On May 8, students in Ralph Keyes’ science classes transplanted over 400 heirloom tomatoes they had grown from seed into four-inch pots. As a result of their careful handling of the delicate seedlings, 16 different varieties of heirlooms will be available for sale at the Morris Farm Plant Sale on May 31.

The students learned about heirloom tomatoes, naturally pollinated tomatoes whose seeds have often been handed down for many generations. Some varieties planted are over 100 years old. Students studied the germination rates for the seeds they had planted three weeks before and cared for in the school’s greenhouse. The array of plants includes slicing, paste and cherry tomatoes that are red, yellow, orange, purple, green and a deep red that is called black.

The plant sale will be held on Saturday, May 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Morris Farm, 156 Gardiner Road (Route 27) in Wiscasset. In addition to the heirloom tomatoes, the sale will include hardy Maine-grown perennials from local gardens, vegetable seedlings, herbs, edible flowers, and the new BYOB (bring your own bucket) manure offering. All sales benefit the Morris Farm education programs.

The Morris Farm is a nonprofit educational farm, open to the public seven days a week from sunrise to sunset. It is home to the Margaret Ellis Community Gardens, the Wiscasset Primary School Garden, and a University of Maine Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Demonstration Garden. For more information about the Morris Farm and the sale, please visit www.morrisfarm.org, email info@morrisfarm.org or call 207-882-4080.