Amazing heirloom tomato varieties available with mail order tomato plants

  Today's quick shipping and well-engineered packaging, like this from
Heirloom Tomato Plants, ensure that mail order tomatoes
arrive in good condition.

Although many gardeners start their tomato plants from the thousands of varieties of seeds available, many gardeners prefer to get their garden going in the spring with tomato seedlings or young plants from the nursery. Unfortunately, few nurseries offer more than a few varieties of tomatoes and not many specialize in the heirloom tomatoes that gardeners are rediscovering.

Online nursery retailers offer hundred, perhaps thousands, of heirloom and hybrid tomato varieties that you can try. They come with names such as Brandywine, Paul Robeson, Cherokee Purple, Yellow Pear, Julie Child, Marvel Striped, Yellow Submarine and Mr. Stripey.

Some, such as Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter, come with colorful stories.

Radiator Charlie owned a radiator repair shop in the 1930s. After six years of experimenting, he developed his own tomato variety by crossing the German Johnson, Beefsteak and other large varieties. He began selling the tomato, which became immediately successful. He eventually named his tomato the Mortgage Lifter because, according to Charlie, "I didn't pay but $6,000 for my home and paid most of it off with tomato plants."

If you're squeamish about ordering delicate plants throug the mail, take heart. Nursery retailers have mastered the art of shipping plants long distances with specialized boxes, moist packing medium and fast shipping.

My favorite online tomato plant resource is Heirloom Tomato Plants, otherwise known as Laurel's Tomatoes.

Although based in California, Laurel's tomatoes arrived at my East Coast home in excellent condition. They were larger--and healthier--than most of what I see at my local nursery. And Laurel thoughtfully includes a booklet with her tomato growing advice.

If you want to try Laurel's tomatoes, order soon. There is no ordering through the website, so you'll need to email your order and confirm by telephone.

If you have first-hand experience with another online retailer for tomato plants, please leave a comment or email me at gardeningexaminer@gmail.com.