Heirloom tomatoes at Meijers!

[cottagequeen]

Lastnight after work I stopped by Meijer's to get me some heirloom tomatoes. They had quite a few Organic, heirloom tom's in 5 in earthfriendly pots for $3.49. Grown by Elzinga Hoeksema Greenhouse in Kalamazoo MI.

I got:
Dutchman
Marglobe
Black Russian
Cherokee Purple
Old German
Gaint Belgium

They also had
Brandywine
mortgage lifter
wisconsin 55
bradley
? Juliann or Jubilee? can't remember
there may have been a couple others

For you big tom contest growers, Giant Belgium's tag says it produces 2- 5 lb tom's
Dutchman claims 1-3 lbs.

This are really nice looking tom plants. When I get back from Mulberry Creek Herb farm this afternoon, I'll see about taking some pics if ya want.

any info you guys have on these would be appreciated. i am familiar with Cherokee Purple from all the comments I've read on here. That's why I got it. Gonna compare it to Pruden's Purple that I am planting too.
Good day to you all!

[LoreD]

Dutchman is a wonderful tomato. Huge, pink, thin skinned, yummy tomatoes. Its one of my favorites.
Wisconsin 55. I wasn't really impressed.
Brandywine. I loved it.
Giant Belgium. Another really great tomato.

It looks like you made some really great selections.

LoreD

[MichiganderGardener]

Cottagequeen,

Our local Meijers has the same kind if heirlooms in as yours, but no Old German. I am growing many heirlooms from seed including Old German and Cherokee Purple. My Cherokee Purple plants are only about 4 inches high right now, so when I saw the ones at Meijers in the 5 inch pot for 3.49 and they were over a foot tall and beautiful, I couldnt resist....I bought 2....LOL. My husband couldnt believe that with all the tomatoes I started from seed in my house that I would actually want to BUY some. My CP is now about 16 inches high:) Cant wait to transplant out in the garden.

Old German is one of my favorite Heirloom Tomatoes. The taste is subperb, it is a bicolor with red/orange . Large tomato. You should love it. Good luck. Let's just hope the plants from Meijers are labeled right and turn out to be the variety they say they are!:)

[American_Gardener]

Dutchman
Marglobe
Black Russian
Cherokee Purple
Old German
Gaint Belgium
Brandywine
mortgage lifter
wisconsin 55
bradley
? Juliann or Jubilee? can't remember
there may have been a couple others


any info you guys have on these would be appreciated. i am familiar with Cherokee Purple from all the comments I've read on here. That's why I got it. Gonna compare it to Pruden's Purple that I am planting too.
Good day to you all!


From that list i've grown The Dutchman, Mortgage Lifter and Brandywine. All are indeterminates. I'd say all are fairly late season for me.. with The Dutchman being the last to ripen. That one was good flavor, but really low production last season during our extreme drought.. i think i got 3-4 fruits.. and it had yellow shoulders all the way till fully ripe. The Mortgage lifter i've grown for several years... i really like that one. It's a good size... i'd say 1 1/2-2 lb average, good production and good flavor. Not the best, but better than most. And mine was just called mortgage lifter when i got em years ago.. i know nothing about which strain it is. The Brandywine was the worst of all... mid to late season for me.. not great flavor.. low production, quite large fiberous core, and just an overall loser. Again, mine was just called Pink brandywine. I've tried none of the other strains yet, but i am this year. Now, i know everyone says that's the best tasting one.. but i didn't see it anywheres near close to being best of anything. I had 300+ varieties last season.. and i'd say it was just average... there are so many others that taste way better.

Of course.. i can only speak to what they did under drought conditions in hard clay soil. Your results could be totally different.

[cottagequeen]

Well, didn't go to Mulberry Creek as they aren't open on mondays. Glad I looked before I went! So, did some research on the tom's I bought. Thanks for all ya'll's input. The one I haven't been able to figure out is the one called black russian. Oh, well, If it is good, I'll save seeds, otherwise, I'll know better next year. I do believe the one ? is jubilee. After what I have read of it, I am going to have to pick one up when I'm in town tomorrow.

Dutchman is a wonderful tomato. Huge, pink, thin skinned, yummy tomatoes. Its one of my favorites.
Wisconsin 55. I wasn't really impressed.
Brandywine. I loved it.
Giant Belgium. Another really great tomato.

It looks like you made some really great selections.

LoreD
Thanks!


Cottagequeen,

Our local Meijers has the same kind if heirlooms in as yours, but no Old German. I am growing many heirlooms from seed including Old German and Cherokee Purple. My Cherokee Purple plants are only about 4 inches high right now, so when I saw the ones at Meijers in the 5 inch pot for 3.49 and they were over a foot tall and beautiful, I couldnt resist....I bought 2....LOL. My husband couldnt believe that with all the tomatoes I started from seed in my house that I would actually want to BUY some. My CP is now about 16 inches high Cant wait to transplant out in the garden.

Old German is one of my favorite Heirloom Tomatoes. The taste is subperb, it is a bicolor with red/orange . Large tomato. You should love it. Good luck. Let's just hope the plants from Meijers are labeled right and turn out to be the variety they say they are!

