A salsa garden is one of the simplest and most satisfying container projects you can grow. Two pots, a few plants, and by late summer you’re making salsa from ingredients you grew yourself. I’ve been growing the individual ingredients at HeathGlen Organic Farm for over 20 years: heirloom tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, onions, and garlic. This …
These are the top 5 seed catalogs for heirloom tomatoes based on selections for flavor, growth habits and cost
Quick Summary: Quick Summary: A French tian is ratatouille’s elegant cousin: thinly sliced eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes arranged vertically in a robust tomato-pepper sauce. This dish showcases late summer vegetables at their peak. Prep: 30 min | Cook: 1 hr 15 min | Serves: 4 Jump to: RECIPE | What is a Tian? …
Quick Summary: LED shop lights cost more upfront but last longer and produce faster seedling growth than fluorescents. For starting tomatoes and peppers indoors, 5000-lumen daylight LEDs positioned about 4 inches above seedlings for 14 to 16 hours daily works well. Read time: 8 min | Experience level: Beginner to intermediate Jump to: LED vs …
Quick Summary: Match tomato varieties to their best use. Slicers (Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, Carmello) for sandwiches and fresh eating. Paste types (Opalka, San Marzano, Amish Paste) for sauces. Colorful varieties (Carbon, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra) for salads. Cherry tomatoes (Sungold, Sweet 100, Matt’s Wild Cherry) for snacking. Read time: 8 min | Experience level: Beginner …
The color of heirloom tomatoes can often relate to a particular flavor profile. This post examines the most popular colors and flavors of heirloom tomatoes
Tips for potting up tomato seedlings to ensure healthy and robust tomatoes and peppers throughout the growing season
Growing tomatoes in pots can be tricky. Here are some tips to help make your container gardening of tomatoes more successful
Detailed tips on how to achieve successful tomato & pepper seed germination, especially with heirloom tomatoes
Quick Summary: Tomato color correlates with flavor. Orange varieties are sweet and fruity. Yellow tomatoes range from mild to tangy. Black/purple tomatoes have rich, smoky, complex flavors. Pink tomatoes offer balanced “old-fashioned” taste. Red tomatoes are bolder with higher acid. This guide covers the best varieties in each color based on 25+ years of trials …
Quick Summary: Comparing four tomato support methods; cages, staking, sprawling, and fencing. After 23 years of trials, I recommend sturdy hog wire fencing for the best combination of yield, easy maintenance, and durability. Cages work for beginners with small gardens; staking suits containers and limited space; sprawling is low-effort but high-waste. Determinate varieties may not …
Quick Summary: Smaller tomatoes (cherries, plums) ripen first. Among larger varieties, black tomatoes like Paul Robeson and Carbon are earliest. Bloody Butcher is consistently my earliest red. Soil temperature above 60°F and ambient temps around 75°F speed things up. Read time: 8 min | Experience level: Beginner to intermediate Jump to: Keys for Earliest Tomatoes …
Tips on preventing cracking or splitting of heirloom tomato skins – why they crack, how to avoid it & best varietites to choose.
How to grow Heirloom Tomatoes Upside Down in the Topsy Turvy Planters for growing edibles in city gardens
Blossom end rot is a common disease that occurs in tomatoes, particularly if growing tomatoes in pots. Here are tips for prevention and cures