Tomato Plant Sale to Benefit DPNC's Giving Garden

The Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center’s Giving Garden is too good at growing tomato plants – we are overrun! Our Tomato Plant Sale begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 14, and lasts until the plants are gone!

In addition to buying beautiful hand-raised plants, you will receive the Tomato Planting Wisdom of Coogan Farm manager Craig Floyd (that part is free).

All proceeds from the sale benefit the Giving Garden at Coogan Farm, which grows and donates local, fresh, organic produce for donation to the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center and the Mobile Food Pantry program. The plants will be sold at the Coogan Farm Nature Store in the Avery Welcome Center, which is open 10 a.m., to 4 p.m. 162 Greenmanville Ave. (Route 27), Mystic.

Price per plant: $10 (includes tax).

How they come: In a 6” cow pot. Don’t forget to cut off the bottom before planting.

Varieties

Valencia

Sunny orange fruits with full tomato flavor. Round, smooth fruits average 8-10 oz. Their meaty interiors have few seeds. This midseason tomato is among the best for flavor and texture. Indeterminate.

Brandywine

One of the best-tasting tomatoes. We describe Brandywine's luscious flavor as "very rich, loud, and distinctively spicy." The large fruits, often over 1 lb., have a deep pink skin and smooth red flesh. The medium-tall, potato-leaf plant is best staked or caged. Indeterminate.

Black Krim

Russian heirloom. Black Krim combines bold, smoky flavor and good texture with an unusual appearance. Deep brown/red, 8-16 oz. tomatoes have brown/green shoulders that get darker with more heat and sunlight. High yielding. Indeterminate.

Big Beef

Nice combination of size, taste, and earliness. Large, avg. 10-12 oz., mostly blemish-free, globe-shaped red fruit. They have full flavor - among the best - and ripen early for their size. Broad disease resistance package. Indeterminate.

Marbonne

Superlative flavor and appearance. Marbonne is a hybrid version of the long popular French heirloom Marmande, but with improved disease resistance and vigor. Beautiful, deep red, ribbed tomatoes are borne on healthy plants. Flavor is among the best with smooth, soft texture. High yields of 7-9 oz. fruit. Indeterminate.

Bellstar

Northern favorite. Long established with short-season customers as a favorite early plum, fresh or processed. The medium-sized, avg. 4 oz., square-round red fruits are jointless (pick without stems) and easy to harvest. Compact plant with a concentrated early set. Determinate.

Marnero

Heirloom-quality flavor and look. Marnero keeps the best attributes of the black tomatoes and improves upon the disease resistance and yield. Flesh is very soft and has excellent flavor and texture. Fruits avg. 7-10 oz. Indeterminate.

Black Cherry

Sweet and robust. The round, 15-20 gm., fruits are almost black in color. The flavor is dynamic - much like an heirloom. High yielding. Indeterminate.

Matt's Wild Cherry

The wild tomato with great flavor. These small, 5 gm., cherry tomatoes are deep red, have a tender, smooth texture, and sweet, full flavor. High sugar content. Though the flavor is superior, it doesn't yield as well as modern varieties, and the fruits are soft. Fantastic in salsa and for fresh eating. Some resistance to early blight and late blight. Indeterminate.

Cherokee Purple

Unusual variety with full flavor. Medium-large, flattened globe, 8-12 oz. fruits. Color is dusky pink with dark shoulders. Relatively short vines. Indeterminate.

White Cherry

Pale yellow fruits. Appealing, pale yellow cherry tomatoes average 15-20 gm. and have a good, mild taste. Plants are compact and easy to pick. Indeterminate.