this early Heirloom variety is a prolific producer of lovely translucent pale green fruits. Beautiful color matches its complex sweet/tangy/fruity flavor. Tomatoes are borne in clusters of 6-12 and resemble large Muscat grapes. Indeterminate.

$5.75

RED FIG

85 Days. Having been grown in America since the 18th century, the Red Fig Heirloom tomato is named for the sweet delicacy that was once made with its fruit.  Historically, the Red Figs were dried in a days-long process and packed away for winter use as a substitute for fresh figs. Big leafy regular-leafed plants produce hundreds of pear-shaped, bright red Cherry Tomatoes with delicious flavors and very sweet skin. Indeterminate.

$5.75

AMISH GOLD   • New for 2012! •

80 Days. This is an exciting new tomato for us! Amish Gold is a gorgeous cross between Sun Gold and Amish Paste, taking the very best from each. Big potato-leaf plants yield huge crops of 2” oblong fruits with pointy ends. Meaty, with sweet/tart delicious flavors, this is a rare and unique variety! Indeterminate.

$5.75

SAN MARZANO REDORTA

80 Days. The best of the Italian sauce tomatoes, named for Pizzo di Redorta (Redorta Peak), one of the highest peaks in the Alps of Northern Italy. With fruits 4”– 6” long, it is a larger and much-better-flavored tomato than its cousin, San Marzano. Very rich, highly productive and good enough to eat right off the vine. Indeterminate.

$5.75

AMISH PASTE

80 Days. Very popular mid-season Heirloom which is unusually juicy for a “paste” tomato. Deep red oxheart-to-plum shaped fruits, 8-12 ounces in clusters of two to four. Sweet, mild flavor, and reliably productive. Indeterminate. Sparse foliage makes fruit susceptible to sunscald late in the season. Indeterminate.

$5.75

BLACK PRINCE   • New for 2012! •

70 Days. One of the smaller Black tomatoes, Black Prince originated in Siberia, making it well adapted to cooler climates. The gorgeous garnet colored, 2-3 oz. fruits boast delicious rich flavors, making it a favorite with chefs. Indeterminate.

$5.75

CHOCOLATE STRIPES   • New for 2012! •

75 Days. Known as one of the best Black tomatoes. The large regular-leaf plant produces an abundant crop of 3-4” fruits, mahogany in color, with green striping. Delicious, rich, sweet flavors. Produces well into the Fall. Indeterminate.

$5.75

PINK BERKELEY TIE-DYE   • New for 2012! •

65-70 Days. Another fabulous discovery at the Heirloom Expo! Gorgeous and early, this tomato produces sweet, rich beefsteak tomatoes weighing 8-12 oz. on average. Color is port wine with metallic green stripes. Plant is compact with regular leaves. Indeterminate.

$5.75

AMAZON CHOCOLATE

80 Days. An exceptionally rare black tomato bearing gorgeous fruits weighing 1 lb. or more – larger than most black tomatoes. The flavor of this rich chocolate colored tomato is described as winey, rich, and smokey. Prolific into even the cooler season, it is regarded by all as one of the best tasting tomatoes ever. Our seed supply is very limited; don’t miss out! Indeterminate.

$6.95

BLACK KRIM

75 Days. Aka Black Crim, this superb Russian Heirloom hails originally from the Isle of Krim in the Black Sea. A rare variety yielding 3-4” slightly flattened mahogany-colored beefsteak fruits with deep green shoulders. Exceptional intense smokey/slightly-salty flavors. Indeterminate.

$5.75

EVA PURPLE BALL

70 Days. This is a gorgeous, 2” – 3” perfectly round tomato, pink-purple in color, which comes from the Black Forest region of Germany. This 1800s Heirloom is highly reliable and produces well for everyone, everywhere, and is thus a great choice for even novice gardeners. The taste is sweet, luscious and very juicy. Indeterminate with regular-leaf foliage.

$5.75

BLACK FROM TULA

75 Days. Originally from Ukraine, this black Heirloom provides good yields of rich, sweet, full- flavored tomatoes which, when ripe, are a smokey, reddish-black with distinct green shoulders.
Fruits are slightly flattened and average 3” – 4” in size. The chocolately flesh has green gel capsules surrounding the seeds. Foliage is heavy, regular leafed. Indeterminate habit.

