Ice Grow is a Canadian heirloom from the beautiful city of Montréal. In the 1950s and 1960s, you could find Ice Grow for sale at the grand Marché Bonsecours (pictured c. 1964) in Old Montréal.
Ice Grow traces its history to market gardener Guy Bourgeois from Ste-Dorothée, Laval – he originally saved seeds from plants that had survived a hailstorm — hence the name — and over the years continued to select for a hardy variety. He sold the tomatoes at his market stall at the Bonsecours Market in Old Montréal.
Guy’s daughter – Suzanne Bourgeois – shared seeds with legendary Quebec seed saver Antoine D’Avignon who shared seeds with another legendary seed saver René Paquet – who shared seeds with us via the ‘Seeds of Diversity Canada’ Seed Exchange.
Ice Grow is a great tasting tomato with “old fashioned” sweet and tangy taste. It would have to be a great tasting tomato to stand out amongst all of the other market sellers! The tomatoes are deep red in colour and medium in size. They are mostly round in shape, with shallow ridges on top. The plants are about 4 ft.
True to its name this is a hardy and productive tomato for short season gardens.
How to Plant: Start seeds indoors 6 weeks before the last frost. Plant seed 5mm (¼ inch) deep. Transplant after the danger of frost has passed/later spring.
