Heirloom Vegetable Growing Tips
By Julie Martens Forney
Raising a crop of heirloom veggies isn’t all that different from growing non-heirlooms. Like all vegetables, each heirloom plant requires sun, consistent moisture, and fertile, well-drained soil to grow and yield a healthy crop.
With a heirloom, though, it can also help to know where the plant originated. If it hails from Siberia, like the Black Prince heirloom tomato, then it will usually perform well in regions with cool summers. Plants like Blue Hubbard squash, which comes from the West Indies or South America, need a long growing season to achieve their full potential.
In general, though, if you’re following good growing practices, you’ll get good results. To help you be as successful as possible, try these heirloom vegetable growing tips:
photo by Julie Martens Forney
Heirloom Tomatoes
Many heirloom tomatoes are indeterminate vines that will continue to grow throughout the season, so they require support to grow their best and make fruit harder for slugs, pillbugs, and other ground-dwelling critters to reach. Tomatoes are also heavy feeders, and benefit from the addition of lots of compost and other organic matter to the soil. Some heirloom tomatoes lack disease resistance, so it’s important to follow correct plant spacing to permit plenty of air circulation around plants. Also, consider adding mulch to help prevent soil from splashing onto lower leaves. Removing lower leaves (up to 12 inches from ground level) once plants are up and growing can also help. Here are some additional tips:
• With dark varieties like Cherokee Purple or Black Krim, you may not actually see purple or black when fruit is ripe; instead, green tones will deepen toward a mahogany brown, and fruits will have a soft feel if you give them a (very gentle!) squeeze. In fact, fruit softness when ripe is one reason heirlooms aren’t grown and shipped to grocery stores—they’d never make it intact.
• Nearly ripe Yellow Pear tomatoes tend to split after heavy rains. If you know fruits are about ready and summer storms are in the forecast, pick them before the rain comes. They’ll taste sweeter, too, as sugars will be more concentrated before the plants take up a lot of water.
• As noted above, look to an heirloom variety’s origins to help you know how — and whether — to grow it. Like the Black Prince variety from Russia, San Francisco Fog prefers cooler summers. Brandywine tomatoes are named for the Brandywine Creek in Chester County, Pennsylvania, while German Johnson is native to North Carolina and Virginia. These tomatoes all grow especially well in regions with conditions that are similar to those of their birthplaces.
photo by Julie Martens Forney
Lacinato Kale
Lacinato kalegoes by a host of names, including Dinosaur kale and Tuscan kale. Cabbageworms can make quick work of this green, so cover seedlings with floating row covers to exclude moths. If you do spy worms already on the undersides of the leaves, pick them off and squish them before covering. Or, surround Lacinato with sweet alyssum, and you’ll likely host parasitic wasps that prey on cabbageworms. You’ll savor the most tender leaves when you pick them under 24 inches long. As the hardest freezes and snow arrive in colder zones, continue to harvest, picking the leaves hiding beneath the frozen outer layer. These older leaves can be stringy, so remove center veins and chop them more finely than you would the tender center leaves.
Lemon Cucumber
Originating from the late 1800s, Lemon cucumber brings on a steady harvest all season long. In regions with frost-free winters, plant every few weeks to keep growing throughout the year. For round, ball-like fruits, trellis vines; this will prevent them from developing marks or flattened edges that typically occur when fruits rest on the ground. Pick these cucumbers when they’re about 2 to 3 inches across, as they’ll become seedy if they grow larger. Use this cucumber for an edible bowl for serving gazpacho, chicken salad, or chilled pea salad.
Tomatillo
Tomatillo is a classic ingredient in Mexican cooking, and if you’re trying to perfect salsa verde or yellow mole sauce, you want these in your garden. Plan to stake these heirloom plants, because they continue to grow and produce fruit until frost. Two things frequently prevent fruit set in tomatillos. First, in northern regions, flowers may appear before bees are fully active. In this case, patience will pay off. Second, a single plant will not set fruit; you need two plants for cross-pollination to occur. Harvest tomatillo fruits when they fill out the papery husks or husks start to split. Tomatillos produce a waxy gum to prevent dehydration; don’t wash off this sticky coating at harvest, but use it to your advantage by storing ripe tomatillos like onions—in a hanging wire basket in a cool, dry spot.
