The best heirloom tomato varieties for the garden
A full aroma, a varied taste, as well as different growth forms and colors, unfortunately you can hardly find this anymore in the hybrid tomato plants available on the market today. That's why old tomato varieties are becoming popular again in the garden because they are usually more robust, less susceptible to disease and seed-resistant, so they can be sown again next year. Which heirloom tomato varieties are recommended and what characteristics do they have?
Where do the heirloom tomato varieties come from?
Heirloom tomato varieties originally come from South and Central America and were introduced in the 15th century. century to Europe. They were already cultivated plants back then, because they had already been bred in their homeland centuries ago in order to increase yields improve, making them resistant to common tomato diseases and adapting to the climatic conditions perfectly to adapt.
How do you get the old varieties?
From the 18th In the 19th century, the first seed shops took over sales to ensure quality. This was followed by the variety register according to the law on “variety protection and seeds of cultivated plants” of 1953, where all tomato varieties that were approved for trade and of economic importance were listed were. However, an entry was very expensive, which is why old tomato varieties are rarely listed in the variety register.
It was also long considered illegal to grow the varieties or trade the seeds. Old tomato varieties are still mainly sold under the counter and can be purchased e.g. b. Obtain from private exchanges or clubs. For a while now, there has been a new regulation that makes it easy and cheap to have old tomato varieties added to the variety register. They are listed there as so-called amateur varieties.
What varieties are there and what properties do they have?
Unfortunately, the selection in today's variety register is still not very large, as there are old tomato varieties are not suitable for commercial cultivation by today's standards because they are not as storage and transportable. This makes them even more popular with hobby farmers, as their disadvantages in professional cultivation are easily made up for by their excellent taste and good digestibility. Here are the best varieties:
Andean horn.
This variety produces long, pointed and large fruits with a diameter of 4 - 6 cm. The tomatoes are more similar in shape to peppers. This high-yielding variety comes from the Peruvian Andes. It has a delicate taste, with few seeds and juice inside. It is suitable for Glasshouse and for the open field. Its firm flesh makes it a good salad tomato.
With the large selection of tomato varieties, it is fun to plant tomatoes yourself and...
Marmande.
She comes from France, from the Bordeaux region. The beefsteak tomato produces large, firm, aromatic-tasting fruits. It is medium tall and delivers rich yields. It is a good variety for salads, but it has also proven itself as a cooking tomato for soups and sauces.
De Berao.
This old variety bears medium-sized, oval to round fruits. It originally comes from Russia and is very robust and disease-resistant. It grows up to 3 m tall outdoors and produces a high yield. One plant can produce up to 80 tomatoes and can be harvested by mid-October. The fruits taste slightly floury to creamy. For this reason, they are often used to make sauces and preserves.
Black Cherry.
This old variety comes from America. The cocktail tomato has a striking purple-red to black color. The tomato plant grows up to 3 m high in the greenhouse and develops plenty of fruits, up to twelve on a panicle. It also thrives very well outdoors in a protected location. The small purple tomatoes taste very aromatic, spicy and sweet. They are often eaten raw as a snack after harvest or cut into salads.
Ox heart.
Its heart-shaped shape and light red color gave the beefsteak tomato its name. The plant is very suitable for outdoor use and produces abundant yields. The tomato specialty produces huge fruits weighing up to 500 g and a diameter of up to 10 cm. They taste juicy, slightly sour and very aromatic. Because of its size it is well suited for stuffing.
Saint Pierre.
This tomato is a classic among the old French varieties, but it is very robust. The beefsteak tomato produces large red and almost seedless fruits in August. The skin over the firm meat is thin and can be easily removed, making it ideal for soups and sauces.
Heirloom tomato varieties are becoming increasingly popular among hobby farmers because they are easy to plant in the garden and produce abundant harvests in many shapes, colors and forms. This means you can enjoy the tomatoes with their unique, personal aroma and taste at your leisure in many delicious dishes.
