Tomatoes - Red Heirloom Seeds - Rareseeds.com Catalog

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TOMATOES (Lycopersicon lycopersicum) This crop, native to the Americas, has become the most popular garden crop over the last 200 years. We offer an amazing selection of many of the finest old varieties in lots of delicious colors! Minimum 25 seeds.
Volumes have been written about tomato culture, but tomatoes can be grown simply enough by the backyard grower. This Queen of the Summer Garden is usually started from seed indoors 4-8 weeks prior to the last frost of spring. Seeds are surface-sown or covered only slightly to allow light which sometimes assists germination. Do not allow the soil to dry out. Containers are held in warm conditions until sprouts appear, which may take anywhere from 3-10 days, depending on temperature, moisture, etc. Move sprouting plantings immediately to bright light conditions, such as a south-facing window or under a grow-light setup. Inadequate light is a frequent cause of failure of young seedlings. At about the time of last frost, set out seedlings into rich, moist soil, well amended with compost, manure, or other good organic soil amendment. Set the plants more deeply than they grew in their pots, removing any leaves that would then be below soil level. Most indoor seedlings are too leggy despite best efforts, and the extra stem becomes an active part of the root system. Mulch to keep water from splashing from the soil onto the leaves, which is thought to spread blight. Most heirloom tomato plants get pretty large under good conditions, and should be staked to avoid sprawling over the mulch. Fruit laying on the surface is apt to rot, even on a well-draining mulch like coarse straw. Mulch also keeps soil temperature and moisture conditions more constant. Judging ripeness is largely a matter of watching for a color change, or a softening of the fruit. A few heirloom varieties don't get quite so large. Called "determinate" varieties, these get to a certain size and then set all their fruit more or less at once. Determinates may be a better choice where tomatoes are grown in a very small garden, or in containers, or where a large crop is desired all at once, like for canning. Tomato seed may be easily saved and grown another year. Most tomatoes (so-called "regular leaf" types) are self pollinating, and it is very difficult for the flower to be pollinated by any other flower. These types need only be separated by 10-15 feet to breed true in most conditions. The major exception is the "potato leaf" varieties such as the Brandywines. Due to differences in flower structure, these are more prone to crossing by insects; isolation of 50 to 500 feet is recommended.

Thessaloniki
The Greek tomato that was introduced to the USA in the 1950’s by Glecklers Seedsmen, of Ohio. It is a popular large, red uniform fruit with excellent flavor, high yields and disease resistance. An early variety perfect for home or market, keeps well.

Item Code: TM101

Bulk Quantities 1/4 oz. - $10.00

Rutgers
Good for canning, also good fresh, large red 8 oz. globes. Good yields and flavor, large vines. A fine New Jersey heirloom.

Item Code: TM102

Bulk Quantities 1 oz. - $7.00

Royal Chico
Very productive Roma type, vigorous det. plant yields bright red pear-shaped fruit that are uniform, and are perfect for paste or canning. Very resistant to disease, perfect for the home garden or market. This variety is becoming rare.

Item Code: TM103

Marglobe Supreme
Medium size red fruit make excellent canning tomatoes. Good size and uniform deep scarlet color. Great for humid climates.

Item Code: TM104

Red Fig or Pear-Shaped
Small, 1 1/2", red fruit are pear-shaped. This heirloom dates back to the 1700's. It was offered by many seedsmen and was very popular for making "Tomato Figs", the fruit is sweet and tasty.

Item Code: TM106

Bulk Quantities 1/4 oz. - $6.50

St. Pierre
A beautiful French heirloom. The tender fruits have a full, rich tomato flavor and are large in size, great for canning or fresh eating. They are deep red and excellent producers, even in bad conditions. Popular in Europe.

Item Code: TM107

Roma
A quality paste variety, very thick flesh. A popular old favorite, good yields.

Item Code: TM110

Bulk Quantities 1 oz. - $6.00

Beefsteak
A popular old standard variety, deep red and very large, fine flavor, rich old time tomato taste.

Item Code: TM111

Bulk Quantities 1 oz. - $7.00

Tappy's Heritage
85 days. Beautiful, smooth, large red fruit are globe shaped. Superb for market growers, with good disease resistance, great yields, perfect shape and wonderful flavor. This variety was developed by Merlyn and Mary Ann Neidens, long time seed growers in Illinois. Bred from heirloom varieties has fantastic taste.