Hale’s Best Jumbo Cantaloupe
Like other cantaloupes, Hale’s Best Jumbo craves warm soil enriched with plenty of organic matter prior to planting. In colder zones, warm soil by covering the growing area with black plastic about two weeks prior to planting. Usually, soil is warm enough about the time peonies are in full bloom. The right time to harvest this heirloom cantaloupe is what’s known as “full slip,” which simply means that you can pop the melon off the vine with a little tug. Pay attention to the stem that attaches the melon to the vine; you should notice some cracking in that stem right about the time the melon is ripe.
Kohlrabi
Dating to the 1840s, purple and white kohlrabi are small varieties that fit easily into today’s modern gardens, where space is often at a premium. The secret to tasty kohlrabi is two-fold: timing and harvest size. First, plant as soon as all danger of frost has passed, because while kohlrabi is frost-sensitive, summer heat causes stems to turn woody. Keep plants mulched and soil moist as summer heat starts to arrive. Interplant with leeks, and harvest kohlrabi when the bulbs are small (under 3 inches); leeks will then have room to mature to full size. Pennsylvania Dutch colonists saved kohlrabi peelings, air drying them and storing them in glass jars until winter. Then, they would add boiling water to the peels to reconstitute them, and make a hearty vegetable broth base for soups.
Golden Scallop Pattypan Squash
The trick to truly enjoying this beautiful Pattypan summer squash is to harvest when squash is on the small side—2 to 3 inches is ideal. At this point, the flesh is succulent and nutty, and you won’t have to peel it. Just wash, prep, and cook. Like all squashes, Pattypan needs rich, well-drained soil. Work plenty of compost into planting beds or containers. If you know where you’ll be growing squash next year in your garden, add a layer of chopped leaves in the fall, then turn it into the soil when the new planting season arrives.
Charleston Gray Watermelon
Watermelon are heat-loving veggies, and Charleston Gray, developed in South Carolina, is no exception. Set out plants when soil has warmed and all danger of frost has passed. If it’s the right time for planting beans, it’s the right time for planting watermelons. Veteran watermelon growers agree that fertilizing vines early in the season is the key to beating cucumber beetles, a common pest. Young vines with a solid footing usually outgrow any beetle attacks. Harvest time is trickiest, because watermelons don’t continue to ripen off the vine. Watch the tendril that’s located immediately opposite the stem of each fruit; when that tendril turns brown and dries up, the watermelon is probably ready.
By Julie Martens Forney
Raising a crop of heirloom veggies isn’t all that different from growing non-heirlooms. Like all vegetables, each heirloom plant requires sun, consistent moisture, and fertile, well-drained soil to grow and yield a healthy crop.
With a heirloom, though, it can also help to know where the plant originated. If it hails from Siberia, like the Black Prince heirloom tomato, then it will usually perform well in regions with cool summers. Plants like Blue Hubbard squash, which comes from the West Indies or South America, need a long growing season to achieve their full potential.
In general, though, if you’re following good growing practices, you’ll get good results. To help you be as successful as possible, try these heirloom vegetable growing tips:
photo by Julie Martens Forney
Heirloom Tomatoes
Many heirloom tomatoes are indeterminate vines that will continue to grow throughout the season, so they require support to grow their best and make fruit harder for slugs, pillbugs, and other ground-dwelling critters to reach. Tomatoes are also heavy feeders, and benefit from the addition of lots of compost and other organic matter to the soil. Some heirloom tomatoes lack disease resistance, so it’s important to follow correct plant spacing to permit plenty of air circulation around plants. Also, consider adding mulch to help prevent soil from splashing onto lower leaves. Removing lower leaves (up to 12 inches from ground level) once plants are up and growing can also help. Here are some additional tips:
• With dark varieties like Cherokee Purple or Black Krim, you may not actually see purple or black when fruit is ripe; instead, green tones will deepen toward a mahogany brown, and fruits will have a soft feel if you give them a (very gentle!) squeeze. In fact, fruit softness when ripe is one reason heirlooms aren’t grown and shipped to grocery stores—they’d never make it intact.
