Soil
Gardeners often say that if you take care of the soil, your plants will take good care of you. This is certainly the case with heirloom tomatoes. Making sure your soil is in good shape before you plant; you'll have fewer problems and better-tasting tomatoes.

• Amend with organic matter.
  Mike likes to use organic composts, peat moss and well-aged manure such as cow manure. Organic matter can be a big help in the South where the soil often has heavy clay content. The oak leaves that have fallen off your trees in the fall are a good way to start a compost pile. Add the organic matter in and around the planting holes.
  
  
• Watch the nutrient content.
  Avoid fertilizer with high nitrogen (N) content; too much nitrogen can result in plants with lots of dark green foliage and not very many tomatoes. Phosphorus (P) will give you strong roots, stems and fruit development. Rock phosphate is a good supplement to add to your soil for this. Potassium (K) is essential for disease resistance, flavor and development. Yellowing of the leaves and crinkled or rolled up leaves may show a deficiency. Manures and mineral fertilizers solve this issue.
  
  If you're not sure what your soil is like, contact your local county extension office to find out what amendments you may need. A soil test will help determine the right amendments to add, and avoid spending money on things you don't need.

Planting
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the date of your last frost or purchase plants near planting time. There are several good online sources for heirloom tomato seeds and plants (link to sidebar below), and more and more local nurseries are offering heirloom tomato plants for sale. Heirloom tomato growers also sell plants at local farmers markets early in the season.

• Timing is important.
  It is best to plant seedlings within two to three weeks after your local frost date. The best fruit set takes place when daytime temperatures are in the 80s and night time temperatures are above 55°. Pollination does not occur as well once temperatures reach the 90s. Some varieties do better in heat than others and usually the catalog seed description will note this fact.
  
  
• Give your plants plenty of space and light.
  Spacing plants two to three feet apart will yield more fruit and provide good airflow, which in turn will keep plants dry and foliar disease minimal. A minimum of ten hours of sun per day is best.
  
  
• Dig deep and plant deep.
  Dig a deep planting hole and amend with organic matter, a good organic brand of fertilizer for tomatoes, and soft rock phosphate. Bury the plant within a couple inches of the bottom set of leaves. New roots will develop from the buried stem. You may need to back-fill the planting hole to adjust the height.
  
  
• Water well.
  Give the tomatoes a good first watering when planted and then provide water consistently. If you provide too much or too little water at one time it will stress the plants. Too much water can cause heirloom tomatoes to split. Mike uses soaker hoses or drip irrigation to provide a slow watering about once every 7 to 10 days. Try not to get the foliage wet when watering. Feel around the plants for moisture levels and use your best judgment, keeping in mind weather forecasts and any recent rain amounts.

Pruning

• After your plants have grown two to three feet tall, pinch off the lower stems about a foot up the plants. These stems usually don't produce any fruit and pinching them off delivers energy and nutrients to developing blooms and fruit.
  
  
• Mulching helps plants retain moisture and keeps soil from splashing up on the leaves in a heavy rain. Dirty foliage can promote soil-borne fungus or foliar disease on the plant. Plastic mulch, straw or compost works well and does double duty by keeping weed growth under control.
  
  
• Provide good trellising support.
  Most heirloom tomato plants are indeterminate, which means they continue to grow and produce fruit as long as the growing conditions are good. As a result, supporting the plant with cages or some form of trellis will keep the plants off the ground and prevent branches heavy with ripening fruit from splitting off the main trunk.
  
  
• Don't wait too long to harvest.
  Harvest when the fruit begins to get some nice color to it. Again, heirlooms are somewhat fragile so beat your garden bugs and raccoons to the harvest and you will be rewarded. Once you have tasted a good heirloom tomato you will be converted and nothing else will compare!

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