[pyx]

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map shows the minimum outdoor growing temperatures indicates that I live is a Region 5a type environment.

1.) What are the best types of Heritage Tomato plants to grow.

Other questions you might consider addressing in this thread are below.

2.) If there is lots of room for an outdoor garden available, what would you recommend as a good layout for edible plants and herbs and what sizes by square footage for these types of gardens would be needed and how much edible food using examples could be in the expected to harvest ?

3.) If a limited amount of space is available or if someone lives in an apartment or condominium how will the direction a balcony or direction the windows face effect the types of edible plants grown ?

4.) What are examples of good edible plants which can grow in containers or even using UPSIDE-DOWN suspended container gardening along with how this can save room for a garden ?

5.) What types of edible plants and materials and mediums would you recommend for growing indoors and what sort of sunlight would be needed ?

6.) Please discuss the materials needed to preserve using jars and cans for vegetables and fruits grown or bought in bulk and how putting up preserves would save a lot of money ?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“What are the best types of Heritage Tomato plants to grow?”

I am in zone 4/5.

http://www.seedsavers.org

I worked for these people for seven of the happiest years of my life. :) My garden was a test garden for the company for many years. Here are my all-time favorite tomatoes:

Amish Paste
Opalka
Golden Sunray
Nyagous
Speckled Roman
Stupice
Wisconsin 55
Cherokee Purple

[Red_Devil 232]

1.) What are the best types of Heritage Tomato plants to grow.

You should have a big range of Heirloom variety tomatoes to chose from in zone 5. You might look for some early to mid-season varieties that can take cool nighttime temps.

These popular varieties might do well in your zone; Box Car Willie, Brandywine, German Red Strawberry are supposed to be good producers.

I tried Brandywine tomatoes down here in MS (zone 7b - 8) and it did ok but it was not a good producer. They really did not like the high temps. So I looked for varieties that could tolerate the heat like Marion and Arkensas Tralver. They really did well for me last season so they are the only type I have planted this year.

The best thing you can do is to call your local County Extension and ask them what variety of Heirloom tomato does well in your area.

[afraidfortherepublic]

4.) What are examples of good edible plants which can grow in containers or even using UPSIDE-DOWN suspended container gardening along with how this can save room for a garden ?

I've always been reluctant to try those upside down plants. Aren't they a problem to water? You have to hang them awfully high to keep them off the ground, and they will need a really good support because they get heavy. Furthermore, I think they dry out quickly and you need to be available to attend to them quickly should they start to wilt.

Just my apprehensions on that method.

[I Buried My Guns]

1.) What are the best types of Heritage Tomato plants to grow (?)

I was at my local mega supermarket, called HEB here in my area, and in the produce dept they had a basket labeled "heirloom". I bought a tomato out of it and planted the seeds a few months ago. They are going crazy!

I value heirloom breeds because they breed true, in that you can take the seeds and plant next year's crop from them. A lot of other seeds are bred by the big companies specifically to not do that, thus assuring repeat business.