Spring Plant Sale with Variety List

 

PLANT SALE LOCATION: 5311 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley, CA (behind Ivy's Porch)

We will have so much more than just tomatoes: peppers, eggplants, squash, greens, cucumbers, herbs, melons, corn, artichokes, etc. etc. (see chart below)

Spring plant sale: March 27, 2021 through June 27, 2021 (no appointment necessary. Crowding is handled by staggering people coming into the greenhouses, so expect to wait in line if you decide to come opening weekend).
Open hours: 10:00 - 5:00 (Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Address: 5311 Scotts Valley Dr., Scotts Valley, CA (do not simply ask Google to direct you to Love Apple Farms, as they will navigate you to our home address and not the plant sale).

Masks required of staff and visitors. PLEASE NO DOGS (our nursery dog is friendly to folks but not other dogs).

If you are wanting something in particular, please text us at 831-588-3801 to see if we have it in stock.

If you still need to pick up your pre-order, just come on into the nursery during our open times and days and we will do our best to honor your pre-order. No appointment is necessary. 

PRICES:
Tomatoes, Peppers & Eggplants in 3" pots $5.99 
Veggies in 3" pots $4.99
Herbs in 3" pots $5.99
Six-packs $7.99
Plus a full array of gardening supplies, soils, amendments and compost.

Consider a gardening class to sharpen your skills, or a gift certificate to give to someone special for plants, supplies, or workshops. 

Download our 2021 Variety List (aka "Yellow Sheet") here in a PDF format.

Download our 2021 Variety List (aka "Yellow Sheet") here in an Excel Spreadsheet format.

To see photos of the varieties below, try our favorite tomato database: World Tomato Society.

