A Garden Surprise

The ‘Hallock’ tomatoes pictured above are favorite little cherry tomatoes that come with a story. I first purchased a plant from a woman who grows organic tomato varieties for a local nursery. She was selling them at a local garden club sale and told me about the tomato. The seeds were collected on a trip to England and she found it very adaptable to our coastal location.

I grew ‘Hallock’ in my summer garden and later it showed up in an area that was waiting for some shrubs to be planted. I suspect it moved to the front yard with some compost. Growing there, it sprawled about and because cherry tomatoes reappear in successive seasons, ‘Hallock’ showed up every year until about three years ago. The area is now planted and heavily mulched so I haven’t seen these little gems for several years.

What is so remarkable about ‘Hallock’ is that some years I’ve had it growing in near full shade and producing a crop of tomatoes in December.

A Google search confirmed my experience previously. There are no references to ‘Hallock’ tomato. I did note however that Hallock is a British surname. Maybe the name comes from the seed source in England.

This week I found this volunteer tomato growing where the ‘Hallock’ had performed so admirably in the shade for so many years.

I carefully lifted it from its shady home and transplanted it to my usual mix of compost and potting soil. I had some rainwater remaining in the water tank so gave it a special drink.

Here’s my plan. I’ll plant it in my cool season garden, in the winter sun and we’ll see what it will do. I hope to be enjoying ‘Hallock’ tomatoes again in December.

‘Hallock’ and other cherry tomatoes prepped for roasting.

Here’s what Specialty Produce has to say about yellow cherry tomatoes.
Yellow cherry tomatoes are slightly less acidic than red varieties, and therefore they are somewhat milder and sweeter in flavor. Yellow cherry tomatoes are tender-firm and thin-skinned with two seed cavities carrying tiny, edible seeds. The indeterminate tomato plants have strong vines that produce high yields of the small yellow fruit, about one inch in diameter, throughout the season. Read more for the history and botanical origins of the yellow cherry tomato.