‘Abraham Lincoln’ Tomatoes

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Rather than oblate (a flattened sphere) in shape like common beefsteak tomatoes, ‘Abraham Lincoln’ is round, solid and firm, which is why it’s such a good slicer. And unlike some heirlooms, ‘Abe Lincoln’ can tolerate rainy weather without splitting. In my garden, where I have a problem with tiny ants, splitting is an important issue because as soon as cracks develop on any of my tomatoes, the ants appear and the invaded fruit is quickly ruined. Last year, ‘Abe Lincoln’ won the war against the ants, so I didn’t have to resort to any remedial treatments (a real plus for organic gardeners).

Growing ‘Abraham Lincoln’ from seed is quite easy. Just start the seeds in potting soil in mid- to late February. If you start your tomatoes too soon in the winter, the plants will become tall and leggy before they are ready to transplant outside, which will only set them back. If you don’t have a greenhouse, a sunny windowsill will do. Once the seed has germinated and plants are forming their second or third leaves, separate the seedlings and plant in individual pots or in trays.

After the threat of frost has passed and the ground is warm, transplant the tomatoes to the garden. If you want to save seeds, be sure your tomato plants are at least 25 to 30 feet away from any others, or you may get crossing. Plant them 8 to 12 inches apart and allow plenty of room for caging or stakes.

‘Abraham Lincoln’ produces an abundance of fruit, so it requires a lot of support. If you let it run over the ground you are more likely to have damaged fruit from slugs, insects and a whole list of critters that like tomatoes as much as we do. I use square tomato cages and plant one vine inside each corner. As the plants grow, I tie them to the cage with twist ties or string so they don’t sag or slide down from the weight of the fruit.

I also prune my plants so there are no leaves for at least 10 inches above the ground. This discourages insects from climbing up the plants and allows air to circulate through the vines. (Circulating air discourages mildews, leaf blights and fungal problems that can develop quickly on tomatoes during humid weather.)

As I mentioned earlier, if you want large fruit, pick the smaller ones in each cluster. Those little green tomatoes are wonderful for pickling and in chutneys and jams, so don’t waste them. You can tell when the ripe fruit is ready to pick by the dark red color and the soft feel of the fruit. The more you pick, the more ‘Abe Lincoln’ produces. No matter what your seed packets may claim, the appearance of mature fruit depends a lot on the weather: Cool evenings and excessive rain will hold them back, and severe drought conditions can cause the flowers to drop so there may not be any fruit at all. I would just take maturing times as averages, keeping in mind that tomatoes are heavy feeders, so good, rich soil will correct many deficiencies.

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