IT WAS 1 DEGREE Fahrenheit exterior after I checked out my digital climate station readout the opposite morning, an ideal time for some winter-defying techniques like speaking tomatoes.
Natural seed farmer and breeder Don Tipping of Siskiyou Seeds in Oregon joined me for a colourful, warming dialog, as a result of after trialing 55 tomato varieties final season, Don has some goodies to suggest—and a few recommendation on rising your finest tomatoes ever, together with ones that really retailer properly lengthy after harvest. Sure, storage tomatoes (like those hanging above).
Don Tipping based Siskiyou Seeds, a family-run farm-based natural seed firm, in 1997. Siskiyou is a farm with a view located at 2,000 toes of elevation within the Siskiyou Mountains of Southwest Oregon, and options one thing like a thousand forms of greens, herbs, and flowers in its spectacular assortment.
Learn alongside as you hearken to the Jan. 26, 2026 version of my public-radio present and podcast utilizing the participant beneath. You possibly can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).
a range of tomatoes, with don tipping
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Margaret Roach: Hello, Don, how are you? I guess it’s not 1 diploma there.
Don Tipping: No. Good morning. We now have a typical high-pressure system in January of heat, sunny days. It’s been getting within the higher 50s and slightly frosty at night time.
Margaret: You’re making an attempt to make me jealous, are you? Oh my goodness. Anyway, I feel the final time we chatted, it was about one other type of summery, hot-colored ardour of yours: zinnias. So right now’s matter is form of like that, tomatoes, and you probably did trials final summer season on the farm of 55 varieties, as I discussed within the introduction, that I had examine, and I saved that means to get in contact with you. And so right here we’re. What was the aim of the trials? Why did you try this? [Below, Don’s ‘Firestarter’ zinnia.]
Don: Effectively, principally yearly on the farm, I try to choose just a few species that I’m going to essentially dive deep into and be taught extra about as a result of I feel there’s at all times new varieties that we haven’t grown, or individuals have enthusiasm for brand new crops.
So this yr it was tomatoes, as a result of I’ve a buddy and colleague who’s been performing some tomato breeding. And not too long ago I stumbled throughout the entire subcategory of storage tomatoes. So I used to be eager to develop an entire bunch subsequent to at least one one other and be taught extra knowledge, as a result of I discover being a farm-based seed firm, the extra analysis and growth work I can do is absolutely priceless, as a result of oftentimes after I’m doing catalog writing, I’ll go to many different seed firms’ web sites and I’ll discover that lots of them use the identical actual word-for-word description, which implies they don’t actually know. They’re simply copy and pasting. However I might be capable of converse from my very own private expertise.
Margaret: Proper. And talking of that, that boilerplate copy-paste form of factor, genetically talking or no matter, I at all times say—and once more, as a layperson—I at all times say a ‘Brandywine’ isn’t a ‘Brandywine’ isn’t a ‘Brandywine.’ Which means the genetics of the seed within the ‘Brandywine’ packets that I may order from these 20 completely different seed catalogs which have the copy and paste of its similar definition, it’s not the identical until it got here from the identical supply of seed. So there’s a lot potential variability, a lot genetic potential expression and flexibility, all these variations that may occur. I imply, it’s so thrilling—and that’s the miracle of seed. So I don’t need that cut-and-paste factor. I would like your firsthand one, and I would like them to get my firsthand one, proper?
Don: Yeah. Effectively, slightly determine I wish to carry up from India from the work of Vandana Shiva is she talks about earlier than the Inexperienced Revolution, there have been over 30,000 forms of rice there. And if you happen to had been ready to have a look at all of them rising, lots of them most likely look actually related, however seeds do have reminiscence. And if you happen to continue to grow them season after season in the identical place beneath the identical rising situations, they’ll do higher yearly, slightly bit higher in that space. Whereas most seed firms are simply shopping for from the worldwide wholesale market and it’s not doable to have that degree of specialization. And that is what globalization has introduced the world is-
Margaret: Proper. So it’s availability to all, but it surely’s availability from the identical supply, which is one pressure, so to talk, one set of genetics that’s tailored to these business fields in who is aware of the place, and it’s often a spot that’s nothing like my backyard. And the methods used, it’s most likely not…loads of instances it’s not organically managed, all these sorts of issues.
