The best tomatoes to grow where you live........

[ninnymary]

Vfem - You gave me alot of tomatoe suggestions from Mother Earth News. You talked so highly about the magazine that I went ahead and ordered it!

Thanks,
Mary

 

[ducks4you]

As vfem said, you can use a lot of different things for mulch. I spread a couple of layers of newspaper on the ground and then use grass clippings, old wood chips, straw, whatever is handy, to hold it in place. I avoid cardboard and that shiny glossy newspaper next to the plants since it can cause the water to run off instead of soak through, especially if it dries out, but I will use that in between the rows where I walk.

I NEVER would have known about compacting earth if I hadn't been on this forum. I so GLAD to hear that you're doing this. My plans are the same. I'm doing all of the garden prep NOW, because my summer schedule is full, and I don't want to have to baby my vegetables. Thanks ALL for sharing!

 

[digitS']

Do we get to vote?? Huh, huh?

Just on the ones listed for my area: I don't think I'd even try a few of those Slicers and Really Big Ones. I really stay away from tomatoes that take 80+ days to ripen.

I'm pleased to see that Gardeners Delight got an honorable mention amongst the Cherries but I bet it's not everyone's delight, gardener or not.

In my arid part of the world, Yellow Pear can't make it to ripening without splitting. And, I've got 4 seasons of trying to grow the darn thing to prove it!

DW called Stupice my "stupid" tomato. That variety has a nice flavor for such an early one but they had about 100% misshapen fruits.

Juliet might have been the most productive tomato I've ever grown . . . once. I'm tolerant of a tomato that doesn't have a pronounced flavor but Juliet just pushed that tolerance a little too far.

Yay! For Sweet 100 and Sungold!!

I'll match my Big Beefs against my neighbor's Better Boys but I know that they are a good Slicer. I've already said somewhere that Early Girl is good insurance . . . maybe everywhere.

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

I have HEARD that if your tomatoes cross-pollinate and your save and replant the results, after several seasons eventually you will get a tomato that is native to your region, township, and even JUST your backyard plot. Is this a myth? Has anybody else heard of this? I think it would be great!

 

[wifezilla]

Yay! For Sweet 100 and Sungold!!

I had a sweet 100 vine last year. Those little tomatoes sure pack a lot of flavor! I didn't get many though. Hubby found the plant just as they were ripening!

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I have HEARD that if your tomatoes cross-pollinate and your save and replant the results, after several seasons eventually you will get a tomato that is native to your region, township, and even JUST your backyard plot. Is this a myth? Has anybody else heard of this? I think it would be great!

This is a really good question. I am planning to save seeds this year for the first time. I plant my tomatoes in group of 4 to 6 but I have 9 plants in a row with 4 rows. So my group of rutgers might be beside a group mountain princess or amish paste. Will this mess up my seeds or does that make them better?

 

[digitS']

I have seen other gardeners write about accidental tomato cross-pollination a lot of times. And yet, the University of Florida horticulturalists say quite clearly, "Tomatoes are self-pollinated; pollen from a flower pollinates the same flower."

University of Minnesota horticulturalists also say, "These plants have flowers that are self-pollinating . . ." in their manual on seed-saving.

Gardeners have said that the potato-leafed varieties are more prone to crossing .

My tomato patch is a hodge-podge of varieties. I save seed from all those that are not hybrids. My grandmother's tomato has been out there for the last 20 years. As far as I can tell, it hasn't changed one bit in all that time. The plants are recognizable very early and the fruit is the same as I remember it from the get-go.

As far as developing a variety that is highly-suitable for your garden: I think that what you want to do is "selective breeding" and that's just choosing seeds from the plants that you like the best.

If one is especially healthy, and the fruit is beyond compare - grab that seed row!

Steve

 

[my3boysmom]

Tomatoes definitely grow better with mulch! I mulched part of mine with some rotten hay and you could see the difference. Also if you save your tomato seed, you need to pick your best fruit and let it ferment to remove the growth inhibitors. Mash up the whole tomato in a jar and put in a warm place 2 to 4 days until it starts to ferment and rot. The top will mold and the seeds will sink to the bottom. Wash the seeds off and spread out to dry.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Truly I've had mixed results from seed saving and over the past few years have moved into a more sterile process for doing so to ensure no cross pollination.

However, it is very possible to selectively breed characteristics into or out of tomatoes. There are many resources out there about breeding and many ways and opinions to do so.

Like Steve said, if you find something that works for you keep it.

 

[lupinfarm]

Last year I just picked up Toms at Canadian Tire because I couldn't get any toms to sprout annoyingly, since it was always too dark in my windows. I got a random assortment of Beefsteaks, and Roma tomatoes and we had way too many tomatoes! Yikes!