Tomato Varieties	Color	Shape, Size	DTM	All varieties are indeterminate (tall) unless noted otherwise. "C" means low-light tolerant or other type of tough growing conditions.
Ananas Noire	Bi-Color	Beefsteak, M/L	80	Gorgeous green, red, yellow bi-color. One of our favorites.
Beauty Lottringa	Red	Ruffled, M/L	85	Rare heirloom show-stopper. Deeply ribbed, ruby red beauty.
Berkeley Tie-Dye	Bi-Color	Beefsteak, M/L	80	Red, yellow and green stripes, with tri-color interior. Complex flavor.
Black Beauty	Bi-Color Black	Beefsteak, M/L	80	Starts out jet black, turns gorgeous purple/red. New for 2021
Black Cherry	Purple	Round, cherry	65	Our favorite black cherry. Delightful color, full flavored. “C”
Black Krim	Purple	Beefsteak, large	80	Fantastic, intense, slightly salty flavor. Very tasty!
Brad's Atomic Grape	Bi-Color	Grape, large	70	Starts dark purple, ripens to gold/purple stripes. New for 2021. "C"
Brandywine Sudduth's	Pink	Beefsteak, large	90	100-year-old variety, incredibly rich taste. Potato leaf.
Camp Joy Cherry	Red	Cherry, large	70	Heirloom large red cherry. Created by local farm. New for 2021
Carmello F1	Red	Beefsteak, M	75	Classic hybrid French slicer. Perfect sugar/acid balance. "C"
Caspian Pink	Pink	Beefsteak, large	85	Taste test winner. Customer favorite. Sweet flavor.
Celebrity F1	Red	Round, M/L	68	Very reliable determinate bush-type. Early and long-lasting. "C"
Chef's Choice F1	Orange	Beefsteak, M	75	Award winning hybrid with wonderful old-fashoined flavor.
Cherokee Purple	Purple	Beefsteak, large	85	Customer favorite. Sweet with a rich smoky taste.
Chocolate Cherry	Chocolate	Round, cherry	70	Bursting with flavor. Performs even in toughest conditions. "C"
Fruit Punch Cherry	Pink	Round, cherry	75	Super fruity & sweet. Crack-resistant thin skin. Prolific plant. "C"
German Red Strawberry	Red	Oxheart, large	80	Our favorite red oxheart. Robust, traditional flavor.
Gold Medal	Bi-Color	Beefsteak, large	80	Sweet and beautiful. Gold and red bi-color. Thin skin.
Gold Nugget	Yellow	Round, cherry	60	Determinate (short) heirloom cherry. Super early producer. "C"
Green Zebra	Striped	Round, small	70	Green with yellow stripes. Customer favorite. “C”
Hawaiian Pineapple	Bi-Color	Beefsteak, large	85	Sweet and luscious. Yellow, orange, and red blushes make it gorgeous.
Hippie Zebra	Striped	Beefsteak, medium	80	Excellent taste. Purple, green, and red striping.
Indigo Cherry Drops	Bi-Color	Round, cherry	70	Prettiest cherry around! Red/purple/yellow. Delicious! "C"
Indigo Zebra	Bi-Color	Round, S/M	80	Starts black, turns gorgeous striped bronze/gold/green/purple. New! "C"
Kentucky Beefsteak	Orange	Beefsteak, large	95	Large, golden orange beefsteak. Big, sweet flavors.
Lemon Boy F1	Yellow	Round, medium	75	High yielding hybrid with VFN disease resistance. Gorgeous color. "C"
Love Apple	Dark Red	Beefsteak, medium	85	Mahogany fruits, wonderful taste. Our signature variety.
Momotaro F1	Pink	Round, medium	70	Japanese hybrid with superb taste & perfectly sweet fruit. "C"
Mortgage Lifter	Pink/Red	Beefsteak, medium	82	Famous old heirloom. Prolific. Tasty. Meaty. Few seeds.
New Girl F1	Red	Beefsteak, medium	62	Hybrid with better flavor & disease resistance than Early Girl. "C"
Nova F1	Orange	Grape, cherry	60	Productive, fast-growing, hybrid snacking tomato. "C"
Orange Russian 117	Bi-Color	Oxheart, medium	80	Love this one: orange and red stripes. Fairest of them all!
Paul Robeson	Chocolate	Beefsteak, medium	80	Chef’s favorite. Complex flavors. Prize-winning tomato.
Ramapo F1	Red	Round, large	85	Hybrid by Rutgers that packs that old "Jersey tomato" flavor.
San Marzano	Red	Plum, medium	78	Gold standard of sauce tomatoes. Truly one of Italy's greatest treasures.