$5.75

JAPANESE BLACK TRIFELE

80 Days. This prized Russian Heirloom is of the Trifele variety, of which there are several colors. (The name translates to “truffle”.) Plant is short and potato-leafed, and produces prolific quantities of mahogany-colored, Bartlett Pear-shaped, fruits with green shoulders. One of the blackest varieties and just gorgeous sliced open; 6-8 ounce fruits. Resistant to cracking. Indeterminate.

$5.75

BLACK ZEBRA

85 Days. One of the “stars” of the Tomato Show! Black Zebra is not an Heirloom, but a natural, stabilized cross between Green Zebra and a black tomato. Round 1 ½” - 2” fruits with dark red skin beneath vertical green and mahogany striations. Exceptional rich flavor with a hint of smokey sweetness. A vigorous, regular-leaf plant with indeterminate habit.

$5.75

BLACK PLUM

82 Days. A favorite Russian variety that produces a long, steady crop of 2” elongated plum-shaped fruits. Tomato color is a beautiful deep-mahogany with dusky-green shoulders. The Black Plums look like small paste tomatoes but with thinner walls, and have a unique sweet, tangy flavor. Indeterminate.

$5.75

BLACK CHERRY

65 Days. The only truly black cherry tomato. Indeterminate plants are large, sprawling and disease resistant. Produces huge clusters of 1” round, deep purple-mahogany fruits with sweet/smokey/rich flavors. Irresistibly delicious and beautiful! Indeterminate.

$5.75

AAA SWEET SOLANO   • New for 2012! •

75-80 Days. This lovely yellow-turning-to-orange tomato was a delicious “find” at the Heirloom Expo! We saw, we tasted, we bought! Big production of 2-4 oz. fruits with a very sweet, almost tropical taste. Indeterminate, regular-leaf plants.

$5.75

SWEET TANGERINE   • New for 2012! •

68 Days. One of our 3 Hybrid varieties this year, Sweet Tangerine is hailed as one of the sweetest orange tomatoes ever. Beautiful orange, medium size fruits, and an abundant harvest. This is also a compact variety, great for a smaller space. Determinate.

$5.75

PERSIMMON   • New for 2012! •

79 Days. We had several requests for this Heirloom. A very prolific variety which produces beautiful rose-orange fruits – the color of persimmons! Sweet with few seeds, fruits range from 12 oz. to 2 lbs. Can’t wait to try it! Indeterminate.

$5.75

AMISH GOLD   • New for 2012! •

80 Days. This is an exciting new tomato for us! Amish Gold is a gorgeous cross between Sun Gold and Amish Paste, taking the very best from each. Big potato-leaf plants yield huge crops of 2” oblong fruits with pointy ends. Meaty, with sweet/tart delicious flavors, this is a rare and unique variety! Indeterminate.

$5.75

YELLOW PERFECTION

70 Days. This sensational Saladette-size tomato is originally from an old Brish seed compny. It produces perfectly round, bright yellow fruits 1 ½” – 2” in size with a delicious rich flavor. One of the first to set fruit with heavy yields throughout the summer. Somewhat thin-skinned and prone to cracking. Potato-leaf foliage. Indeterminate.

$5.75

YELLOW PEAR CHERRY

75 Days. Heirloom. A very tasty and abundant pear-shaped bright yellow cherry tomato which has been grown in the U.S. since the 1700s. Even Thomas Jefferson enjoyed their clusters of colorful fruit as “dessert tomatoes”. Eaten fresh or dried as “tomato figs.” Rich in vitamins and very popular for the home garden. Bushy and requires some staking or caging.

$5.75

FLAMME (aka JAUNE FLAMME)  

70 Days. The beautiful contrast between the orange skin and the reddish interior is not seen in other Heirlooms. Fruits have a huge refreshing taste which literally bursts in your mouth, and grow 1 ½” in size. Perfectly round and decorative, they resemble blood oranges. This French Heirloom is extremely prolific, with fruits growing in clusters of six. Regular-leaf foliage. Indeterminate.

$5.75

SUN GOLD CHERRY

57 Days. Literally by popular demand! We always have so many requests for this lovely early cherry that it has a permanent place in our annual tomato line-up (and in our own garden.) One of our three Hybrid varieties, Sun Gold bears long clusters of pretty bright orange fruit whose taste is very sweet, fruity and absolutely delicious! Indeterminate.

$5.75

KELLOGG'S BREAKFAST

80 Days. The absolute favorite of the large orange beefsteaks! Huge, sweet, rich flavors – juicy and meaty at the same time. Gorgeous orange inside and out. Originally from West Virginia, Kellogg’s Breakfast produces high yields of these 1 lb. + scrumptious fruits. Plants are large with narrow regular-leaf foliage. Indeterminate.

