|
Sat, Jan 10, 09 at 0:17
| Hi all,
In spite of my record as a serial murderess of tomato plants, I'm planning on ordering a few varieties of heirloom seeds this year. Chances are good that even if anything sprouts, the deer will get to them before I do; but we recently bought property in Grainger County so I'm going to give it a try anyway. :-) Can anyone suggest any heirlooms that will survive in good old East TN red clay? I searched this forum and the Tomatoes forum as well as a Google check, but didn't find anything directly on point. I found a few that look on the surface like good bets (Aunt's Ruby's German Green, Sudduth Brandywine) but nothing beats personal experience, and I thank you in advance for any suggestions! ------------- Trilby |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| They will all grow in a clay-based soil if it has enough organic matter added to it. Pure clay, no. |
|
| I'm in NE Knox County and can't remember all the varieties I grew last year, but do remember the one that performed best for us was Cherokee Purple. Frances |
|
| I love Cherokee Purple (sometimes called Cherokee Black). I search it out at farmers' markets. They sell out fast. It is a Tennessee native tomato that was cultivated by the Cherokees and shared with the first settlers. It's a big, beautiful beefsteak with a lot of flavor. The best bet is to try different heirlooms at the farmers' markets this year -- there are many varieties -- and save the seeds from the ones you like. |
|
- Posted by organic_bassetlvr (My Page) on Fri, Jan 16, 09 at 12:01
| I had the best tasting tomatoes from plants from- dare I say it?-Lowe's! They had Brandywine, Brandywine pink & a striped heirloom variety that I lost the tag to & never have seen again. All 3 produced fair, & tasted fantastic! I also purchased 3 different heirloom peppers that did well also-I don't remember the names but have the tags at home. (I'm at work-shh..)I only have limited sun so I just stuck them in my amended flowerbed with lilies & phlox other flowers & they did fine. They came in biodegradeable pots that worked very well-no damage to the roots. I always drool over the heirloom seed varieties but don't have a good set up to raise from seed so go the plant route. Good luck! I also love the Cherokee purple but never found any plants so I buy them from the farmer's market or roadside stands. Susan |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Tennessee Gardening Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.