Sexy Beast	Pink	Oxheart, large	80	Love Apple's own cultivar. Beautiful pink heart-shaped and oh-so-sweet!
Sisters	Red	Beefsteak, M/L	80	Deep red fruits come in fast and furious. Great flavor too!
Stupice	Red	Round, small	52	Abundant, early. Customer favorite. Bush-type. "C"
Summer Love	Yellow/Pink	Beefsteak, M/L	80	Spontaneous cross in our 2015 garden. Gorgeous and delicious.
Sungold F1	Orange	Round, cherry	65	Hybrid. Sweetest cherry around. Extremely popular. “C”
Sweet Million F1	Red	Round, cherry	65	Disease resistant (FNT), wonderful flavor and yield. Hybrid. "C"
Tomatillo	Green	Round, small	70	Tomato relative. Great for salsa verde. Need 2 plants to pollinate. "C"
White Oxheart	Pale yellow	Oxheart, medium	75	Rare variety! Creamy fruit have excellent flavor with low acid. "C"
Yellow Pear	Yellow	Pear, cherry	70	Customer favorite. Prolific and cute. Great in salads. "C"
Pepper Varieties	Color	length/diameter	Flavor	Description
Anaheim	Green	6" L, 2" D	Medium	Classic hybrid stuffing pepper. Anyone up for some chilis relleños?
California Wonder Bell	Green/Red	4.5" L, 4" D	Sweet	Colorful, sweet, & tasty. Pick when green, or allow to ripen until red.
Carolina Reaper	Red	1" L, .5" D	Extreme	Guinness World Record holder for hottest pepper.
Espelette	Red	5" L, 1" D	Hot	From the Basque region. Dry & grind into powder. Fav of fine chefs.
Habanero	Orange	2.5" long	Very hot	Definitely a spicy one! Productive hybrid, very tasty for chile fans.
Jalapeno	Green	3.5-4" long	Hot	Good fresh or pickled. The classic nacho pepper! Hybrid.
Jimmy Nardello	Red	6-9" long	Sweet	Perfect, super sweet, frying pepper. Try it, you'll love it!
Orange Sun Bell	Orange	4-5" long	Sweet	Thick walls, very sweet, gorgeous color. Starts green; ripens to orange.
Padron	Green	1-1.5" long	Mild	Pick at 1” long for best flavor. Fry in olive oil & salt for a delicious snack.
Poblano	Brown	5" L, 2.5" D	Medium	Dark green matures to brown. Slight taper, blunt end. “Ancho” dried.
Purple Beauty Bell	Purple	3-4" long	Sweet	Unique color. Resistant to sunscald. Starts green; ripens to purple.
Serrano	Green/Red	1-2" L, .25" D	Very hot	Chili that’s great for salsas and sauces. Crisp, fresh flavor. Hybrid.
Shishito	Green	3.5-4" long	Very mild	Japanese type usually used green & fresh. Abundant harvests. Hybrid.
Eggplant Varieties	Color	Size	Shape	Description
Galine F1	Black	6" L, 3" D	Standard	Glossy, uniform fruit. Ripens earlier than most. Hybrid.
Little Fingers	Black	2" long	Elongated	Clusters of 3+ more. Harvest when at least the size of your pinky finger.
Orient Express F1	Black	9" L, 2" D	Elongated	Dark purple at lightest. Heat & cool weather resistant. Very early hybrid.
Other Veggies
Artichoke	Standard green globe
Arugula
Bean, Bush	Green Filet
Bean, Pole	Green Filet
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Corn
Cucumber, American Slicing
Cucumber, Armenian
Cucumber, Lemon
Cucumber, Persian
Cucumber, Pickling
Cucumber, Suyo Long
Gourd, Gremlins
Gourd, Speckled Swan
Kale, Toscano
Kale, Red Russiam
Lettuce, Mixed
Melon, Cantaloupe
Melon, Honeydew
Melon, Sugar Baby Watermelon
Mizuna, Mixed
Onions, Mixed (small bulbing)
Pac Choi, Mixed Red/Green
Pea, Sugar Snap
Pumpkin, Dill's Atlantic Giant
Pumpkin, Jack O' Lantern
Pumpkin, Marina di Chioggia
Pumpkin, Musquee de Provence
Pumpkin, Pie
Spinach
Squash, Acorn
Squash, Butternut
Squash, Delicata
Squash, Patty Pan
Squash, Spaghetti
Squash, Zucchini	Standard dark green
Squash, Zucchini Romanesco
Squash, Yellow Crookneck
Strawberry
Swiss Chard
Herbs
Basil, Genovese
Basil, Holy
Basil, Lemon
Basil, Red Rubin
Basil, Thai
Chives
Cilantro
Dill
Lavender, English
Lemongrass
Peppermint
Oregano
Parsley, Italian
Rosemary
Sage, Culinary
Tarragon, French
Thyme, French
Flowers
Marigold
Nasturtium
Sunflower
Sweet Pea