Item Code: TM112

Henderson's Crimson Cushion
"The Crimson Scarlet Brother of Ponderosa" huge size and delicious rich flesh. Said to be introduced in 1892 by Peter Henderson, the flesh is very thick and of great quality. This is probably the tomato that made red "Beefsteak" type tomatoes famous.

Item Code: TM113

Egg Tomato
This heirloom is another of the varieties sold by Glecklers Seedmen in the 1950's, the fruit is the shape and size of a medium sized egg, with thick, blood-red flesh that is rich and perfect for preserving or eating fresh. The smooth fruit keep very well; very delicious and good for specialty markets.

Item Code: TM114

Homestead
Developed in the 1950’s for growers in the Florida and the southern states, this tomato is wilt resistant and productive. At one time this was a very popular shipping variety. Firm, tasty flesh.

Item Code: TM115

Moneymaker
75 days. An old English heirloom; greenhouse variety; produces 4-6 oz globes that are intensely red, smooth and of very high quality. This variety grows well in hot humid climates and greenhouses, sets in most any weather. Flavorful and becoming rare.

Item Code: TM116

Pearson
This tomato was one of the most popular varieties in California in the 1950’s. Excellent yielder in hot, semiarid areas; produces large red, globular fruits that are very solid and perfect for canning!

Item Code: TM118

Marmande
65 days. Popular old French variety developed by the Vilmorin Seed Co. Scarlet, lightly ribbed fruit, have the full rich flavor that is so enjoyed in Europe. Medium-large size fruit are produced even in cool weather. Productive market variety. Imported European seed.

Item Code: TM119

Cuor di Bue
This Oxheart type Italian heirloom has been a favorite in Italy for many years. Beautiful 12 oz. fruit have a delicious sweet taste, similar to the shape of a heart, great for fresh eating or cooking. Large vigorous vines. Hard to find.

Item Code: TM121

Principe Borghese
The Italian heirloom that is famous for sun drying. Small 1-2 oz. grape-shaped fruit are very dry and have few seeds. They have a rich tomato taste that is wonderful for sauces. Determinate vines yield clusters of fruit in abundance, perfect for selling in fresh markets and making specialty products. We offer pure Italian seed.

Item Code: TM122

Bulk Quantities 1/4 oz. - $10.00

Thai Red Turtle Egg
Tropical tomato variety that we have imported from Thailand, small red egg- sized fruit have a fine flavor and are great fresh or cooked. This is a very popular variety in the Orient, great for hot climates and wet conditions.

Item Code: TM123

Amish Paste
Many seeds savers believe this is the ultimate paste tomato. Giant, blocky Roma-type tomatoes have delicious red flesh that is perfect for paste and canning. World class flavor and comes from an Amish community in Wisconsin.

Item Code: TM126

Pantano Romanesco
A Roman heirloom that was sent to us by Signor Barbetti, from Italy. The fruit are large and are deep red, with almost a purple tint. The flesh is very rich, flavorful & juicy. An excellent tomato for home and market gardeners, very rare and delicious.

Item Code: TM127 Out of Stock

German Red Strawberry Tomatoes - Red seeds

German Red Strawberry
Big, flavorful 1 lb fruit are shaped like a giant, red strawberry. These beautiful tomatoes are loaded with a rich, sweet flavor. With only a small amount of seeds and juice, they are great for canning and sandwiches. This superior tasting tomato is a family heirloom from Germany.

Item Code: TM128

Bulk Quantities 1/4 oz. - $17.50

Illini Star
The "star" in any garden, this winner was developed by our friends, Merlyn & Mary Ann Neidens. This variety sets heavy crops of 6 oz round, red fruit with superior flavor for an early type. For quick and steady production, this one is hard to beat. The vines need little staking.

Item Code: TM129

Sub-Arctic Plenty or World's Earliest
50 days. One of the very earliest tomatoes, the compact plants produce lots of 2 oz red fruit. It one of the best for cool conditions and will set fruit in lower temperatures than most. It has even been grown in the Southern Yukon. Developed by Dr. Harris, Beaverlodge Research Station, Alberta, Canada.

Item Code: TM130

Cosmonaut Volkov
A smooth and attractive, medium-large red tomato that has a full, rich flavor. The productive vines yield well even in hot weather, perfect for canning or slicing. This variety is from Dniepropetrousk, Ukraine, and was named after the first Russian Cosmonaut. In response to many requests, we are pleased to add this variety to the catalog.