$5.75

GAJO de MELON

75 Days. This is an exciting Heirloom variety which produces loads of sweet, melon-y cherry tomatoes with no acid. Fruits come in a mix of lovely pink and orange marbled melon tones, which are very pretty. This strong producer was in the Top 5 of our personal Taste Test and will definitely be in the garden again this year! Indeterminate.

$5.75

HAWAIIAN PINEAPPLE

93 Days. A very productive late season Heirloom yielding luscious golden-orange Beefsteak fruits up to 1 lb. in size. Complex rich sweetness with pineapple-melon type flavors. A favorite! Indeterminate.

$5.75

AUNT RUBY'S GERMAN GREEN

80 Days. A great Heirloom from Ruby Arnold of Greenville, Tennessee. One of our personal favorites, and an excellent example of the unique spicy-sweet flavors of the green tomato family. Enjoy their wonderful taste once they are ripe to the touch. Aunt Ruby’s stunning fruits are emerald green inside and out and reach an average weight of 1 pound. Aunt Ruby has heavy, regular-leaf foliage. Indeterminate.

$5.75

GREEN GRAPE

60 Days. Growing on compact bushes, this early Heirloom variety is a prolific producer of lovely translucent pale green fruits. Beautiful color matches its complex sweet/tangy/fruity flavor. Tomatoes are borne in clusters of 6-12 and resemble large Muscat grapes. Indeterminate.

$5.75

GREEN ZEBRA

75 Days. Developed in 1985 and chosen by the brilliant Alice Waters for her Berkeley restaurant, Chez Panisse, this visually enchanting 2” tomato is amber with yellow/green stripes. It is always a best seller. The flesh is shades of neon green, and has a zippy/sweet flavor. Very productive, compact plants with regular-leaf foliage. Indeterminate.

$5.75

BIG WHITE PINK STRIPE   • New for 2012! •

95 Days. …and worth waiting for! This heirloom produces 4-5” pale peach fruits with creamy interior. Meaty globes have tropical flavors, similar to melon, but with a slight tang. Beautiful pinkish blush on the blossom end. Indeterminate.

$5.75

ORANGE RUSSIAN 117   • New for 2012! •

82 Days. This gorgeous Bi-Color cross between Georgia Streak and Russian #117 yields 1-2 lb. heart-shaped fruits with big, delicious flavors. Yellow-orange fruits have lovely red streaking, and are meaty and juicy. Indeterminate.

$5.75

CHOCOLATE STRIPES   • New for 2012! •

75 Days. Known as one of the best Black tomatoes. The large regular-leaf plant produces an abundant crop of 3-4” fruits, mahogany in color, with green striping. Delicious, rich, sweet flavors. Produces well into the Fall. Indeterminate.

$5.75

ISIS CANDY   • New for 2012! •

65 Days. This early season Cherry produces an abundant harvest of 1” round bi-colored beauties. Red-with-gold fruits are sweet and rich and feature a little “cat’s-eye” star of yellow on the blossom end. Candy on the vine! Indeterminate.

$5.75

PINK BERKELEY TIE-DYE   • New for 2012! •

65-70 Days. Another fabulous discovery at the Heirloom Expo! Gorgeous and early, this tomato produces sweet, rich beefsteak tomatoes weighing 8-12 oz. on average. Color is port wine with metallic green stripes. Plant is compact with regular leaves. Indeterminate.

$5.75

HILLBILLY

78 Days. Originally from West Virginia, this Heirloom beefsteak variety produces very sweet, fruity, ribbed tomatoes, 1-2 pounds each. Beautiful yellow and red dappled skin with beautiful rainbow hues inside. Low acid. Regular-leafed foliage. Indeterminate.

$5.75

GREEN ZEBRA

75 Days. Developed in 1985 and chosen by the brilliant Alice Waters for her Berkeley restaurant, Chez Panisse, this visually enchanting 2” tomato is amber with yellow/green stripes. It is always a best seller. The flesh is shades of neon green, and has a zippy/sweet flavor. Very productive, compact plants with regular-leaf foliage. Indeterminate.

$5.75

BIG RAINBOW

82 Days. A huge, spectacular American Heirloom, 1-2 lbs., with fruity, sweet juiciness. Big, sprawling regular leaf plants yield moderate to large crops of these bi-colored beefsteaks. Gold flesh dappled in red, orange and yellow; green on the shoulders and red on the blossom end. Gorgeously colored on the inside, too. Good disease resistance. Indeterminate.

