There are over 600 heirlooms, probably a lot less depending on your definition of “heirloom.” some make age the big mark, 50 or 100 years, in reality the one facet that must be in place is that they are open pollinated. And because of that, my germination track is 50% at best. No big deal. (I start all of my plants from seed ... a wide variety to choose from)
My favorite is Rutgers ... it is the only determinate plant I use. I prefer to grow vertically. Speckled Roman is incredible in taste .. pinch back the suckers and you will let all the energy go to the fruit.
The best cherry tomato ever is Dr. Carolyn. I dare you to try and get in from the garden with out eating a handful while picking them. Aunt Ruby's are good, though lots of typical tomato disease problems.
Big zebra is wonderful ... just know that you will live with some shoulder cracking as in all large tomatoes.
Seeds of Change is the best source I have found for seeds. Seedsavers is a good place to look as well.
Back to your Mr. Stripey. Plant DEEP in an open area. Never let water touch its leaves if you water. Give it plenty of Air circulation, i’e pinch of unnecessary shoots. You will have great success. I gurantee it. If you feel you must fertilize, find a low nitrogen fertilizer. If not low use a 10 10 10 sparingly.
Good luck
Thanks for the tips on the Mr. Stripey.
I had very good luck with my Rutgers germination this year as well as my romas. I cried after losing 2 dozen beefsteaks, so I just started more!!!
I’ve bought seeds from both Seeds of Change and Seed Savers in the past, and in fact have a couple of hot peppers from Seed Savers coming up right now. Cost is my big drawback this year, so I didn’t do any mail order for seeds and just stuck with Burpee seeds which I can get locally.
“Speckled Roman is incredible in taste.”
Agreed. I’ve grown it for years. One of my Top Ten favorites (it’s a paste tomato) which is also great for fresh salsa.
I worked for The Seed Savers Exchange for seven of the happiest years of my life. :)