Don: Yeah. Effectively, and also you introduced up ‘Brandywine,’ that’s one of many … Effectively, really two of the varieties that we trialed was our pressure of ‘Brandywine’ that we’ve been rising and saving seed of for years. After which one from my buddy, Steve Peters at Seed Revolution Now, that he calls ‘California Brandywine,’ as a result of they’ve been tweaking it and choosing for manufacturing on the Central Coast of California. So technically the identical factor, however one has realized to adapt to a coastal California local weather, whereas I’m within the mountains of Oregon.
Margaret: Yeah. And once more, it’s simply infinitely thrilling the potential for these residing creatures to precise themselves in these intimately distinctive methods, I feel. In order that’s what I like about seed—I imply, one of many many issues. So that you had curiosity, you had curiosity about varieties you didn’t know. You had curiosity about evaluating his ‘Brandywine’ to your ‘Brandywine,’ these sorts of issues, and in regards to the storage tomatoes.
So what on the planet is a storage tomato? I imply, that simply cracked me up after I noticed that in right here. I imply, I type of had heard of it, however I didn’t actually know. And do you even have tomatoes in storage in January proper now?
Don: Yeah. Effectively, to the place the story begins, a minimum of for me, is years in the past, there was a tomato selection known as ‘Longkeeper,’ and it’s nonetheless on the market. And it’s a spherical crimson, nothing particular, like 2- to 2-1/4-inch diameter crimson slicer with out distinctive taste. However if you happen to choose it slightly below ripe, not inexperienced, however let’s say orange, it’ll for a very long time, but it surely’s not likely thrilling. And what actually grabbed me with the Italian and Spanish and Catalan storage tomatoes was I used to be actually launched to it via Lane Selman, who based the Culinary Breeding Community and has performed loads to champion the unsung heroes of the vegetable world stuff. [Above, Lane with some storage varieties.]
So I really first noticed it in footage, and she or he had an artist do some pen and ink work of those clusters of tomatoes. So it appears like perhaps 100 cherry tomato-size issues all clustered collectively like a bunch of grapes hanging up. After which lastly at certainly one of these occasions, that they had a desk with the Dryland Farming Collaborative that sprouted out of Oregon State College of two varieties. One was a crimson selection known as ‘Annarita’ [below; photo from Dryland Collaborative], and one other was a yellow one known as ‘Pienollo Giallo,’ which is principally yellow tomato [above]. And so I really purchased a pair baskets of every of these, and you are able to do seed saving simply because tomatoes typically don’t cross from these.
After which I additionally obtained some from a colleague who has a seed firm in Spain, however they’re really within the Catalan area, in order that they see themselves distinct. So I’ve, I feel, 5 varieties from there. And so we grew all of them this yr and I really grew them final yr, however I didn’t handle to do a storage trial.
So at residence, I’ve bunches of them hanging in my kitchen and so they’re storing fairly properly. I’m studying when you must choose them. In case you choose them completely ripe, a few of them will rot and so they positively, the ripe ones in my kitchen turned fruit-fly magnets. So I realized that’s not the way in which to do it. You really wish to maintain them extra in a root cellar, a cooler or a storage or some backroom that you just’re not heating in your home.
Margaret: Wow. I imply, it’s fairly thrilling as a result of we, gardeners, everybody has grown a tomato most likely who’s gardened. So we expect we all know all of it about, oh, there’s cherry tomatoes, there’s beefsteak tomatoes, there’s this, there’s that, there’s paste tomatoes, no matter, however that is one thing that’s form of completely different. And if dealt with accurately, if timed proper and managed accurately and put in the precise place, it may imply the flavour of contemporary tomato right into a time of yr after we don’t have it. And that’s fairly thrilling stuff for cooking, I feel particularly.
Don: Yeah, precisely. As a result of anybody who’s gardening, we now have enormous abundance in August, September and-
Margaret: Oh boy, can we? Yeah.
Don: However finally we get uninterested in it, however this time of yr, having contemporary tomatoes is absolutely nice. And I feel the care of it, I’ve actually loved that half since you clip little the tresses of tomatoes and then you definitely use twine or string or one thing to tie them in bunches. To me, I like the look of a gardener’s kitchen the place there’s baskets of dried herbs and all of the issues that you just’re storing, onions and garlic or braids of onions and garlic. And this simply provides to that aesthetic. After which once you’re cooking, it’s proper there in entrance of your face. You’re like, “Oh, I’ll add some contemporary tomatoes to this. ” Whereas that’s a really completely different relationship than a can or a jar on a shelf and a pantry, which continues to be meals, but it surely’s not as … The tactile nature of it’s one thing that’s actually …
Margaret: Yeah, it’s like a residing pantry. I imply, yeah, it’s lovely.