$5.75

BLACK ZEBRA

85 Days. One of the “stars” of the Tomato Show! Green Zebra is not an Heirloom, but a natural, stabilized cross between Green Zebra and a black tomato. Round 1 ½” - 2” fruits with dark red skin beneath vertical green and mahogany striations. Exceptional rich flavor with a hint of smokey sweetness. A vigorous, regular-leaf plant with indeterminate habit.

$5.75

MARVEL STRIPED

75 Days. Hailing from Oaxaca, Mexico, this is a revered 1-2 lb. bi-color beefsteak Heirloom. Beautiful yellow-orange exterior, pink at the blossom end, with juicy, meaty flesh, streaked in red. Excellent, sweet, melon-y flavors. Early season ripening. Plants are regular leafed and high yielding. Indeterminate.

$5.75

ARGENTINA   • New for 2012! •

80 Days. We heard great things about this pink variety at the Heirloom Expo…and as its name honors Alex’s home country, why not? This prolific Heirloom produces big 3-4” beefsteak fruits with excellent sweet/acid tomato flavors. Indeterminate.

$5.75

LANCASTER COUNTY BIG PINK   • New for 2012! •

70 Days. Another new one that came by rave reviews of one of our Farmers Market customers. Huge sturdy plant with vines surpassing 8’, potato leafed, and somewhat early. Very productive harvest of big 1- 1 ½ lb. deep pink beefsteak fruits. Rich, sweet, old-fashioned tomato taste. Keeps producing well into Fall. Indeterminate. Very limited!

$5.75

ANNA RUSSIAN

65 Days. Jo Anne’s Mother grows this early Heirloom variety every year, and it is exceptional! Beautiful, heart-shaped pink/red fruits with juicy, old fashioned flavors. Fruits average 10-12 ounces, and grow in clusters of 2 or 3. Wispy foliage is the result of the “wilt gene,” often found in heart-shaped tomatoes. Don’t worry – the plant is perfectly fine, and not in need of extra water! Anna Russian is easy to grow and an abundant producer. Indeterminate.

$5.75

RADIATOR CHARLIE'S “MORTGAGE LIFTER”

80 Days. Another personal favorite! Developed in the 1930’s by M.C. “Charlie” Byles, this West Virginia Heirloom is famous for it’s huge size – up to 2 pounds, and for it’s juicy, sweet tomatoey flavor. The story bears repeating: Charlie owned a radiator repair shop at the bottom of a steep hill, on which trucks and automobiles would frequently overheat, their drivers then obliged to coast back down to his shop. Although he had no formal education in plant breeding, Charlie crossed four of the largest, best tasting tomatoes he could find, and after six years of pollinating and selecting, he stabilized the Mortgage Lifter. He sold his plants for $1 each (quite a sum in the '40s) and within six years was able to pay his home mortgage in full; it’s said that in the Spring, gardeners would drive hundreds of miles to purchase his Mortgage Lifter. The fruits are pink/red, have few seeds and are meaty and full of flavor. Indeterminate.

$5.75

JULIA CHILD

78 Days. Named for Julia Child by her friend, Gary Ibsen, owner of Carmel TomatoFest, this variety produces lots of 12 oz. fluted, dark pink beefsteak fruits. Customers raved about this variety, so we planted it last year…they were so right! We loved Julia Child, and she’ll definitely be part of our tomato garden again this year! Large potato-leaf plants. Indeterminate.

$5.75

MARIANNA’S PEACE

80 Days. Named for a Czechoslovakian woman who, as a teenager, escaped her Russian captors during World War II, and spent 10 years seeking to be reunited with her family. She was given a small bundle of seeds by her father before he died; after marrying and coming to the United States, Marianna raised a family and this outstanding pink Heirloom tomato variety. Fruits are rich, creamy and complex. A favorite worldwide. Indeterminate.

$5.75

MOMOTARO

68 Days. A very popular Japanese Hybrid variety which rivals the best Heirlooms. Early ripening and exceptionally sweet and juicy, with very low acid. Fruits grow to 6 oz. and are a beautiful shade of deep pink. Good yields and excellent disease resistance. Named for Japan’s legendary “Peach Boy” who grew up to be an honored warrior for peace, Momotaro returns for 2012! Indeterminate.

