AMKuska
Garden Master
I'm trying "Mountain Princess" this year. 
I won't know how it does until the end of the season though, or how big!
I won't know how it does until the end of the season though, or how big!
Ideas for a large, short-season, juicing, red tomato?
- Thread starter HotPepperQueen
- Start date
journey11
Garden Master
Supersonic is right at 75 dtm. They're a hybrid. We grew them years ago and liked them.
catjac1975
Garden Master
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2010
- Messages
- 9,066
- Reaction score
- 9,358
- Points
- 397
- Location
- Mattapoisett, Massachusetts
Everyone complained about late ripening tomatoes last year. Mine were late but I had a ton of them.
- Thread starter
- #14
HotPepperQueen
Deeply Rooted
I usually don't leave my lights on 24/7. My grandmother always tells me that tomatoes get everything they need to grow during the day and then actually start the growing process at night. Probably just an old wive's tale but it seems to work!Like Lavender2, I had a horrible tomato season last year. But in the past, Big Beef and Celebrity have done well for me. Both are hybrids.
Someone on here was asking if they should leave their plant lights on 24/7 while growing tomato starts. I did last year, and blame some of my problems on that. Not sure if I have valid reasons for doing so...but I have to blame something. It surely couldn't have been "operator error."
Jared77
Garden Addicted
@HotPepperQueen what about Jet Star? That's what comes to mind for me. 72 days very heavy producer and supposed to be resistant to cracking.
It's pretty popular here in Michigan. I see a lot of those starts in the nurseries year after year people buy it faithfully and we're 5a/5b here. Hope this helps.
It's pretty popular here in Michigan. I see a lot of those starts in the nurseries year after year people buy it faithfully and we're 5a/5b here. Hope this helps.
journey11
Garden Master
Your grandma is right. The pores (stomata) in the leaf function to open during the day and close at night, due to photosynthesis and the exchange of CO2 and O2, called cellular respiration. If you're geeky like me and want to know more, here's a good article on it. And this cool animated image here.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #17
HotPepperQueen
Deeply Rooted
I have decided to try Bush Beefsteak, Jet Star, and Supersonic. I have grown Bush Beefsteak in the past and forgot that they actually did pretty well for me but I never fertilized them. I did pretty good last year fertilizing once a week so I will see how much of a difference that makes for them!
Jared77
Garden Addicted
Keep us posted!
AMKuska
Garden Master
Yes, please let me know how they do for you. I will let you know about "Mountain Princess". Between us we should be able to find a super nice short season tomato!
Kismet
Leafing Out
I've read this whole thread and another one. After all the much appreciated input, I have decided to try Parks's Whopper Improved Hybrid, Defiant Hybrid, and Mountain Merit Hybrid, plus a paste and cherry. Last year (besides groundhogs taking a bite out of each partially ripened tomato), I had severe late blight, so this year I am trying varieties that say they are bred for late blight resistance. I hope this summer is warmer and drier - last summer was so cold and wet, a terrible garden year.
