Natures Garden Heirlooms - Best Small Heirloom Tomato Plants

vegeable garden
I - Indeterminate, once the plant starts to bloom it will set fruit and continue to bloom and set for the full season.

D – Determinate, the plant will bloom and set fruit once, usually over about a three week period.

Name	Description	Type	Image
Stupice	A Czechoslovakian heirloom, earliest tomato of all with very high yields of 2” plum shaped fruit borne in clusters all season long. A 4’ vine does not need trellising and produces well in colder climates. The fruits are red and juicy with excellent flavour for fresh eating and dries well.	I Early Red
Alicante	This highly productive British heirloom is medium sized, full bodied with a good flavour. Was developed in England as a breakfast tomato where it was popular boiled.	I Mid Red
Plum Lemon	A Russian heirloom from Siberia this variety was introduced by Seed Savers after an elderly seed man in Moscow sent some to Kent Whealey. Yellow Plum was recorded in 1886 and is also known as ‘Wonderlight”. This small tasty tomato is yellow and actually looks like a lemon. A unique tomato with good yields, will not crack and tends to keep longer due to a firm texture. The pretty medium size fruit has dry flesh and is good to add colour to salads or making yellow tomato sauce.	I Early Yellow
Green Zebra	This rare variety was introduced in 1985 by Tom Wagner to Tater Mater Seeds of Bakersfield, these 2” fruits are shades of yellow and green with darker green stripes once ripe and has emerald green flesh. Known for a tangy, sweet, spicy flavour, very productive.	I Early Green
Black Pear	Very productive this brown/red pear shaped tomato has dark green shoulders and a wonderful spicy flavour.	I Early Black
Tigerella	This old English variety is a lovely tomato with pink to orange stripes and ridged shoulders, very mild, low acid with a rich and tangy flavour. Produces 2-3oz fruit over a long period of time it is a lovely looking plant, a delight in the garden and a delight on a plate or in a salad.	I Early Bicoloured

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What is companion planting?

Every plant lives in a community and, like you and I, a plant has neighbours it likes and those it does not.

Plants also have pest issues. While a bug may love to munch on one plant there are others that repel the bug through smell, taste, or the chemicals it exudes. Planting the repelling plant by the plant that the bug is targeting provides it with protection from these pests without the use of harsh chemicals or pesticides.

To avoid spraying pesticides and herbicides on the food we serve ourselves and our family we can plant herbs to deter the problem from the very beginning. This is known as companion planting.

To repel tomato worms plant Borage.

Tomatoes protect asparagus from asparagus beetle and gooseberries from insects.

Stinging nettle grown close by improves the tomatoes keeping quality.

Tomatoes are compatible with chives, onions, parsley, marigold, nasturtium, and carrots.

Do not plant Tomatoes near corn, potatoes, kohlrabi, fennel or any brassica (cabbage family: including broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, rutabaga, turnip…)

For more information on companion planting, please follow the link below.