$5.75

AUSSIE   • New for 2012! •

85 Days. This Australian Heirloom is known for its big, dependable production of gorgeous, bright red fluted tomatoes weighing 1-2 lbs each. The meaty beefsteak fruits are loaded with rich, delicious flavors. Great disease resistance; regular leafed. Indeterminate.

$5.75

SUNSET’S RED HORIZON   • New for 2012! •

72 Days. An outstanding Heirloom from Southern Russia that produces beautiful, heart-shaped red fruits. Plants are big with wispy vines. Produces early and all the way into November in California! Delicious and disease-resistant. Indeterminate.

$5.75

LEGEND   • New for 2012! •

68 Days. One of our three Determinate varieties, Legend produces beautiful 3-4” red fruits with delicious sweet/acid balanced flavors and few seeds. An early variety, Legend sets all its fruit at once, making it excellent for canning. It’s also one of our compact selections. Regular-leaf, bushy plants. Determinate.

$5.75

EARLY ANNIE   • New for 2012! •

60 Days. A very early Heirloom, which is also one of our two determinate varieties. It will set its 3” round, red fruits all at once, which makes it perfect for canning! It’s also one of our compact varieties, great for small spaces. Determinate.

$5.75

AMISH PASTE

80 Days. Very popular mid-season Wisconsin Heirloom which is unusually juicy for a “paste” tomato. Deep red oxheart-to-plum shaped fruits, 8-12 ounces in clusters of two to four. Sweet, mild flavor, and reliably productive. Indeterminate. Sparse foliage makes fruit susceptible to sunscald late in the season. Indeterminate.

$5.75

BOX CAR WILLIE

80 Days. With good resistance to cracking and disease, Box Car Willie — probably named for the country singer — is a tall, regular leaf, vigorous plant. Very high yield of 10–16 ounce bright red/orange slicing tomatoes with a rich, full-bodied taste. A good selection for canning, sauce, salads or tomato juice. From seedling to mature plant, an outstanding performer. Heavy regular-leaf foliage. Indeterminate.

$5.75

CARMELLO

75 Days. Bearing extremely high yields of juicy, 8 ounce red fruits, this popular French variety is also disease resistant and a steady producer even into cooler weather. One of the most productive varieties ever bred, with huge, delicious flavor. Indeterminate.

$5.75

STUPICE 

55-70 Days. A wonderful Czechoslovakian variety which produces very early, 2 ½” red round fruits. Big, sweet flavor, and very heavy, continuous yields. Does well in northern climates. Potato-leaf foliage. Indeterminate.

$5.75

SUGAR SWEETIE CHERRY

65 Days. This perfect red cherry tomato has classic sweet flavor. They rarely make it in from the garden to the salad bowl! Huge sprays of 1" fruit are produced in grape-like clusters until late in the season. We never miss growing Sugar Sweetie! Indeterminate.

$5.75

AMY'S SUGAR GEM

71 Days. Very Sweet and juicy, “candy-on-the-vine” cherry tomatoes on tall, sprawling, regular-leafed vines. Huge crops of golf ball- sized fruit with tiny light gold sparkles in the red skin. A 1982 cross between Red Cherry & Tappy’s Finest. A great snacking and salad tomato! Indeterminate.

$5.75

SAN MARZANO REDORTA

80 Days. The best of the Italian sauce tomatoes, named for Pizzo di Redorta (Redorta Peak), one of the highest peaks in the Alps of Northern Italy. With fruits 4”– 6” long, it is a larger and much-better-flavored tomato than its cousin, San Marzano. Very rich, highly productive and good enough to eat right off the vine. Indeterminate.

$5.75

RED FIG

85 Days. Having been grown in America since the 18th century, the Red Fig Heirloom tomato is named for the sweet delicacy that was once made with its fruit. Historically, the Red Figs were dried in a days-long process and packed away for winter use as a substitute for fresh figs. Big leafy regular-leafed plants produce hundreds of pear-shaped, bright red Cherry Tomatoes with delicious flavors and very sweet skin. Indeterminate.

$5.75

SUPER SNOW WHITE   • New for 2012! •

75 Days. A new “color” for us! Larger than Snow White, these very sweet ivory-colored Heirloom cherries reach 2 oz. in size. Beautiful, bountiful, and early! Indeterminate.

$5.75

BIG WHITE PINK STRIPE   • New for 2012! •

95 Days. …and worth waiting for! This heirloom produces 4-5” pale peach fruits with creamy interior. Meaty globes have tropical flavors, similar to melon, but with a slight tang. Beautiful pinkish blush on the blossom end. Indeterminate.

