Unpopular opinion: I picked a fussy heirloom tomato over the easy hybrid last spring and I'd do it again

Everyone in my local gardening group told me to go with the hybrid. Said it was bulletproof. I went with an old Brandywine heirloom instead. Yeah, it got blight in August and I lost half the crop. But the ones that made it? Sweetest tomatoes I've had in years. My neighbor's hybrids were all tough and bland. Anybody else gone against the grain with a plant choice?

2 comments

2 Comments

kim.wren19d ago

I mean, I gotta push back on this a little. You said "sweetest" tomatoes but honestly, taste is super subjective and a lot of people just hype up heirlooms because they're trendy. My buddy grew the same Brandywine and got maybe 5 edible fruits after fighting bugs all summer. Meanwhile my hybrid Sun Golds were producing like crazy right up until frost, and they were plenty sweet for me and my whole block. Also, losing half your crop to blight doesn't sound like a win, it sounds like a big waste of time and effort when you could've had a full harvest. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather have a reliable plant that gives me a steady supply than gamble on a few special ones that might not make it. You got lucky with the flavor this one time, but I've had plenty of bland heirlooms too, so the argument that they're always better just doesn't hold water.

riverp3719d agoMost Upvoted

But is it really about luck or just knowing what works for your garden? I agree with you that Sun Golds are workhorses, they produce like crazy and taste great. But I think there's a difference between growing for a steady supply and growing for that one perfect tomato experience. My neighbor swears by hybrids for the same reasons you do, but he also admits that none of them have ever made him stop and say "wow" the way a good heirloom can. It's a trade off for sure, but not everyone is looking for the same thing from their garden.