You can have them any way you like, but it is certain that you have grown tired of the pink and fleshy tomatoes that fill the produce section of your local grocery in the fall and winter. That's why spring brings relief to any Southerner, because it marks the time to begin setting out tomatoes in pots or in gardens. Here are a few tips on planting the right one for you.
Heirloom Tomatoes
To qualify as an heirloom tomato, the selection has to have been around for at least 50 years.
Many selections can be purchased through catalogs. Seeds collected from these tomatoes produce fruit that is the same year to year. This makes for great gifts and stories to share each time a seed is given.
Available in a wide array of colors, sizes, and odd shapes--not to mention flavors--heirloom tomatoes are more than just novelties to share. These interesting fruits are a tasty way to preserve a bit of our history.
Hybrid Tomatoes
So, maybe you prefer the uniform look and availability of hybrid tomatoes. Hybrids have been developed to include very specific
characteristics from two different parent plants. If you save a seed from a hybrid tomato and plant it the next year, you
will have a different fruit. It will revert back to one of its parents, or some new combination with characteristics from
the original.
Expert Growing Tips
Since 1946, Paul Newell has been growing tomatoes in his garden in Kosciusko, Mississippi. And he's become very good at it.
Some of his plants top 20 feet in height. He picks the first tomatoes by about mid-May. His three-dozen plants bear more than
700 pounds of fruit a year. He is always eager to share the secrets of his success.
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