Item Code: TM131

Riesentraube
This old German heirloom was offered in Philadelphia by the mid-1800's. The sweet red 1 oz fruit grow in large clusters and the name means "Giant Bunch of Grapes" in German. It is probably the most popular small tomato with seed collectors as many enjoy the rich, full tomato flavor that is missing in today's cherry types. Large plants produce massive yields.

Item Code: TM132

Bulk Quantities 1/4 oz. - $15.00

Siletz
65 days. Here is one of the best early tomatoes I have ever seen. Dwarf, determinate plants produce unbelievable yields of perfectly shaped, 8 oz. fruit that are loaded with old-time tomato flavor and are very sweet. This variety is perfect for the home or market grower. Developed by Dr. James Baggett, OSU.

Item Code: TM133

Break O' Day
A high producing heirloom that was introduced in 1931. Flame-red, smooth, globe-shaped fruit are very uniform and beautiful, perfect for marketing. Heirloom tomato expert, Dr. Carolyn Male, calls it "A workhorse of a tomato." The flavor is rich and tangy, great for canning.

Item Code: TM149 Out of Stock

Porter
Bred to withstand long, hot Texas summers, this small, round tomato is perfect for areas prone to drought. It also withstands humidity well. Sweet-flavored fruit are excellent for salsa, sauce, and juice. This great variety was developed by V.O. Porter, of Porter & Sons Seed Company, in 1927.

Item Code: TM134

Floradade
Right from Dade County, Florida, comes a winning tomato for the humid South, developed by the University of Florida to be resistant to the particular problems that affect tomatoes in southern states. Nice-sized 5-7-oz. fruit are round and smooth; determinate plants are quite productive.

Item Code: TM135

The Pritchard or Scarlet Topper
Large-sized, bright red fruit with excellent flavor, this old (and now rare) variety was introduced around 1930 by the USDA in an effort to produce the most wilt, disease, and rust-resistant tomato possible. In Peter Henderson's 1932 catalog he said "...for disease-resistant qualities, it supersedes all others." This early main season tomato is excellent for the homestead; great fresh or canned.

Item Code: TM136

Tatar of Mongolistan
We were sent this rare tomato in the late 1970's by Iraqi seed collector, Aziz Nail, who was living in France. Medium-sized fruit are very flavorful, red, and flattened in shape. These have become popular with seed savers since we introduced it about 5 years ago. We are glad to have this tasty type back. Great fresh or dried.

Item Code: TM137

Large Red
This pre-1830 variety was documented as being grown in Hancock, Mass., by the Shakers in the 1830's. In 1865 Fearing Burr stated, "from the time of introduction...the large red was almost the only kind cultivated, or even commonly known." Unique, 12-oz. fruit are deeply fluted and have a sweet, rich tomato flavor. A rare treasure for historic gardeners.

Item Code: TM139

Bisignano #2
This variety was from a Mr. Bisignano, who brought it from Italy and made it available in the early 1980's. Large-sized tomatoes vary in shape, but their thick, flavorful flesh has made them a favorite of many. Perfect for sauce, canning, or fresh off the vine. Real Italian tomato flavor.

Item Code: TM140

Buckbee's New Fifty Day
A pre-1930 variety introduced by H.W. Buckbee, Rockford, Illinois. Their 1930 catalog states, "The largest fruited, the smoothest, the finest in quality of all early scarlet tomatoes." Not as early as 50 days, but this is indeed a good producer that has an old-fashioned tomato taste, is red and medium-sized.

Item Code: TM141

Sioux
One of the best-known historic tomatoes, the medium-sized fruit are early. Productive plants and great flavor made this one of the most popular Midwestern tomatoes in the late 1940's. In 1947, Oscar H. Will & Co. stated, "It out-yielded all other varieties in South Dakota trials." Per Henderson & Co., in 1951, "Two weeks earlier than Marglobe or Rutgers." This tomato was one of our most requested, as people love the smooth, beautiful fruit and heavy yields. Introduced in 1944 by the University of Nebraska.

Item Code: TM143

Bulk Quantities 1/8 oz - $10.00

Tonadose Des Conores
An endangered heirloom cherry tomato from France, the very red fruit have an orange tinge inside and a long, lingering flavor. Productive vines produce loads of these tiny jewels that seem to melt in your mouth.

