Bulbs Flower Basics Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens Flower Garden Garden Furniture Garden Gnomes Garden Seeds Garden Sheds Garden Statues Garden Tools & Supplies Gardening Basics Green & Organic Groundcovers & Vines Growing Annuals Growing Basil Growing Beans Growing Berries Growing Blueberries Growing Cactus Growing Corn Growing Cotton Growing Edibles Growing Flowers Growing Garlic Growing Grapes Growing Grass Growing Herbs Growing Jasmine Growing Mint Growing Mushrooms Orchids Growing Peanuts Growing Perennials Growing Plants Growing Rosemary Growing Roses Growing Strawberries Growing Sunflowers Growing Thyme Growing Tomatoes Growing Tulips Growing Vegetables Herb Basics Herb Garden Indoor Growing Landscaping Basics Landscaping Patios Landscaping Plants Landscaping Shrubs Landscaping Trees Landscaping Walks & Pathways Lawn Basics Lawn Maintenance Lawn Mowers Lawn Ornaments Lawn Planting Lawn Tools Outdoor Growing Overall Landscape Planning Pests, Weeds & Problems Plant Basics Rock Garden Rose Garden Shrubs Soil Specialty Gardens Trees Vegetable Garden Yard Maintenance

What is the Difference Between Heirloom Tomatoes & Regular Tomatoes?

How to Start Lemon Seeds Indoors - watch on youtube
What is the Difference Between Heirloom Tomatoes & Regular Tomatoes?

What is the Difference Between Heirloom Tomatoes & Regular Tomatoes?. We're all familiar with regular tomatoes, but what's an heirloom? If you've noticed strange-looking tomatoes--those with different colors and shapes--then you've seen an heirloom. Heirlooms have recently come into vogue among tomato lovers.

We're all familiar with regular tomatoes, but what's an heirloom? If you've noticed strange-looking tomatoes--those with different colors and shapes--then you've seen an heirloom. Heirlooms have recently come into vogue among tomato lovers.
Regular vs Heirloom
Hybrid (normal) tomatoes are selected for their yield, resistance to diseases and shelf life. Heirlooms are prized for their diversity of color, shape and flavor and come from plant seeds that are at least 50 years old.
Definition
The consensus for heirloom status is that the cultivar (variety) must be at least 50 years old. Many heirloom cultivars have been passed down through several generations of a family.
History
The renewed interest in heirlooms started in the 1970s. The term refers to varieties that were often unique and limited to only a few gardens.
Seed Diversity
In industrial agriculture, only a few varieties of a given food crop are grown due to the efficiencies that come with uniformity. Partisans of heirlooms view themselves as champions of world food diversity.
Which Are Better?
There is no clear-cut winner here; however, everyone agrees that tomatoes are best eaten right off the vine. Heirlooms have commanded premium prices, but some attribute this to snob appeal.

Check out these related posts