$5.75

TOMATILLO VERDE

90 Days. Hugely popular Mexican husk tomato, used to make traditional Salsa Verde. Prolific plants grow 3-4’ high producing large yields of beautiful, green 2” fruits. Enchanting to watch what look like delicate“Chinese Lantern” husks form, and then the tomatillo fill in the “lantern”. Tomatillos are ripe when the fruits burst through the husk. Sweet flavor.

$5.75

PURPLE TOMATILLO

90 Days. Rare Heirloom variety which produces gorgeous deep purple fruits which are great grilled. Beautiful to watch develop as the husks have delicate purple veining. Sharper flavor than the Tomatillo Verde.

$5.75

ANNA RUSSIAN

65 Days. Jo Anne’s Mother grows this early Heirloom variety every year, and it is exceptional! Beautiful, heart-shaped pink/red fruits with juicy, old fashioned flavors. Fruits average 10-12 ounces, and grow in clusters of 2 or 3. Wispy foliage is the result of the “wilt gene,” often found in heart-shaped tomatoes. Don’t worry – the plant is perfectly fine, and not in need of extra water! Anna Russian is easy to grow and an abundant producer. Indeterminate.

$5.75

BLACK CHERRY

65 Days. The only truly black cherry tomato. Indeterminate plants are large, sprawling and disease resistant. Produces huge clusters of 1” round, deep purple-mahogany fruits with sweet/smokey/rich flavors. Irresistibly delicious and beautiful! Indeterminate.

$5.75

BLACK PRINCE   • New for 2012! •

70 Days. One of the smaller Black tomatoes, Black Prince originated in Siberia, making it well adapted to cooler climates. The gorgeous garnet colored, 2-3 oz. fruits boast delicious rich flavors, making it a favorite with chefs. Indeterminate.

$5.75

EARLY ANNIE   • New for 2012! •

60 Days. A very early Heirloom, which is also one of our two determinate varieties. It will set its 3” round, red fruits all at once, which makes it perfect for canning! It’s also one of our compact varieties, great for small spaces. Determinate.

$5.75

LANCASTER COUNTY BIG PINK   • New for 2012! •

70 Days. Another new one that came by rave reviews of one of our Farmers Market customers. Huge sturdy plant with vines surpassing 8’, potato leafed, and somewhat early. Very productive harvest of big 1- 1 ½ lb. deep pink beefsteak fruits. Rich, sweet, old-fashioned tomato taste. Keeps producing well into Fall. Indeterminate. Very limited!

$5.75

SWEET TANGERINE   • New for 2012! •

68 Days. One of our 3 Hybrid varieties this year, Sweet Tangerine is hailed as one of the sweetest orange tomatoes ever. Beautiful orange, medium size fruits, and an abundant harvest. This is also a compact variety, great for a smaller space. Determinate.

$5.75

SUN GOLD CHERRY

57 Days. Literally by popular demand! We always have so many requests for this lovely early cherry that it has a permanent place in our annual tomato line-up (and in our own garden.) One of our three Hybrid varieties, Sun Gold bears long clusters of pretty bright orange fruit whose taste is very sweet, fruity and absolutely delicious! Indeterminate.

$5.75

LEGEND   • New for 2012! •

68 Days. One of our three Determinate varieties, Legend produces beautiful 3-4” red fruits with delicious sweet/acid balanced flavors and few seeds. An early variety, Legend sets all its fruit at once, making it excellent for canning. It’s also one of our compact selections. Regular-leaf, bushy plants. Determinate.

$5.75

YELLOW PERFECTION

70 Days. This sensational Saladette-size tomato is originally from an old Brish seed compny. It produces perfectly round, bright yellow fruits 1 ½” – 2” in size with a delicious rich flavor. One of the first to set fruit with heavy yields throughout the summer. Somewhat thin-skinned and prone to cracking. Potato-leaf foliage. Indeterminate.

$5.75

ISIS CANDY   • New for 2012! •

65 Days. This early season Cherry produces an abundant harvest of 1” round bi-colored beauties. Red-with-gold fruits are sweet and rich and feature a little “cat’s-eye” star of yellow on the blossom end. Candy on the vine! Indeterminate.

$5.75

SUGAR SWEETIE CHERRY

65 Days. This perfect red cherry tomato has classic sweet flavor. They rarely make it in from the garden to the salad bowl! Huge sprays of 1" fruit are produced in grape-like clusters until late in the season. We never miss growing Sugar Sweetie! Indeterminate.

