Tomatoes

Growing Tips:

• When planting tomatoes, pay attention to the spacing requirements on the tag. They start off small, but you’ll need that space for them to grow large and so you can harvest easily.
• Try planting your tomatoes sideways in the ground, so the root ball and much of the stem are buried in the top few inches of soil, where it is warmer. A tomato plant’s stem, when buried, will start to grow roots allowing more water and nutrients to get into the plant.
• Add a cup of garden lime to the hole when planting a tomato to prevent blossom end rot. Also, use a good fertilizer formulated for tomato growth, like Tomato-Tone, when planting to get your tomatoes off to a good start.
• Once your plants are established, you can pick off about half of the leaves on the plant to allow the sun to reach the fruit. Staking your tomatoes up off the ground help with this, too, and also promotes better fruit growth.
• Tomatoes need to be stressed to produce an abundance of fruit. If planted in the ground, stop regular watering of your tomatoes after the 4^th of July. However, keep an eye on them and water if your plants are wilting. The idea is to “stress” them, not kill them. If you are growing your tomatoes in pots, this trick is harder to accomplish as tomatoes in pots tend to dry out a lot faster.
• To get an early start with your tomatoes, consider using a plastic “tomato greenhouse” that fits over a tomato cage or a “wall of water” to keep your plants a few degrees warmer.

Varieties:

Beefsteak
An excellent choice if you’re looking for a nice slicing tomato. Weighing in at around one pound, these tomatoes have numerous, small seed compartments that hold together when sliced. Great for burgers and sandwiches.

Big Beef
Another big slicing tomato, Big Beef has the flavor and texture of your traditional beefsteak slicer with the added benefit of a great immune system. These tomatoes have incredible resistance to many common tomato diseases and are crack resistant.

Cherry
A “husky” variety, meaning the plant is shorter and smaller. This cherry variety yields clusters of small, red tomatoes all season long. Pick ripe tomatoes every day to keep production high. These are perfect for salads or as a snack while your working in your yard.

Dorothy's Delight
An unusual heirloom variety that was introduced to the Bigej family by their sweet neighbor, named Dorothy, whose family had been saving this seed for years. These tomatoes have an interesting shape and coloring with a flavor that is unique and delicious. 

Early Girl
The name says it all. A customer favorite for years, this variety has one of the shortest days to maturity, meaning you get ripe tomatoes faster. Eat fresh or in salads.

Grape
Appropriately named, this variety produces long clusters of 20 or more bright red, grape-shaped tomatoes. Because of their size and taste, these tomatoes go for top-dollar prices at the supermarket. They’re easy to grow so skip the store and plant your own.

Jet Star
This variety is as reliable as they come. Producing half-pound fruits, usually free of cracks, Jet Star plants are gaining in popularity due to their high yields and mild flavor. These tomatoes have a fairly low acid content, so skip the canning, and just eat these fresh. Slice, dice, or wedge: This tomato goes great with any recipe.

Oregon Spring
Quickly becoming a local star, Oregon Spring was developed at Oregon State University with early production in mind. They have been known to be planted outside up to a month before last frost date.

Patio
If you’re tight on space, consider growing a Patio tomato. This compact plant produces an abundance of small, 2” tomatoes that have a nice flavor. This is a great choice for pots on the back deck and an excellent variety to teach your kids how to grow tomatoes.

Pik Red
A more compact variety, making it ideal for planting in pots, this variety offers large tomatoes that consistently ripen in short-season climates.

Roma
The classic “Italian-type” tomato. Roma plants produce medium sized, uniform tomatoes that are easy to seed, making them ideal for homemade marinara sauce or making your own paste.

Sunsugar
An orange cherry variety with long vines lined with fruit. These beautiful little tomatoes have thin skin, but are surprisingly crack resistant. And with such a high sugar content, you’ll be shocked how few actually make it indoors, having all been eaten right out in the garden.

Sweet 100
A cherry variety that lives up to its name. Sweet 100 plants are heavy producers, yielding long branches lined with small, super sweet tomatoes. Toss in salads or throw a handful into your favorite pasta dish. Or, pick and eat fresh.

Tumbling Tom Red
No space in your yard for a big tomato plant? No problem. Tumbling Tom is a well-branched, cascading variety that is perfect for hanging pots. These plants have high yields of delicious, red cherry tomatoes. 

Willamette
If you’re looking for a great tasting, reliable tomato, you’ll be happy to discover Willamette. This variety was bred in the area and is an early producer of medium-sized fruits that have a mild, low acid flavor.

Yellow Pear
This variety produces miniature, pear-shaped yellow fruits with a pleasing taste. These plants grow large and fast so get ready to harvest this variety continually all through the season.
    
Heirloom Tomatoes   
Black (Black Prince)
Originally from Siberian Russia, the Black tomato is an heirloom variety that has dark skin coloring and has an incredibly juicy flavor that is rich and fruity. This variety does exceptionally well in colder climates.

Brandywine
Producing large, red fruits that’s texture can range from smooth to very ribbed, this tomato is know for its exceptional “tomato flavor”. What does that mean, exactly, you ask? Describe the taste of a homegrown tomato and add words like: sweet, intense, rich, and succulent. Brandywine is that good.

Jubilee
Nothing says “delicious” like a freshly grown, bright orange tomato. Jubilee tomatoes have a bright, sweet taste with a solid, smooth texture making them the ideal tomato to dress up a salad.

Legend
Also a creation from Oregon State University, this variety is an early producer, setting fruit in cooler temperatures. With a nice blend of sugars and acid, this great tasting tomato makes a great slicer.

Stupice
With springs like ours, you can never have enough hearty tomato varieties. Stupice plants have incredible cold-tolerance and have early onset of fruit continuing throughout the growing season. An heirloom variety originally bred in the former Czechoslovakia, this tomato has a great flavor. Try juicing these tomatoes for a special treat.

Green Zebra
Green Zebra tomatoes are rather distinctive looking, with a light green skin striped with dark green, which gains an amber hue as it ripens. It has a sweet, yet zesty, flavor that’s as unique as its coloring. Slice up and mix with black, red, and orange tomatoes to make a salad that’s both pleasing to the eyes and the stomach.