• Nearly ripe Yellow Pear tomatoes tend to split after heavy rains. If you know fruits are about ready and summer storms are in the forecast, pick them before the rain comes. They’ll taste sweeter, too, as sugars will be more concentrated before the plants take up a lot of water.
• As noted above, look to an heirloom variety’s origins to help you know how — and whether — to grow it. Like the Black Prince variety from Russia, San Francisco Fog prefers cooler summers. Brandywine tomatoes are named for the Brandywine Creek in Chester County, Pennsylvania, while German Johnson is native to North Carolina and Virginia. These tomatoes all grow especially well in regions with conditions that are similar to those of their birthplaces.
photo by Julie Martens Forney
Lacinato Kale
Lacinato kalegoes by a host of names, including Dinosaur kale and Tuscan kale. Cabbageworms can make quick work of this green, so cover seedlings with floating row covers to exclude moths. If you do spy worms already on the undersides of the leaves, pick them off and squish them before covering. Or, surround Lacinato with sweet alyssum, and you’ll likely host parasitic wasps that prey on cabbageworms. You’ll savor the most tender leaves when you pick them under 24 inches long. As the hardest freezes and snow arrive in colder zones, continue to harvest, picking the leaves hiding beneath the frozen outer layer. These older leaves can be stringy, so remove center veins and chop them more finely than you would the tender center leaves.
Lemon Cucumber
Originating from the late 1800s, Lemon cucumber brings on a steady harvest all season long. In regions with frost-free winters, plant every few weeks to keep growing throughout the year. For round, ball-like fruits, trellis vines; this will prevent them from developing marks or flattened edges that typically occur when fruits rest on the ground. Pick these cucumbers when they’re about 2 to 3 inches across, as they’ll become seedy if they grow larger. Use this cucumber for an edible bowl for serving gazpacho, chicken salad, or chilled pea salad.
Tomatillo
Tomatillo is a classic ingredient in Mexican cooking, and if you’re trying to perfect salsa verde or yellow mole sauce, you want these in your garden. Plan to stake these heirloom plants, because they continue to grow and produce fruit until frost. Two things frequently prevent fruit set in tomatillos. First, in northern regions, flowers may appear before bees are fully active. In this case, patience will pay off. Second, a single plant will not set fruit; you need two plants for cross-pollination to occur. Harvest tomatillo fruits when they fill out the papery husks or husks start to split. Tomatillos produce a waxy gum to prevent dehydration; don’t wash off this sticky coating at harvest, but use it to your advantage by storing ripe tomatillos like onions—in a hanging wire basket in a cool, dry spot.
Hale’s Best Jumbo Cantaloupe
Like other cantaloupes, Hale’s Best Jumbo craves warm soil enriched with plenty of organic matter prior to planting. In colder zones, warm soil by covering the growing area with black plastic about two weeks prior to planting. Usually, soil is warm enough about the time peonies are in full bloom. The right time to harvest this heirloom cantaloupe is what’s known as “full slip,” which simply means that you can pop the melon off the vine with a little tug. Pay attention to the stem that attaches the melon to the vine; you should notice some cracking in that stem right about the time the melon is ripe.
Kohlrabi
Dating to the 1840s, purple and white kohlrabi are small varieties that fit easily into today’s modern gardens, where space is often at a premium. The secret to tasty kohlrabi is two-fold: timing and harvest size. First, plant as soon as all danger of frost has passed, because while kohlrabi is frost-sensitive, summer heat causes stems to turn woody. Keep plants mulched and soil moist as summer heat starts to arrive. Interplant with leeks, and harvest kohlrabi when the bulbs are small (under 3 inches); leeks will then have room to mature to full size. Pennsylvania Dutch colonists saved kohlrabi peelings, air drying them and storing them in glass jars until winter. Then, they would add boiling water to the peels to reconstitute them, and make a hearty vegetable broth base for soups.