Item Code: TM144

Rouge D' Irak
Medium-sized fruit are finely flavored; good yields, too. This variety is endangered even in its own country, where saving seeds was made illegal under the "Colonial Powers" of the United States. Under the new law, Iraqi farmers must only plant seeds from "protected varieties" from international corporations. Is this our unique way of making democracy?

Item Code: TM145

Santa Crus Kada
A medium-sized tomato from Brazil, it is a high-yielding market type that is popular in sub-tropical areas. Commercial-type fruit are good for canning and shipping. Perfect for marketing if you require a smooth tomato with good taste and yield.

Item Code: TM148

Mule Team
Medium sized plants produce perfect 8 oz red globes that have very little cracking, making this a good choice for market growers. The fruit have a sweet but acid flavor; a good all-around standard red variety. Good resistance to heat and disease, and the vines bear heavily over a long season. An heirloom variety from Joe Bratka.

Item Code: TM153

Valiant
Very smooth, large red globes, good color and mild sweet flavor. Spreading vines put on heavy yields and fruit tends to ripen all at once. Introduced in 1937, at one time this was a highly popular tomato for canning, juicing and for fresh shipping, but now it is only in the hands of seed savers.

Item Code: TM154

Granny Cantrell German Red
This meaty beefsteak type tomato is named after Lettie Cantrell, who received seeds from a soldier returning from Germany during World War II, and has been growing this tomato in the hills of eastern Kentucky ever since. This is her favorite tomato and the only one she grows. Each year she saves seeds from the largest tomatoes, some of which reach 2 1/2 lbs. Our growers find it to be quite productive and of a fine flavor. Ahh! What a flavor! This variety was named best tasting tomato of the year at the 2006 Heirloom Garden Show in our taste testing contest.

Item Code: TM155 Out of Stock

Tess's Land Race Currant
Deliciously flavored currant tomato that originated from Maryland's southern shore. The tiny fruit of this variety vary in color; most are deep red but some are also rose, gold and yellow. The flavorful fruit are popular with chefs and home gardeners. The sprawling vines produce clusters of these intense tasting miniatures.

Item Code: TM156

Seattle Best of All
A mild tasting tomato that is a good all purpose, medium sized red. The vines are high yielding and the plant has good foliage. This variety was developed by a Seattle market gardener out of the greenhouse variety called 'Best-of-All' for his Seattle market garden. It was listed by the famous Gill Brothers Catalog in the 1960s.

Item Code: TM157

Super Choice
A wonderful old Kentucky heirloom that produces good yields of big, beautiful 1-lb fruit. It is loaded with lots of old-time tomato flavor. This variety was preserved by Hobart Pearson of Berea, Kentucky, who was given seed from an Amish family of Liberty, Kentucky, and they had been growing it for over 100 years. A very rare tomato that should be in more gardens.

Item Code: TM158

Weeping Charley
An excellent-tasting, almost paste tomato, this variety produces big, fat Roma-shaped tomatoes, but these are sweeter and juicier than standard paste varieties, with good strong, real tomato flavor and heavy production. A rare heirloom that was given to one of our employees.

Item Code: TM159

Fox Cherry
Delicious large, red heirloom cherry tomatoes that seem to be one of the best-tasting large cherries around. The vining plants are very reliable; even in years when the wilt kills about everything else these seem to do great. The fruit weigh about 1 oz each and are perfect for salads.

Item Code: TM160

Big Month
We received this from an Amish market grower, it produces 4-oz oblong roma-type fruit, good firm texture, tasty and sweet, good fresh or canned. The plants have some drought tolerance and produce a heavy yield that tends to ripen all at once; it will be a big month for canning once these start to ripen!

Item Code: TM161

Ingegnoli Gigante Liscio New!
Giant fruit grow up to 2 lbs or more. Bright red, quite sweet and rich tasting, excellent for home gardeners who want old-fashioned flavor. Developed in Italy around 1900 from a cross of the old varieties "Ponderosa" and "Saint Louis." Hard to find now!

Item Code: TM162

Uncle Mark Bagby New!
Brought to western Kentucky from Germany in 1919 by Mark Bagby and grown today by one of his grandnieces, this tall and vigorous potato-leafed variety produces 8-to 12-oz pink fruit, and some say it out-performs Brandywine in warmer climates.

Item Code: TM163