You know Spring has finally sprung when the Potting Shed in Berea opens up for the season. And this year they've included over 50 varieties of heirloom tomato seedlings.
What's all the fuss about heirloom tomatoes? Heirloom tomato seedlings are plants that have been open pollinated as opposed to hybrids. Heirloom tomato seedlings are raised from the seeds of tomato plants that have been allowed to grow naturally. Over the years these plants adapt to their environment and what grows well in one area of the country may not do well in another. Heirloom seeds are harvested and passed down for generations in some instances and are available in dozens of varieties in all colors of the rainbow.
Hybrid tomato seedlings produce the tomatoes you see in the grocery store. Bland, thick-skinned, and tasteless, these tomatoes are bred to make them easier to process and transport. They'll grow well in your garden but that's what you're going to harvest – your standard, garden-variety tomato. Blah.
Heirloom tomatoes won't have a uniform appearance like their boring grocery store cousins because they haven't been genetically engineered for perfection. Instead, Mother Nature has nurtured these seedlings, some for more than 40 years. You'll find heirlooms in shades of red, yellow, and green, just like your regular tomatoes. But you'll also find some that are fire engine red, purple, black, vermillion, white, pink, orange and even different colors of stripes. Look for names like Dolly Parton, Cherokee Red, and Yellow German. And the variety of flavors and textures is amazing.
One benefit of planting heirloom tomatoes is that you can harvest the seeds and they'll generally produce plants just like the originals, something you can't usually count on with hybrid seeds.
Leave a little space for heirloom tomatoes while you're plotting your garden this month and if you're not sure which varieties you'd like to try, Michelle Philpot Snowden and her staff at the Potting Shed are right there to answer all your questions.
The Potting Shed in Berea is located at 508 Richmond Rd., heading out of town toward Richmond. Hours of operation are 9 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday and noon – 5 pm on Sunday. Phone 859-986-2226 for more information or visit their website at ThePottingShed in Berea.com.
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Get heirloom tomato plants at the Potting Shed in Berea
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