So there was one thing else that caught my consideration … And I wish to speak about a few of your favorites and among the type of winners and so forth, however there was one thing else moreover the storage tomato mentions in your report that I learn of the trials. There was point out of … There was ‘Sungold,’ but it surely wasn’t simply ‘Sungold,’ which after all is that this fabulously well-liked yellow cherry that has this nice taste, but it surely was ‘California Sungold.’ And there was point out of dehybridizing, the method of dehybridizing. And I puzzled if you happen to may inform us slightly bit, like an anecdote about what’s ‘California Sungold’ and what does dehybridizing imply? What was that within the trials?
Don: I feel first only a very broad brushstroke definition of what a business F1 hybrid is, is often the progeny of two inbred traces. So the breeder or the corporate sustaining it has these two completely different varieties, we’ll name them selection A and selection B, and so they look just about the identical. However then after they cross them, you get what’s known as heterosis, and that is what hybrid vigor is. After which that’s the F1, which stands for first filial technology. So each time they produce seed, they’ve to do this cross. So that they’re really sustaining three completely different seed traces. My buddy Andrew Nonetheless, who I imagine you’ve had on your-
Margaret: Oh, after all. …
Don: From Adaptive Seeds, he not too long ago was on a podcast and he was theorizing that ‘Sungold’ has been certainly one of these ones that for lots of us, we haven’t been in a position to dehybridize. I do know in my efforts after I simply saved seed from ‘Sungold,’ the ensuing selection was by no means as productive or as flavorful. So he was pondering that perhaps it has greater than two mother or father traces, perhaps it’s multiples. And so the extent of genetic disintegration, because of this typically individuals don’t save seed from hybrids. You get what’s known as genetic disintegration by in regards to the third or fourth technology.
Margaret: So what we are saying in quite simple phrases, it “doesn’t come true.” The seed of a hybrid doesn’t come true; it doesn’t appear to be the mother or father plant the following time round.
Don: Yeah. One in every of my mentors, Dr. Alan Kapuler, glided by the title Mushroom.
Margaret: Sure.
Don: You possibly can by no means technically dehybridize one thing as a result of you possibly can’t take away the cross, however you possibly can stabilize a hybrid. So he did this with ‘Early Lady,’ which is a highly regarded hybrid market slicer tomato. And out of that, a ‘Beefsteak,’ a ‘Roma’ and a cherry got here out of it. So in its progeny, it had all of these again in its ancestral traces. That is the proverbial black sheep form of factor.
So with ‘Sungold,’ we’ve had a spread that I simply known as ‘Wali’s Gold’ after my eldest son years in the past. He wouldn’t eat regular tomatoes, however he’d eat ‘Sungold,’ so we saved seed from it. However it’s by no means been that nice of a spread, to be trustworthy. So then I’ve one other one known as ‘Numex Sundog’ that’s from a grower in New Mexico, therefore the title Numex. After which the ‘Cal Gold,’ which I obtained from Steve Peters and his colleague Kanti [Rawal], who’d been within the business tomato breeding world for a very long time, that one in our trials had the flavour of the ‘Sungold’ hybrid and the productiveness.
In order that’s going to be the one which we’re … I’m dropping the opposite two, and that is the worth of hybrids. As a result of why have three completely different varieties which might be all pretty related if one is superior, and also you don’t know if one thing is superior till you develop it and you must develop multiple plant as a result of perhaps that one plant was on the place an inordinate quantity of compost went down or one thing like that.
So we had been rising a minimum of 15 crops of every of those varieties. So this 55-variety trial was a quarter-acre of tomatoes. It was fairly a … As I used to be transplanting that out and having to make all of the labels and maps, I’m like, “What did I get into?” However we actually like that selection. So ‘Cal Sungold,’ [below] it’s going to be our new …
Margaret: That’s nice. Proper. And in order that’s slightly little bit of a narrative of this dehybridizing concept, the concept you can now save seed from … I imply, you’re a seed firm, so there’s that. And yeah, it’s very fascinating to me to see that. So simply let’s shout out a few, perhaps some previous standbys that had been proved to be winners once more within the trials and some, perhaps a few different new names that you just wish to alert us to moreover the storage one and so forth that you just’ve instructed us about. Some other that you just wouldn’t be with out?
