I really am surprised about ketchup being one. I don’t know about the process, going from tomatoes to ketchup, so I may be naive, but tomatoes are ridiculously easy to grow!
How lovely it must be to see that! Didn’t know it took such dedication. As for ketchup, well, it’s got to be the sugar, whether from the tomato, or otherwise, that makes us love it! Also, the color is so scrumptious!
I've been growing heirloom tomatoes since my first garden (cough ahem) years ago. A long time. I used to correspond with Caroline Male, who wrote the Heirloom Tomatoes book. She got me hooked on oxheart tomatoes. I have the same black walnut problem but I do have some spots that are the required 85 feet away from any. BTW, the walnut problem is juglone, which is in the soil from the walnut roots so you shouldn't have to worry if they're in pots. I suppose some could be in the leaves but the roots are what are killing other plants.
No garden this year because of health issues last spring but I have been able to find heirloom tomatoes at two local farm stands. One grows theirs (and had fantastic tomato plants last spring with gobs of heirlooms) and the other gets theirs from a local Amish produce auction.
Do you have a Food Lion near you? They have three packs of tomatoes I believe they call heritage. I'm positive they're Rutgers, which was the tomato my father always grew. Not really an heirloom but a pretty tasty tomato.
And Martins, if you have one nearby (aka Giant in Pa., not the Giant Food in No Va which is a different company) carries heirloom tomatoes, variety varies. I also like the black tomatoes and they often have those. I actually found oxheart tomatoes there last week.
I know, I know. Don't get harkk started on gardening stuff. Never shuts up. LOL
This place carries more heirloom tomato (and other) seeds than you can imagine and their prices are reasonable. They have at least a couple kinds of oxhearts. You do have to plan ahead with them - make sure to order early and you have to mail in your order. They don't do internet ordering although they do have their catalog online now. They also sell heritage turkeys, sweet potato slips, etc.
So many of the farm stands aren't really selling locally grown stuff but boxes of the same old red baseballs that grocery stores sell, only at twice the price. I found one stand that had real heirlooms but they had obviously been refrigerated, which makes the tomatoes mealy and tasteless.
tis
I hope I can continue gardening for a long time.
You forgot the worst shortage at the moment. It is on a global scale: common sense.
Absolute truth....
Why don't we ever run short on masks? mmhmm.
I really am surprised about ketchup being one. I don’t know about the process, going from tomatoes to ketchup, so I may be naive, but tomatoes are ridiculously easy to grow!
Only the tasteless truck patch variety...
A really good heirloom tomato is getting to be a very rare find....
Oh, thank you for informing me. I had no idea! Coming from a family of eleven children, we had whatever tomato that was cheapest at the grocery store!
I live in a Walnut tree grove and they will kill anything that is in that family....
I grow Brandy Wines in containers as far as I can from the trees, but it is a struggle...
Honestly, I would prefer to use catsup because it tastes better to me than an actual tomato....
How lovely it must be to see that! Didn’t know it took such dedication. As for ketchup, well, it’s got to be the sugar, whether from the tomato, or otherwise, that makes us love it! Also, the color is so scrumptious!
Howls...life is good with catsup/ketchup....
Haha! I wondered which way to choose to spell it!
Either way is correct...Ketchup is the older, more traditional form....
I've been growing heirloom tomatoes since my first garden (cough ahem) years ago. A long time. I used to correspond with Caroline Male, who wrote the Heirloom Tomatoes book. She got me hooked on oxheart tomatoes. I have the same black walnut problem but I do have some spots that are the required 85 feet away from any. BTW, the walnut problem is juglone, which is in the soil from the walnut roots so you shouldn't have to worry if they're in pots. I suppose some could be in the leaves but the roots are what are killing other plants.
No garden this year because of health issues last spring but I have been able to find heirloom tomatoes at two local farm stands. One grows theirs (and had fantastic tomato plants last spring with gobs of heirlooms) and the other gets theirs from a local Amish produce auction.
Do you have a Food Lion near you? They have three packs of tomatoes I believe they call heritage. I'm positive they're Rutgers, which was the tomato my father always grew. Not really an heirloom but a pretty tasty tomato.
And Martins, if you have one nearby (aka Giant in Pa., not the Giant Food in No Va which is a different company) carries heirloom tomatoes, variety varies. I also like the black tomatoes and they often have those. I actually found oxheart tomatoes there last week.
I know, I know. Don't get harkk started on gardening stuff. Never shuts up. LOL
Howls...you and me both fren...
Thanks for the wonderful tips, Lord willing, next year I will try Ox hearts...
The Amish here once grew lots of heirlooms, but this younger generation is really into truck patch garbage....
All this tomato talk has inspired me to fry up some bacon and have a good ol' BLT for lunch with the last of my treasures...
Keep that "green thumb" dirty harkk!!!
This place carries more heirloom tomato (and other) seeds than you can imagine and their prices are reasonable. They have at least a couple kinds of oxhearts. You do have to plan ahead with them - make sure to order early and you have to mail in your order. They don't do internet ordering although they do have their catalog online now. They also sell heritage turkeys, sweet potato slips, etc.
https://www.sandhillpreservation.com/
So many of the farm stands aren't really selling locally grown stuff but boxes of the same old red baseballs that grocery stores sell, only at twice the price. I found one stand that had real heirlooms but they had obviously been refrigerated, which makes the tomatoes mealy and tasteless. tis I hope I can continue gardening for a long time.
"old red baseballs"...howls....
Absolute truth....
Thanks for the link for the seeds...
We generally have used "Totally Tomatoes" or "Vermont Bean Seed Co".....
Apparently <lf> and it's friend <cr> were on backorder when this article was published. ..with a 'woof!' to u/ashlanddog!