 

 

 

Comments

[Linda]

I would like to know if you sell and ship your tomato plants?
Also, have you considered doing your classes on line or webcam for those of us that live in other parts of the country? I'd love to take some of them but I live in Va. I'm sure there are a lot of others that feel the same way.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Linda

[Rose]

Please say that the White Oxheart will be back this year! It was one of the stars of our 2014 garden. In our garden in Emeryville, it produced until the end of November.

[Bonnie]

What are the best varieties to grow in pots?

[Cynthia Sandberg]

Hi Laurie. No, it's not possible to grow them inside an apartment or a house. So sorry!

[Laurie]

Hi I'm interested in having a tomato plant, but as an apartment renter I don't have my own space outside. Is it possible to grow potted tomatoes indoors?

[Marilyn Fleming]

Dear Cynthia.
Just wanted to tell you how nice it was to really meet you last Sunday at the SF Flower Show and to thank you for 'hooking me up' with some suppliers. Altho the GeoPot people were out of the 20 gal. containers, Amanda assured me she would take my order by phone. I called them on Tues., got the order on Wed. Nice to know you can order by phone or online and don't have to find a local supplier wherever one lives. Since I'm in Alameda, your resources don't always work for me. Then I talked to the Gardner & Bloom people and they dropped of bag of Blue Ribbon Blend at my local nursery that doesn't normally sell that particular product.

I have so many tomatoes from your seedling class - an ABUNDANCE. Last year I grew 5 in my limited space, small yard. This year I'm aiming for 10 using the GeoPots to add more plants. I guess this year is going to be the Year of the Tomato in my garden.

I'd just like to add one item for your readers. . .I gardened with my kids as they were growing up and am now doing so with my grandkids who fortunately live locally. It's something we can do together. This is my contribution to their 'education'. It is SO enriching. I would just encourage anyone with a child available to get them out there. Do whatever is age appropriate, let them set the pace, and do it enthusiasm and reverence.

A small anecdote. . .when my grandson was 3 or 4 (he's now 7), he was invited over for a half day, it was tomato planting time and I made the mistake of telling him we needed to dig a hole 2 ft. deep but whatever he could dig would be great. I figured that was a lot of digging for a little guy. I told him about five times he could stop whenever he got tired, but we measured and he dug, measured and dug, etc. and the little guy made my 2 ft. hole for me. So you just never know what will take their fancy.

I could go on and on with rewarding experiences in the garden with my kids and grands, it's part of our history together.

I love getting your newsletter and really appreciate your thoughtful instructions and updates. Take care & have a busy, fun growing season.

Marilyn Fleming

[Love Apple Farms]

Hi Anjil. The grafted tomatoes for 2013 sale will be $6.99 each. I know, I know...PRICEY! But there is a LOT of work on our part associated with a grafted plant. So we can't let them go for the price of a cup of coffee at Starbucks. I also just saw grafted toms up at SF Flower show going for $8 each.

[Anjil]

"Legend" is an awesome tomato !! Glad you are going to offer it. Have you guys ever tried "Carol Chyko" ? Another great one. See you at the sale, end of March. How much will the grafted ones sell for ?

[Trent]

Count me in. I'm not a farmer (well cofrnimed by my depressing little veggie patch) but I've read So Shall We Reap' and I'm on a sharp learning curve. I want a future where my son can afford to feed his family good, healthy, clean food, sustainably/humanely produced, so I'd be very pleased to join you in this campaign.

[Rusty Willingham]

To whomever might read this I just want to say how much I enjoy my tomatoes from the plants I purchased from you guys last spring. One of my plants was unbelievable. It was a green zebra that was grafted. I had never heard of a "grafted" tomatoe plant. I have now! It grew to be 12 feet by 12 feet across and produced more than two hundred tomatoes! I'm not exagerating. I also didn't fertilize my garden this year. I keep it organic. I live on the eastside of santa cruz and have a small garden, about 700 sq. ft. I hope you have many more grafted tomato plants this year. I also had about ten other heirloom and other tomato plants from your farm and they did good also. FYI. One of my volunteer sunflowers grew a head 24 inches across.I look forward to your tomato sale in march.

Thankyou guys for your hardwork and nice farm.

[Love Apple FArm]

Hi Lynda. What you probably had last year was Late Blight. I put out a newsletter blast about it and tutored folks on how to combat it so as not to lose their tomato patches. That's a good reason to sign up for our email newsletter! I'll add you to it!