Don: So anytime you do a trial, you want one thing to ascertain your baseline, one thing you’re really aware of. So for myself, certainly one of my favourite slicers for a few years has been ‘Cherokee Purple.’ If I may solely develop one slicer tomato for the remainder of my life, I’d be completely positive with that. It’s not the earliest one.
So I grew that and some different simply varieties that I already knew that I appreciated them. One other one was a Greek heirloom known as ‘Thessaloniki’ that’s only a good baseline for a crimson slicer with taste. After which we had a pair yellow ones, as a result of they’re a unique class. So I had ‘Yellow Brandywine,’ and ‘Valencia’ as an heirloom sort and extra only a yellow orange slicer. In order that I may examine a brand new selection that I’d by no means seen earlier than if it isn’t as productive as these as early or later or additionally the flavour, which is very subjective.
And fortunately I used to be in a position to take part in a pair public occasions to do tomato tasting. So although I grew 55 varieties, as soon as I used to be into the harvest, among the clear winners started to emerge. So I went to an occasion known as Tomato Fest up in Portland, the place there have been about 800 individuals. They closed down a metropolis block and all of us had cubicles and there have been all form of actions and tattoos, like these short-term tattoos for teenagers and paintings about tomatoes.
So I had my favourite two-dozen varieties that I’d lower up and had with toothpicks for individuals to pattern, after which a scoring chart. So it was fascinating to see what individuals appreciated and it was fairly constant.
So a lot of those … So there’s look. If one thing could be very participating with look, I feel we’re going to wish to like the flavour of it extra. And so it’d be fascinating to repeat a few of this as a blind style take a look at, as a result of if one thing’s actually wonderful, striped, marblelized, all form of distinctive colours, we’re going to wish to like the way it tastes. In order that’s from my observations.
After which I did it at just a few farmer’s markets as properly. So from that, among the clear winners had been from my buddy and colleague who has her personal little seed operation, primarily specializing in tomatoes and peppers, known as Carmel Bella Farm. Her title is Lisa Troutner. And loads of these have actually distinctive names like ‘Gunmetal Grey’ or ‘Dragon’s Eye’ or ‘Lithium Sundown’ or ‘Insurgent Starfighter.’ So she’s performing some breeding.
These are usually not all varieties she’s bred. She carries some materials from Brad Gates, who he’s gotten loads of consideration for his ‘Brad’s Atomic Grape’ tomato, which is certainly one of my favorites as properly. However loads of the ‘Lithium Sundown’ was only a clear winner in our style take a look at. And that one, it’s form of like a reddish, orange, yellow, very distinct striped, not like faint stripes, however actually simply daring stripes and marbleized on the within.
And a little bit of that flattened pleated form that I’ve seen from heirloom varieties from the Oaxaca, Mexico, space. We now have a spread known as ‘Oaxacan Pink,’ and there’s just a few different ones, ‘Tlacolula Pink’ and ‘Tlacolula Gold.’
When you’ve grown sufficient varieties, you possibly can see like, “Oh, it is a selection from Japanese Europe,” or “This one’s from Mexico.”
Margaret: Oh, precisely. As a result of once more, genetics, proper? Folks, animals, if you already know crops, no matter, you possibly can see lineage, you possibly can see a lineage in them when you’re acquainted.
Don: Exactly. So I’ve loads of Japanese European descent, so I’ve sought out varieties from Hungary, Poland, Rome. And I’ve realized after rising sufficient of those who they don’t like squishy tomatoes. They like agency, as agency as a ‘Roma,’ however greater.
Margaret: I see.
Don: So these are simply preferences. It’s to not say one’s higher than the opposite, however I feel having a seed firm, there’s something to … We eat not only for our tongue, we additionally eat for our eyes and our nostril. So a few of these varieties which might be actually placing, these are intriguing to me. Clearly having a seed firm the place we’re utilizing the web site and that form of factor, it’s useful as a result of we now have one selection that we trialed known as ‘Uluru Ochre,’ which is a bizarre title, however that was actually excessive within the style take a look at. However when it comes to look, it wasn’t that placing. It was form of orange with some grey striping. So whereas ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Pink,’ simply the title alone, individuals are going to need it.