$5.75

PINK BERKELEY TIE-DYE   • New for 2012! •

65-70 Days. Another fabulous discovery at the Heirloom Expo! Gorgeous and early, this tomato produces sweet, rich beefsteak tomatoes weighing 8-12 oz. on average. Color is port wine with metallic green stripes. Plant is compact with regular leaves. Indeterminate.

$5.75

EVA PURPLE BALL

70 Days. This is a gorgeous, 2” – 3” perfectly round tomato, pink-purple in color, which comes from the Black Forest region of Germany. This 1800s Heirloom is highly reliable and produces well for everyone, everywhere, and is thus a great choice for even novice gardeners. The taste is sweet, luscious and very juicy. Indeterminate with regular-leaf foliage.

$5.75

FLAMME (aka JAUNE FLAMME)

70 Days. The beautiful contrast between the orange skin and the reddish interior is not seen in other Heirlooms. Fruits have a huge refreshing taste which literally bursts in your mouth, and grow 1 ½” in size. Perfectly round and decorative, they resemble blood oranges. This French Heirloom is extremely prolific, with fruits growing in clusters of six. Regular-leaf foliage. Indeterminate.

$5.75

AMY'S SUGAR GEM

71 Days. Very Sweet and juicy, “candy-on-the-vine” cherry tomatoes on tall, sprawling, regular-leafed vines. Huge crops of golf ball- sized fruit with tiny light gold sparkles in the red skin. A 1982 cross between Red Cherry & Tappy’s Finest. A great snacking and salad tomato! Indeterminate.

$5.75

GREEN GRAPE

60 Days. Growing on compact bushes, this early Heirloom variety is a prolific producer of lovely translucent pale green fruits. Beautiful color matches its complex sweet/tangy/fruity flavor. Tomatoes are borne in clusters of 6-12 and resemble large Muscat grapes. Indeterminate.

$5.75

SUNSET’S RED HORIZON   • New for 2012! •

72 Days. An outstanding Heirloom from Southern Russia that produces beautiful, heart-shaped red fruits. Plants are big with wispy vines. Produces early and all the way into November in California! Delicious and disease-resistant. Indeterminate.

$5.75

MOMOTARO

68 Days. A very popular Japanese hybrid variety which rivals the best Heirlooms. Early ripening and exceptionally sweet and juicy, with very low acid. Fruits grow to 6 oz. and are a beautiful shade of deep pink. Heavy yields and excellent disease resistance. Reportedly Dolly Parton’s favorite tomato, it is named for the legendary “Peach Boy” who grew up to be an honored warrior for peace.

$5.75

EARLY ANNIE   • New for 2012! •

60 Days. A very early Heirloom, which is also one of our two determinate varieties. It will set its 3” round, red fruits all at once, which makes it perfect for canning! It’s also one of our compact varieties, great for small spaces. Determinate.

$5.75

SWEET TANGERINE   • New for 2012! •

68 Days. One of our 3 Hybrid varieties this year, Sweet Tangerine is hailed as one of the sweetest orange tomatoes ever. Beautiful orange, medium size fruits, and an abundant harvest. This is also a compact variety, great for a smaller space. Determinate.

$5.75

LEGEND   • New for 2012! •

68 Days. One of our three Determinate varieties, Legend produces beautiful 3-4” red fruits with delicious sweet/acid balanced flavors and few seeds. An early variety, Legend sets all its fruit at once, making it excellent for canning. It’s also one of our compact selections. Regular-leaf, bushy plants. Determinate.

$5.75

EARLY ANNIE   • New for 2012! •

60 Days. A very early Heirloom, which is also one of our two determinate varieties. It will set its 3” round, red fruits all at once, which makes it perfect for canning! It’s also one of our compact varieties, great for small spaces. Determinate.

$5.75

BLACK PRINCE   • New for 2012! •

70 Days. One of the smaller Black tomatoes, Black Prince originated in Siberia, making it well adapted to cooler climates. The gorgeous garnet colored, 2-3 oz. fruits boast delicious rich flavors, making it a favorite with chefs. Indeterminate.

$5.75

GREEN GRAPE

60 Days. Growing on compact bushes, this early Heirloom variety is a prolific producer of lovely translucent pale green fruits. Beautiful color matches its complex sweet/tangy/fruity flavor. Tomatoes are borne in clusters of 6-12 and resemble large Muscat grapes. Indeterminate.