Golden Scallop Pattypan Squash
The trick to truly enjoying this beautiful Pattypan summer squash is to harvest when squash is on the small side—2 to 3 inches is ideal. At this point, the flesh is succulent and nutty, and you won’t have to peel it. Just wash, prep, and cook. Like all squashes, Pattypan needs rich, well-drained soil. Work plenty of compost into planting beds or containers. If you know where you’ll be growing squash next year in your garden, add a layer of chopped leaves in the fall, then turn it into the soil when the new planting season arrives.
Charleston Gray Watermelon
Watermelon are heat-loving veggies, and Charleston Gray, developed in South Carolina, is no exception. Set out plants when soil has warmed and all danger of frost has passed. If it’s the right time for planting beans, it’s the right time for planting watermelons. Veteran watermelon growers agree that fertilizing vines early in the season is the key to beating cucumber beetles, a common pest. Young vines with a solid footing usually outgrow any beetle attacks. Harvest time is trickiest, because watermelons don’t continue to ripen off the vine. Watch the tendril that’s located immediately opposite the stem of each fruit; when that tendril turns brown and dries up, the watermelon is probably ready.
Today at 5:11 pm by Rocky
» Sudanese advisor criticizes Kuwaiti analyzes regarding the development road project
Today at 2:21 pm by Rocky
» Al-Mandalawi stresses the need to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between Iraq and Poland
Today at 2:04 pm by Rocky
» Power maneuvers: America provides defensive weapons to Kurdistan in exchange for withholding from Ba
Today at 10:26 am by Rocky
» Kuwait is drilling an oil well near Umm Qasr, towards Iraqi territory
Today at 10:24 am by Rocky
» In the document... the first Iraqi ministry identifies the obstacles to changing the new official wo
Today at 10:22 am by Rocky
» Italian Institute: Iraq is stuck in its own crises, including Baghdad’s efforts to undermine the “au
Today at 10:21 am by Rocky
» The head of the Integrity Commission announces the holding of an international Interpol conference i
Today at 10:18 am by Rocky
» Planning: Iraqi companies are not efficient in conducting the population census
Today at 10:14 am by Rocky
» utube MM&C 4/24/24 Support - USA- Turkey - Timing- Currency Value - Tabled
Today at 8:08 am by Rocky
» MM&C 4/25/24 National Bank of Iraq goes live with Temenos core banking and payments
Today at 8:06 am by Rocky
» A banking official indicates a "danger" to Iraq by depriving more than half of its banks of dollars
Today at 7:55 am by Rocky
» With the participation of the Association of Private Banks, investment opportunities are on the tabl
Today at 7:45 am by Rocky
» Within a month... an Iranian border crossing recorded a noticeable increase in exports of goods to I
Today at 7:44 am by Rocky
» The Association of Private Banks appreciates the efforts of the government and the Central Bank to c
Today at 7:43 am by Rocky
» Al-Maliki's coalition presents a third candidate for the position of governor of Diyala
Today at 6:57 am by Rocky
» Arab gathering: The Kirkuk problem is getting complicated and the Sudanese must intervene
Today at 6:56 am by Rocky
» Next week.. a Kurdish delegation will visit Baghdad to meet with the Minister of Finance
Today at 6:54 am by Rocky
» Under the pretext of salaries... Al-Party refrains from handing over port revenues to Baghdad
Today at 6:53 am by Rocky
» Association of Banks: For the first time, we are witnessing a clear targeting of depriving half of t
Today at 6:51 am by Rocky
» Parliament does not know the reason for the delay in sending the 2024 budget schedules: Voting takes
Today at 6:49 am by Rocky
» Applicants for the 2024 Hajj are demanding that the Central Bank secure the dollar for them through
Today at 5:09 am by Rocky
» Governmental and private banks will showcase their services tomorrow during Financial Inclusion Week
Today at 5:08 am by Rocky
» Iraq's oil exports rise despite OPEC+ cuts
Today at 5:06 am by Rocky
» A study explodes a "surprise"... Iraq is among the countries that export oil to "Israel": How is the
Today at 5:04 am by Rocky
» Al-Araji emphasizes working to strengthen national identity
