For many years I've debated about growing hybrid or heirloom tomatoes in our garden. Heirlooms, such as Speckled Roman, Cherokee Purple and Green Zebra, offer interesting plant shapes and colorful fruits with enticing flavors. Hybrids, like Celebrity and Big Beef offer uniformity, disease resistance and productivity. Usually I grow a few of each. Now there are new hybrids available that combine the taste and look of heirlooms with the consistency of a hybrid.
Brandyboy is a hybrid version of Brandywine. Genuwine a cross between Consoluto Genovese and Brandywine. Manero is a hybrid of Cherokee Purple. And Margold a hybrid of Striped German.
While these new varieties certainly look like the original heirlooms, I'll have to grow some to see if the taste is the same and the plants have better growth. Let me know if you try any of these in your garden this year.
Whatever tomato you're growing, start preparing the soil once it has dried out. Raised beds are essential in all but sandy soils and amend the soil well with compost. To preheat the soil, cover the bed with a black or red plastic mulch a week before planting.
Wait to plant until the air and soil warms to 60 degrees Farenheit or use Wall-O-Waters or row covers to protect them from cold nights. If your seedlings were started too early indoors, place them in a cool, sunny room for the next few weeks to slow the growth and prevent them from getting leggy.
This week's tip: plant peas now once the soil has dried out in a full sun location. For varieties taller than two feet, plant two rows of peas in raised beds with a fence or twig trellis between rows so they can climb. Soak the seeds in warm water the night before planting to speed germination. If you've never added pea inoculant to your soil, mix some with your pea seeds to help with nitrogen fixing nodule formation.
