In this Episode Craig LeHoullier shares his lifelong journey from childhood gardening memories to becoming a renowned heirloom tomato grower, seed saver, and plant breeder. He explains the differences between heirloom, open-pollinated, and hybrid tomatoes and why preserving tomato genetics matters for future gardeners. Craig discusses the Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project, the story behind Cherokee Purple, growing tomatoes in containers and straw bales, and the importance of learning directly from your plants. He encourages gardeners to get their hands dirty, experiment, save seeds, and enjoy gardening as a lifelong journey.
Our Guest: Craig is a North Carolina-based gardener, author, and plant breeder known for his deep expertise in heirloom tomatoes. With a PhD in chemistry from Dartmouth and a 25-year career in pharmaceuticals, he later shifted full-time into gardening and seed saving. Craig is a longtime advisor to Seed Savers Exchange, and is credited with helping popularize varieties like Cherokee Purple tomatoes. He co-leads the Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project and authored Epic Tomatoes, a widely respected guide for home growers.
Key Topics & Entities
- Craig LeHoullier and his 40-year gardening journey
- Heirloom, hybrid, and open-pollinated tomatoes
- Seed Savers Exchange
- Tomato seed saving and preservation
- The Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project
- Cherokee Purple tomato
- Tomato breeding and genetics
- Epic Tomatoes
- Straw bale gardening
- Container tomato growing
- Victory Seed Company
- Gardening misinformation and experimentation
- Food systems and food deserts
- Gardening as community building
Key Questions Answered
What makes a tomato an heirloom?
Craig defines an heirloom as a genetically stable variety that can be passed down through saved seed, with age and a meaningful history or story associated with it.
What is the difference between heirloom and open-pollinated tomatoes?
All heirlooms are open-pollinated, but not every open-pollinated tomato is an heirloom. Craig uses 1949, when Burpee's Big Boy was introduced, as a useful guidepost for distinguishing older heirlooms from newer open-pollinated varieties.
Why are hybrid tomatoes valuable?
Hybrids can combine desirable traits such as disease resistance, heat tolerance, growth habits, and productivity. Craig emphasizes that there are excellent hybrids, heirlooms, and open-pollinated varieties.
How did the Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project begin?
Craig and Patrina began crossing large, flavorful heirlooms with dwarf tomato varieties to create tomatoes that could be grown in smaller spaces while retaining excellent flavor and interesting characteristics.
Why is Cherokee Purple important to Craig?
Craig received seeds in 1990 from J.D. Green, who told him they came through a Cherokee family history in Tennessee. Craig grew the tomato, named it Cherokee Purple, and helped distribute it so the variety and its story could continue.
What makes a tomato variety worth preserving?
Beyond flavor and popularity, a variety may contain genetic traits that could become important for future challenges such as heat, drought, water scarcity, or emerging diseases.
What is one of the biggest mistakes gardeners make with tomatoes?
Craig says gardeners need to pay attention to their plants. Daily observation can reveal early signs of disease, nutritional problems, water stress, and other issues before they become serious.
What is the key to successful straw bale gardening?
A straw bale is conditioned with nitrogen, water, and fertilizer for roughly two weeks before planting. The bale heats up as it decomposes and provides a productive growing medium that eventually becomes useful organic matter.
What tomatoes work well in small spaces?
Craig recommends Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, dwarf tomatoes, and micro-dwarf varieties for containers and limited growing spaces. Cherry tomatoes can also perform well with less sunlight than many larger varieties.
What is Craig's advice for beginning tomato growers?
Get your hands dirty, start with good seedlings or learn to start your own seeds, and let the plants teach you. Gardening is an education and a journey rather than a rigid set of instructions.
Episode Highlights
- Craig traces his love of gardening to childhood memories of working with his father and grandfather and describes how joining Seed Savers Exchange in 1986 sparked his passion for heirloom tomatoes.
- He explains how heirloom tomatoes preserve genetics, history, and stories—and why today's newer open-pollinated varieties may become tomorrow's heirlooms.
- Craig describes the Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project, which ultimately produced about 170 new varieties through collaboration among roughly 1,000 gardeners.
- He explains why preserving even ordinary tomato varieties can matter, since hidden genetic traits may provide future solutions for heat, drought, water shortages, and disease.
- Craig tells the remarkable story of how he received the tomato that became Cherokee Purple and how a chain of seed sharing kept the variety from disappearing.
- He explains why gardeners should observe their tomato plants every day and adjust their methods based on growing conditions rather than blindly following a fixed schedule.
- Craig describes straw bale gardening, including conditioning the bales, managing water and nutrients, and eventually reusing the spent straw as valuable growing material.
- He closes with a simple philosophy: get your hands dirty, grow something, turn off the distractions, and let gardening change your life.
Resources
- Craig LeHoullier's Website — craiglehoullier.com
- Instagram — @nctomatoman
- Email Craig — nctomatoman@gmail.com
- Epic Tomatoes — Epic Tomatoes: How to Select and Grow the Best Varieties of All Time
- Victory Seed Company — victoryseeds.com
- Joe Gardener Organic Gardening School — Self-paced courses covering seed starting, organic vegetable gardening, and tomato growing.
- Seed Savers Exchange — Craig's longtime seed-saving community and an important part of his journey.
Visit www.urbanfarm.org/EpicTomatoes for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library!
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