Heirloom vs. Hybrid Tomatoes

Some people think of heirloom tomatoes as being superior in taste to hybrids.  These two terms however do not refer to taste but to how the plant is propagated.  Heirloom tomatoes are old-fashioned varieties that are open-pollinated.  They were usually selected for their superior flavor and not other desirable traits such as disease resistance or prolonged storage.  Seeds saved from these varieties should retain those desirable traits. 
 
Hybrids are the result of cross-pollination of several types of tomatoes.  They are often developed to resist specific plant diseases, for uniform size, and long shelf life.  Seeds saved from these fruits usually do not result in a similar plant the next year. 
 
Both types of tomatoes are offered at the North Country Master Gardener annual plant sale.  The full list is available at:  https://www.northcountrymgv.org/uploads/6/9/3/7/69377869/tomatoes_2018.pdf
 
Learn more about “Homegrown Tomatoes in Wisconsin” with the UW-Extension bulletin A1691
https://learningstore.uwex.edu/Assets/pdfs/A1691.pdf
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