LOL, didn't think about that, hope they are labeled right, otherwise, guess I'll be surprised!

[cottagequeen]

From that list i've grown The Dutchman, Mortgage Lifter and Brandywine. All are indeterminates. I'd say all are fairly late season for me.. with The Dutchman being the last to ripen. That one was good flavor, but really low production last season during our extreme drought.. i think i got 3-4 fruits.. and it had yellow shoulders all the way till fully ripe. The Mortgage lifter i've grown for several years... i really like that one. It's a good size... i'd say 1 1/2-2 lb average, good production and good flavor. Not the best, but better than most. And mine was just called mortgage lifter when i got em years ago.. i know nothing about which strain it is. The Brandywine was the worst of all... mid to late season for me.. not great flavor.. low production, quite large fiberous core, and just an overall loser. Again, mine was just called Pink brandywine. I've tried none of the other strains yet, but i am this year. Now, i know everyone says that's the best tasting one.. but i didn't see it anywheres near close to being best of anything. I had 300+ varieties last season.. and i'd say it was just average... there are so many others that taste way better.

Of course.. i can only speak to what they did under drought conditions in hard clay soil. Your results could be totally different.

I've grown mortgage lifter and brandywine in the past, were good, but didn't knock my socks off like the pruden's purple. Debating on trying them again.

[Zephyrbird5a-6]

Lastnight after work I stopped by Meijer's to get me some heirloom tomatoes. They had quite a few Organic, heirloom tom's in 5 in earthfriendly pots for $3.49. Grown by Elzinga Hoeksema Greenhouse in Kalamazoo MI.

I got:
Dutchman
Marglobe
Black Russian
Cherokee Purple
Old German
Gaint Belgium

They also had
Brandywine
mortgage lifter
wisconsin 55
bradley
? Juliann or Jubilee? can't remember
there may have been a couple others

For you big tom contest growers, Giant Belgium's tag says it produces 2- 5 lb tom's
Dutchman claims 1-3 lbs.

This are really nice looking tom plants. When I get back from Mulberry Creek Herb farm this afternoon, I'll see about taking some pics if ya want.

any info you guys have on these would be appreciated. i am familiar with Cherokee Purple from all the comments I've read on here. That's why I got it. Gonna compare it to Pruden's Purple that I am planting too.
Good day to you all!

Oh no you di-in't! I know Elzinga Hoeksema, and it's a good greenhouse, but they're wholesalers only!!! :D Nice to see we're shipping out from our area to Ohio! :D

I had NO idea they had switched to heirloom growing. It used to be only Bell's had heirlooms in this area, but they sold out and now have only flower annuals. I mourned the loss of selection of over 100 heirloom maters and peppers at Bell's. :(

Brandywine and mortgage lifter - two good maters, IMO. I bought a Cherokee Purple this year to try also - found it at Menard's, of all places!

[cottagequeen]

Oh no you di-in't! I know Elzinga Hoeksema, and it's a good greenhouse, but they're wholesalers only!!! :D Nice to see we're shipping out from our area to Ohio! :D

I had NO idea they had switched to heirloom growing. It used to be only Bell's had heirlooms in this area, but they sold out and now have only flower annuals. I mourned the loss of selection of over 100 heirloom maters and peppers at Bell's. :(

Brandywine and mortgage lifter - two good maters, IMO. I bought a Cherokee Purple this year to try also - found it at Menard's, of all places!

Yeppers! I did!:eek: When I saw they were coming outta Mi, I figured they'd be quite happy in a wee bit warmer climate and produce well in my garden:D

[Zephyrbird5a-6]

Too right, Cottage Queen. Right now it's 56 degrees out. Frost last night. Gardeners are not happy here in the county that is famous for growing wholesale bedding plants!

Glad at least some got a home in warmer Ohio! :D:D

[tashak]

There's a Black Russian and also a Black Russian Plum tomato, both good. Definitely save seeds from them!

[Denninmi]

OK, I went to Meijer today, too. I saw the various heirloom tomatoes. What I was after was peppers in cell packs. I ended up getting half a flat of Pimentos and half of Golden Bell. Then, when I got home, I looked at all of my pepper plants from seed, and with the new ones, I have over 300 plants.

That will be a LOT of peppers if they do well.

Dennis
S.E. Michigan

[cottagequeen]

Thanks tashak!

WOW! Denninmi, What are you gonna do with all those peppers!

[cottagequeen]

Are the golden bells golden cal wonder? Ours had purple beauty, so will be picking them up tomorrow when I go to town.

[Bird]

I bought a Mortgage lifter from Meijer also. It is in a very large pot and doing very well. I am trying it along with- Amish Paste, Brandywine, Aunt Ruby's German Cherry, Celebrity, Lemon Boy, Pineapple Stripe, and Tomato Boy? (not sure if I wrote the right name on that one). Wow Dennimi you are going to be up to your eyeballs in peppers.If you end up with a ton you may be able to donate the rest to a food bank or something like that. I am sure they would love it.