Announcing the 2015 Heirloom Tomato and Veggie Lineup!
It truly feels like spring in Coeur d’Alene, especially with the daytime temperatures reaching into the low 60s. The “official” first day of spring is still two weeks away…but now is a great time to start planning your 2015 garden!
We’ve been busy here at the 2nd Street Chicken Ranch ordering seeds and gathering our seed-starting supplies. The heirloom peppers are already started (they take a little longer to germinate) — the heirloom tomatoes will be seeded in the coming week. This is always an exciting time of year — anticipating the first seeds sprouting and bringing the promise of a bountiful garden all summer long.
New Varieties for 2015
New for 2015, “Pork Chop” — a true yellow heirloom.
We are always on the lookout for new heirloom that will grow well in our region. This year we are adding a couple of new heirloom beefsteak tomatoes to our lineup — Pork Chop, a true yellow tomato, and Orange Strawberry, a large, orange oxheart variety. Both are fairly early and should produce well in our climate. Of course we are still offering the “tried-and-true” favorites, like Black Prince, Golden Jubilee, and Cherokee Purple. We also have your favorite cherry tomatoes, plus salsa and paste-type heirlooms. See the 2015 heirloom tomato lineup here.
Orange Strawberry is a lovely and tasty heart-shaped heirloom tomato!
In addition to the more than 20 varieties of heirloom tomato plants, the Coeur d’Alene Coop also offers heirloom vegetable starts; and for those who have limited garden space or like to grow in containers, we have several space-saving heirloom vegetable plants to suit your small-space needs. Imagine growing cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini squash and peas on petite plants on your patio!
The Tom Thumb pea is less than 12 inches tall! Perfect for container gardening or small spaces.
All of our heirloom plants are grown from open pollinated, non-genetically modified seed, in our Coeur d’Alene, Idaho garden. You won’t find the common “big-box store” hybrids here. What you will find are heirloom tomatoes in a rainbow of colors — red, white, and yes, even “blue,” along with orange, yellow, green and purple; and heirloom vegetable starts, including unique cucumbers, pepper (hot and sweet), and summer squashes.
Ordering and Purchasing is Easy!
Look for The Coeur d’Alene Coop at the Kootenai County Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays in downtown CdA.
All our plants are available from our Coeur d’Alene garden and from our urban farm stand at the Wednesday Kootenai County Farmer’s Market in Downtown Coeur d’Alene.
To ensure you get the heirloom plants you want, you can “reserve” your plants in advance from our website! Just click on the Plant Reservation Form on the Home page. Plants can be pre-ordered for local pick up with a $5 pre-order fee via PayPal. The fee will be deducted from your total purchase when you pick up your plants from our garden.
Time to start planning! What will your new favorite be this year?
Questions? Comments? Leave me a note in the Comment Section below!
Hi, Candace! Do you have any tips for getting good results with beefsteak-type tomatoes? I find that with our cool nights in the Inland Northwest, beefsteaks just don’t set or ripen as well as smaller tomatoes or even cherry toms. Short of tucking the plants under covers every night, I don’t have much hope for big, beefy tomatoes. 🙁
I’d love to try those “Pork Chop” beefsteaks, though! They look wonderful.
Thanks!
Hi Therese, I agree, growing the “big boys” can be a challenge, but I’ve actually had good results with a couple of heirloom varieties that are fairly “early”: Black from Tula and the Striped Barred Boar. These did really well for me last year — with no special treatment. I really try to grow “early” varieties – those that are in the 65 to 75 day range – this helps! If shape doesn’t matter to you, try the Striped Roman – it’s early, big, meaty and delicious…but not round! Final word…keep those covers handy!
I am looking for a good tomato to make ketchup with as well as one to roast for a marinara sauce. What do you suggest we use from your selections.
We are in Liberty Lake and planting in raised beds or large containers.
Thank you so much in advance.
Hi Patty,
You can’t go wrong with the San Marzano, Martino’s Roma or the Ten Fingers of Naples. These are wonderful producers and we roast them together with garlic, rosemary, and basil — tossed in olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. After roasting, we put them in freezer bags, cool and in the freezer they go. I’ve not made ketchup, but if it calls for a “dry paste tomato,” you can’t go wrong with the three above. For something different, but equally delicious, try a Cream Sausage — these are off-white to yellow paste tomatoes — great in sauces and salsas (and one of my favorites). Thanks for your questions and following The CdA Coop!