Purchase and Prepare Your Tomato Seed Because your garden soil compacts too easily and can harbor organisms that may cause diseases it’s a better choice to purchase a prepared seed starting mix. A good commercial seed starting mix is often a blend of peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite. I like to thoroughly combine the seed starting mix with warm water […]

SEED QUALITYOnly the highest-quality seed, purchased from a reputable source, should be sown. It will probably have been prepared by acid extraction, to reduce the chances of spreading any seed-borne diseases. Most seedsmen supply their seeds in sealed laminated-foil packets, to prevent moisture absorption and loss of vitality. Seed stored in these sealed packets retains its ger­minating power for several […]

Drying Tomatoes Sun Drying: Carefully wash and dry your tomatoes. Cut them in half lengthwise. If you decide to remove the seeds try not to remove the pulp. Use a spoon or your fingers to scoop out the seeds. To shorten the overall drying time, cut a slit in the sides of the tomatoes to facilitate air flow. Place the […]

Beware the Nematodes! Tomato season is finally here! You’ve picked your favorite varieties, planted them in a sunny spot, lavished them with love, organic fertilizer, and compost, but you notice that something just isn’t right. The plants are stunted or growing poorly, leaves and stems are yellow, the tomatoes just aren’t happy. The culprit could be something you can’t see: […]

Why should you wait for a tomato plant or an heirloom tomato plant when you can get the seeds today. Backyardgardener.com is proud to offer a great selection of heirlooms! Tomato Seed list 1884 Heirloom Tomato Seeds Abe Lincoln Heirloom Tomato Seeds Ace 55-Tomato Seeds Airyleaf Heirloom Tomato Seeds Aker’s West Virginia Heirloom Tomato Seeds Aker’s Plum Heirloom Tomato Seeds […]

Ingredients: 3 quarts green tomatoes, chopped 1 quart ripe tomatoes, chopped fine 3 small bunches of celery, chopped very 1 quart small green cucumbers, chopped 6 medium-sized onions, chopped 1 large ripe cucumber, chopped 4 green peppers, chopped 7 cups vinegar 4 red peppers, chopped 1 teaspoon mustard 1 pound cabbage, chopped 1 teaspoon black pepper 1/3 cup salt 1 […]

  Ingredients: Several medium tomatoes 1/2 pound of authentic mozzarella cheese one bunch, fresh sweet basil leaves olive oil salt and pepper to taste Preparation: Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella. Place them on a plate, alternating between tomato and cheese slices so you have an attractive arrangement. Drizzle with liberal amounts of olive oil and garnish heavily with fresh basil […]

Looking for the perfect recipe or meal idea? Below, you’ll find great recipe ideas (and storage techniques) that will help you make the most of your harvest. Before you cook, take a peek at our tomato basics, where you’ll find helpful info on basic tomato flavor and how to tell if your tomatoes are ripe and ready for harvest. If […]

If you didn’t find the exact tomatoes you were looking for on our 600 Heirloom Tomato Plants, you’ve come to the right place. Below you’ll find over 150 other varieties that we’re happy to get started for you. Basically, if you’d like one (or more) of these, you’ll need to purchase the appropriate number of Grown-to-Order Tomatoes from our store. […]

Ingredients: 6 pounds ripe Italian-type tomatoes 1 cup very finely minced onion 1/2 cup very finely minced celery 1 cup very finely minced carrots 1/2 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon sugar Ground white pepper to taste. Optional seasoning (any one of the following): 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried marjoram; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1/4 to 1/2 […]