Today at 5:02 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani visits Saudi Arabia to participate in the World Economic Forum in Riyadh
Today at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Iraq is talking about producing one million additional liters of gasoline
Today at 4:59 am by Rocky
» The Council of Ministers approves the implementation of the Baghdad Metro project
Today at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Minister of Commerce: We formed a joint economic committee with Türkiye
Today at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Resources: Government measures have contributed to improving the water situation in Iraq
Today at 4:53 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance: Baghdad will continue to send salaries to the region’s employees until settle
Today at 4:51 am by Rocky
» A parliamentarian describes the corruption of Iraqi ports as “ghouls” and reveals the involvement of
Today at 4:49 am by Rocky
» Obelisk Hour: Basra is the subject of political conflict and ambiguity over the fate of the funds al
Today at 4:48 am by Rocky
» Turkmen leader: An agreement on the local government of Kirkuk is near
Today at 4:45 am by Rocky
» Anbar calls for the operation of its factories despite financial obstacles
Today at 4:44 am by Rocky
» Turki: The crisis of the Presidency of Parliament prompted the Sunnis to amend the Council’s interna
Today at 4:43 am by Rocky
» The Agriculture Committee confirms the existence of Iraqi-Turkish-Iranian discussions on water
Today at 4:42 am by Rocky
» Resources diagnose the challenges facing the water file in Iraq
Today at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Parliament pledges to the Interior Ministry: We will transfer money to buy weapons from citizens
Today at 4:33 am by Rocky
» Al-Issawi is the closest.. Parliament sets the date for deciding the choice of the new president
Today at 4:31 am by Rocky
» Deputy: Iraq's investments have risen and need a comprehensive review of previous years
Today at 4:30 am by Rocky
» Iraqis consume 7 billion eggs annually and import about $900 million
Today at 4:28 am by Rocky
» The Iranian role complicates attempts at open cooperation between Iraq and Turkey. Turkey is trying
Today at 4:26 am by Rocky
» Move in Iran to obtain $242 billion from Iraq in compensation for the eight-year war
Today at 4:25 am by Rocky
» 12 decisions from the Council of Ministers regarding the Baghdad Metro and Najaf-Karbala train proje
Today at 4:23 am by Rocky
» Sudanese Advisor: The path to development has begun... the Baka and the militias “we silence them wi
Today at 4:21 am by Rocky
» Not from Kurdistan.. How did Iraq become a source of oil for “Israeli tanks”?
Today at 4:19 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Agriculture criticizes the Sudanese and Erdogan agreement: Türkiye will control water
Today at 4:16 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi government issues new decisions
Yesterday at 2:35 pm by Rocky
» The story of “reduced oil” to Jordan, from “compulsion” to mutual benefit.. Is there a loss?
Yesterday at 2:33 pm by Rocky
» The Council of Ministers takes 12 decisions for the Baghdad Metro and the Najaf-Karbala train
Yesterday at 2:32 pm by Rocky
» utube MM&C 4/23/24 Iraqi Dinar - IQD Update - Development Road Project - Saviour of Global Banking
Yesterday at 10:18 am by Rocky
» Kidney from pig transplanted into deathly ill New Jersey woman — and begins working almost immediat
Yesterday at 10:15 am by Bama Diva
» The most difficult option.. Warnings of the danger of floating the Iraqi dinar without achieving an
Yesterday at 9:48 am by Rocky
» Trade from the “Economic Committee” with Türkiye: It will overcome all obstacles facing the traders
Yesterday at 9:46 am by Rocky
» Washington's hope for stable relations with Baghdad clashes with Iraqi parties' rejection of the Ame
Yesterday at 9:41 am by Rocky
» Karim Badr: Development is America’s will to kill silk
Yesterday at 9:36 am by Rocky
» Oil: Opening of a new port for liquid gas for vehicles in Baghdad
Yesterday at 9:33 am by Rocky
» A media advisor warns of corruption in a draft law on the Parliament’s agenda
Yesterday at 9:21 am by Rocky
» Economist: There is serious work to lift US sanctions on Iraqi banks
Yesterday at 9:16 am by Rocky
» Will the agreements signed with the US Treasury reflect positively on the exchange rates?