And it’s lovely and it does have a extremely good taste. So it’s fascinating. There’s the trifecta of look, the title, after which the flavour. And I feel solely later do individuals expertise gardeners ask, properly, how is its illness resistance, or how early is it? Or how vigorous is it?
Margaret: Proper. So talking of the type of cultural stuff, as a result of I don’t wish to run out of time, I wish to get some recommendation. You’ve grown loads of tomatoes, not simply final yr, however over time. Are you a six-week seedling or an eight-week seedling particular person? And do you bury them deep and do you pinch them, or prune them? Are you aware what I imply? Do you will have any? What are Don Tipping’s prime tomato suggestions? Do you will have recommendation that you just wish to inform individuals?
Don: I’ve slightly rule. I don’t begin tomatoes too early inside as a result of I feel they get stunted if you happen to develop enormous seedlings and also you’re ready for the climate to heat up.
Margaret: Sure, I agree.
Don: I feel this is applicable to all crops. They wish to sprout and develop at a gentle trajectory all through their lifecycle. You don’t wish to begin your tomatoes super-early in February after which should maintain them beneath lights or one thing as a result of it’s too nasty exterior to place them within the floor. So we often begin all of them on warmth mats, which helps as a result of they’re a heat-loving crop. So that basically improves your germination is to make use of backside warmth.
After which we’re transplanting them out within the discipline about 18 inches aside in a single row. We’re often trellising utilizing the Florida weave. We use loads of compost, integrated into the soil to verify they’ve what they want. In case you wrestle with blossom and decay, oftentimes that’s a calcium deficiency.
So utilizing some sort of mineral modification that offers you calcium will assist with that.
After which there’s an entire debate. Do you prune your tomatoes? Do you prepare them to a central chief? I simply suppose that will depend on how a lot house you will have. In case you’re restricted from house, then child them and provides them all the things they want for the optimum outcomes. However I are likely to have a extra Darwinian strategy. You simply want to have the ability to survive right here as a result of my finish aim is the seed. So I don’t essentially want massive, juicy tomatoes which might be babied with loads of water and stuff. However I do suppose they’re a heavy feeder. So like all the opposite summer season greens, you simply suppose in the event that they’re rising loads of foliage and fruit, the soil wants to have the ability to present up for them and the daylight. Don’t develop your tomatoes behind tall candy corn or sunflowers the place they’re going to not get all of the solar that they want.
Margaret: And do you plant them deep after we do transplant the seedlings as a result of they do have that potential to make roots off the primary stem?
Don: Yeah, we use these pots and so they’re about two and 1 / 4 inches sq., however actually tall. So generally it’s laborious to dig a gap that deep. So we really will plant the basis wad 90 levels as a result of the plant’s positive, after which mound soil up across the stem.
Margaret: I used to do this too, plant all of it sideways. Precisely.
Don: Yeah. The tops on just about all crops are heliotropic. They’re going to develop in direction of the sunshine. And so although they could look slightly unhappy once you first plant them-
And one other factor we now have to be careful for on this, I don’t know if it is a West Coast factor solely, is flea beetles love the solanaceous crops. We transplant after which unexpectedly it’s actually sizzling. The flea beetles will be actually damaging. So we’d even spray, it’s a liquid slurry of kaolin clay. And so then it’s form of a white clay. Sure, simply the flea beetles don’t like that. In order that’s one little trick we’ll do, or we’d do a foliar spray of fish emulsion and kelp simply to assist get them rising early. So these are a few our tips.
Margaret: Nice. Effectively, I’m so glad we talked about tomatoes, particularly once more because it was 1 diploma this morning after I awakened. And Don, I’m simply going to say you’re only a natural-born trainer, and there’s a lot good info. I’ll give hyperlinks and so forth in your web site and also you do on-farm coaching and every kind of different educating. And it’s simply, I at all times be taught from you and I’m so appreciative. And the Siskiyou choices are simply unbelievable so I’m excited to show individuals onto some extra of them. And it’s been enjoyable to speak to you once more. Thanks a lot for making time right now.
Don: Yeah, you’re welcome. Thanks.
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MY WEEKLY public-radio present, rated a “top-5 backyard podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper within the UK, started its sixteenth yr in March 2025. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station within the nation. Pay attention domestically within the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Japanese, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the Jan. 26, 2026 present utilizing the participant close to the highest of this transcript. You possibly can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).