$5.75

JAPANESE BLACK TRIFELE

80 Days. This prized Russian Heirloom is of the Trifele variety, of which there are several colors. (The name translates to “truffle”.) Plant is short and potato-leafed, and produces prolific quantities of mahogany-colored, Bartlett Pear-shaped, fruits with green shoulders. One of the blackest varieties and just gorgeous sliced open; 6-8 ounce fruits. Resistant to cracking. Indeterminate.

$5.75

LEGEND   • New for 2012! •

68 Days. One of our three Determinate varieties, Legend produces beautiful 3-4” red fruits with delicious sweet/acid balanced flavors and few seeds. An early variety, Legend sets all its fruit at once, making it excellent for canning. It’s also one of our compact selections. Regular-leaf, bushy plants. Determinate.

$5.75

PINK BERKELEY TIE-DYE   • New for 2012! •

65-70 Days. Another fabulous discovery at the Heirloom Expo! Gorgeous and early, this tomato produces sweet, rich beefsteak tomatoes weighing 8-12 oz. on average. Color is port wine with metallic green stripes. Plant is compact with regular leaves. Indeterminate.

$5.75

ANNA RUSSIAN

65 Days. Jo Anne’s Mother grows this early Heirloom variety every year, and it is exceptional! Beautiful, heart-shaped pink/red fruits with juicy, old fashioned flavors. Fruits average 10-12 ounces, and grow in clusters of 2 or 3. Wispy foliage is the result of the “wilt gene,” often found in heart-shaped tomatoes. Don’t worry – the plant is perfectly fine, and not in need of extra water! Anna Russian is easy to grow and an abundant producer. Indeterminate.

$5.75

BLACK CHERRY

65 Days. The only truly black cherry tomato. Indeterminate plants are large, sprawling and disease resistant. Produces huge clusters of 1” round, deep purple-mahogany fruits with sweet/smokey/rich flavors. Irresistibly delicious and beautiful! Indeterminate.

$5.75

BLACK KRIM

75 Days. Aka Black Crim, this superb Russian Heirloom hails originally from the Isle of Krim in the Black Sea. A rare variety yielding 3-4” slightly flattened mahogany-colored beefsteak fruits with deep green shoulders. Exceptional intense smokey/slightly-salty flavors. Indeterminate.

$5.75

BLACK PRINCE   • New for 2012! •

70 Days. One of the smaller Black tomatoes, Black Prince originated in Siberia, making it well adapted to cooler climates. The gorgeous garnet colored, 2-3 oz. fruits boast delicious rich flavors, making it a favorite with chefs. Indeterminate.

$5.75

BLACK FROM TULA

75 Days. Originally from Ukraine, this black Heirloom provides good yields of rich, sweet, full- flavored tomatoes which, when ripe, are a smokey, reddish-black with distinct green shoulders.
Fruits are slightly flattened and average 3” – 4” in size. The chocolately flesh has green gel capsules surrounding the seeds. Foliage is heavy, regular leafed. Indeterminate habit.

$5.75

JAPANESE BLACK TRIFELE

80 Days. This prized Russian Heirloom is of the Trifele variety, of which there are several colors. (The name translates to “truffle”.) Plant is short and potato-leafed, and produces prolific quantities of mahogany-colored, Bartlett Pear-shaped, fruits with green shoulders. One of the blackest varieties and just gorgeous sliced open; 6-8 ounce fruits. Resistant to cracking. Indeterminate.

$5.75

BLACK PLUM

82 Days. A favorite Russian variety that produces a long, steady crop of 2” elongated plum-shaped fruits. Tomato color is a beautiful deep-mahogany with dusky-green shoulders. The Black Plums look like small paste tomatoes but with thinner walls, and have a unique sweet, tangy flavor. Indeterminate.

$5.75

STUPICE 

55-70 Days. A wonderful Czechoslovakian variety which produces very early, 2 ½” red round fruits. Big, sweet flavor, and very heavy, continuous yields. Does well in northern climates. Potato-leaf foliage. Indeterminate.

$5.75

SUNSET’S RED HORIZON   • New for 2012! •

72 Days. An outstanding Heirloom from Southern Russia that produces beautiful, heart-shaped red fruits. Plants are big with wispy vines. Produces early and all the way into November in California! Delicious and disease-resistant. Indeterminate.

$5.75

CARMELLO

75 Days. Bearing extremely high yields of juicy, 8 ounce red fruits, this popular French variety is also disease resistant and a steady producer even into cooler weather. One of the most productive varieties ever bred, with huge, delicious flavor. Indeterminate.

$5.75