Yesterday at 7:52 am by Rocky
» Iraq continues its quest to join the World Trade Organization
Yesterday at 7:51 am by Rocky
» Iraq completes the completion of the files for the initial offer of goods and services to join the W
Yesterday at 7:50 am by Rocky
» Economist: Travelers' dollars are leaking into the parallel market...and this is what the Central Ba
Yesterday at 7:32 am by Rocky
» President of the Federal Court: It is not permissible to force anyone to join any party, and the pol
Yesterday at 7:30 am by Rocky
» The Council of Ministers holds its session headed by Al-Sudani
Yesterday at 7:27 am by Rocky
» America weakens Baghdad...and increases Kurdistan's military capabilities
Yesterday at 7:26 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi government plans to build 10,000 schools throughout the country
Yesterday at 7:23 am by Rocky
» American threats close the Iraqi Stock Exchange at a loss
Yesterday at 7:21 am by Rocky
» Increase in external transfers at the Central Bank
Yesterday at 7:20 am by Rocky
» Al-Maliki calls on Britain to cancel restrictions on the entry of its companies into Iraq
Yesterday at 7:18 am by Rocky
» Planning and the European Union are discussing signing a number of agreements in the development, en
Yesterday at 7:16 am by Rocky
» Parliament talks about the mechanism for recovering smuggled funds and hints at the next stage
Yesterday at 7:13 am by Rocky
» Interior Ministry: The number of completed national cards reached 37 million cards
Yesterday at 7:06 am by Rocky
» Amnesty International: Violations of freedom and human rights continue in Iraq and the Kurdistan Reg
Yesterday at 7:04 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Oil: The government is proceeding with the decision to raise the price of improved gas
Yesterday at 7:03 am by Rocky
» A parliamentary committee in Basra to investigate violations of the port company and the local gover
Yesterday at 7:00 am by Rocky
» Revealing the 10 most important American exports to Iraq
Yesterday at 5:31 am by Rocky
» A noticeable increase in the rate of Iraq's import of Chinese cooling devices
Yesterday at 5:30 am by Rocky
» Prime Minister: Working on projects without completing the infrastructure is a waste of money
Yesterday at 5:28 am by Rocky
» Iraq.. Extending the deadline for registration procedures on plots of land
Yesterday at 5:27 am by Rocky
» What is the main purpose of conducting the population census in Iraq?
Yesterday at 5:25 am by Rocky
» A plan to transform Iraq from a barren land to green with 5 million trees
Yesterday at 5:24 am by Rocky
» The Housing Fund announces the acceptance of more than 11 thousand loans through the Ur platform
Yesterday at 5:23 am by Rocky
» The Bank of Baghdad is moving to increase its capital to 400 billion dinars
Yesterday at 5:20 am by Rocky
» The electronic payment system will soon be adopted on Iraqi buses
Yesterday at 5:19 am by Rocky
» “It threatens our interests and destroys our economy.” An Iraqi project “irritates” the Kuwaiti stre
Yesterday at 5:18 am by Rocky
» Warning from the Central Bank about “misuse of electronic payment cards”
Yesterday at 5:17 am by Rocky
» Iraq and the Sultanate of Oman are discussing sending capacities through the Gulf countries
Yesterday at 5:16 am by Rocky
» The fact that a decision was issued to deport Syrian workers from Iraq
Yesterday at 5:14 am by Rocky
» Rice comes first... America exports 10 foodstuffs worth more than 350 million dollars to Iraq
Yesterday at 5:14 am by Rocky
» A sixth licensing round for gas exploration
Yesterday at 5:12 am by Rocky
» Baghdad is preparing to host the 50th session of the Arab Labor Conference
Yesterday at 5:11 am by Rocky
» Scientific symposium on the future vision of the tripartite budget
Yesterday at 5:09 am by Rocky
» Five conversion power stations enter service in Najaf
Yesterday at 5:08 am by Rocky
» Planning: Conduct a population census next November
Yesterday at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Experts: Spreading misleading information harms development and investment
Yesterday at 5:03 am by Rocky
» Economists call for tightening money laundering laws and port controls
Yesterday at 5:02 am by Rocky