[lynda haller]

I always have at least 20 tomatoe plants, heirloom, each year for baking. Last year all went well, the tomatoes set and when they started to ripen all my vines turned brown, wilted and died. What can I do to not have this happen again We live in Corralitos.

[Love Apple FArm]

Hi Anton. You can add some bone meal and dry organic fertilizer to the top of the soil and try to dig it into the pot. You can also add soil on top of those amendments, to top off the pot. I would also water every week, without fail, with worm casting tea.

[Anton]

I planted my tomatoes in pots before reading your article on container tomatoes. What fertilizer or amendments can I add to the surface of the soil to help my tomatoes?

[Love Apple Farms]

Hi Vicky. We use Gardner & Bloom's Organic Tomato, Vegetable and Herb fertilizer in addition to our biodynamic compost and worm castings. We also throw some bone meal, eggshells and a fish head in our tomato planting holes.

[Vicky Matisi]

What does Love Apple use as Tomatoe Fertilizer and do yo have this posted on your website for us to read?

[Love Apple Farms]

Michael: There are lots of reasons for tomato leaves curling: too much nitrogen, varietal predilection, bright sunlight after extended period of low light or overcast days, or a virus of some sort. If you can rule out all the other possibilities, you may want to send a plant sample in for diagnosis to a reputable lab, like Plant Disease Diagnosis in Walnut Creek. But if your plants are otherwise doing well, you may want to ignore it.

[Michael]

So my wife and I picked up both an OSU Purple (which she won by way of a guessing game with the young gent running the stand that day) and a Great White.

Both are happily potted (~15-20Gal) basking in the sun on a deck in Burlingame getting approximately ≥10 hrs of sun daily... The OSU is starting some small fruit and the Great White is thinking hard.

Question:
Why would either of these plants have curly leaves? They are certainly getting enough water and I've pretty much run by the book you've prescribed sans fish head. ;-)

Thoughts?

[Hillary Schalit]

I would LOVE to give my husband this week's contest prize, Tomato Goodness, because I am SO proud of all he has learned and done in our garden these past few years. He has built 7 raised beds out of recycled lumber and is trying to convince me to let him take over the rest of the lawn. We weren't very successful with our tomatoes last year but we bought 8 more seedlings from you a few weeks ago and intend to try again. I know he'd love to have 8 more! And, his birthday is coming up (5/25)!!

[Anita]

My current fav color is chocolate-purple! Love your website and newsletter :)

[Susie]

My favorite tomato color is deep, brilliant red.

[Love Apple Farm]

Hi Asinsigalli: I'm going to suggest for top of the summit (higher elevations): Elfie, Siletz, Jetsetter, Jet Star, Marmande, Black Ethiopian, Juane Flamme, Matina, and Taxi. Those are all available at our tomato plant sale at 46 El Pueblo Road in Scotts Valley. Come on over!

[tanya]

My favorite tomato color is orange! Tobolsk was one of my best-tasting and most productive tomatoes last year. Every time I went to the garden and saw new ones coloring up, I was thrilled.

Hmm, but Tobolsk tied with Purple Brandy last year for taste and productivity, so I also love purple/black tomatoes.

But my favorite tomato color to let other people taste is green. Green is the only color I let vine-ripen, because the critters usually don't taste it. It's fun to hand someone a piece of Aunt Ruby's German Green, warm from the garden, and watch the surprise on their face as they eat it.

[Asinsigalli]

I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains (off of Summit). Any suggestions for when and what type of tomato I should plant? I have battled goats, frost and gophers the last three years. I think that I finally have all of them under control. Help if you can. Thank you!

[Kerry]

Went to tomato sale yesterday & brought 3 friends. So impressed with how well organized & easy it was to "find" these tomato treasures :) Thanks for so much for offering this. Came home and told 2 others they HAD to go!
My chickens are laying away again, and seem happier in this warming weather.
Hope to take a class this summer/fall at your new location....Looks great!