Tomatoes

[seedcorn]

I told myself, just Better Boys and San Marzano. I'm thinking of something else. Too boring staying with 2 consistent, good tomatoes.

Anyone use Opalka? Or any other suggestions? Don't like black tomatoes-disease and no one would eat them.

 

[baymule]

I haven't yet found the Holy Grail of tomatoes. Last year, I planted Cherokee Purple and am planting it again this year. This year I have started Gypsy and Paul Robeson, all three of these purple, so automatically off your list. I have heard my husband talking about the Tommy Toe tomatoes his father used to grow and found seed this year and am pleased to grow these for him. I also have started the San Marzano after hearing how good it is here on TEG. I have started German Johnson and a yellow pear tomato.

After I made my orders and after I put seeds in their little cups and under the grow lights, THEN I read about Granny Cantrell tomatoes. Naturally, I want those now, but I don't have room. maybe next year......

Last year I grew Orange Icicle tomatoes from Baker Creek. They were very good, prolific and I froze some. Made chili from them.... over fritos with chopped onion, grated cheese ......now I want chili and am out of tomatoes I would grow those again.

 

[journey11]

Are you just looking for a sauce tomato particularly?

I'd say otherwise you need a big ol' juicy slicer to round things out. Something that will make a mean tomato sandwich or bring you lots of compliments at a summer picnic. A couple of my favorites are Delicious (big and red, also good for canning) or Hillbilly (red/yellow striper, just for pure eating pleasure) or Kellogg's Breakfast (huge, yellow and sweet).

 

[digitS']

Seedcorn, are you willing to adventure into the Yellow/Orange group this year? What about Pinks?

I can't really suggest a Paste - I have only grown them by accident. The plum tomatoes I go for are usually classed as "Saladettes." They have more sweetness and juice than Paste tomatoes.

Kellogg's Breakfast consistently gets high praise from gardeners. (Hey, Journey!) I wish I could grow these tasty orange tomatoes but they just ripen so late in the season that I've got like 10 days before I have to get the green ones in before they freeze.

So many people love their Pink Brandywines. I grew a Red Brandywine in 2013 but even the folks who first discovered it growing in their garden admit that it is a Brandywine crossed with a mysterious "something else." It is just a flavorful late red tomato called Brandywine OTV.

Something that I want to have again this year is Prudens Purple. It is a pink, not a purple, I promise. Pink - and some seed catalogs call it a "Brandywine type." Fine by me but it is a little earlier than how they rate the Brandywines and one of the best tomatoes I have ever grown!

Let me go back to the Yellow/Orange: Earl of Edgecombe is a real nice, solid orange beefsteak. I'd be happy to grow it, even with that highfalutin name. However, see above about too late in the season for my part of the world.

Now, what about the cherries?

Steve

 

[PhilaGardener]

My favorite cherry is Chocolate Cherry. It is a big grower (tops a 6 foot cage for me) but yields are great tasting and abundant. It also keeps bearing until frost (and picked fruit ripen after that - I enjoyed my last on Thanksgiving this year).

10/10/10 Valentine Special (today is Feb 14, after all): I'll send 10 open pollinated seeds of Chocolate Cherry to each of the first 10 folks who PM me in exchange for 10 seeds of your own favorite tomato. Just PM me your address with the subject "Chocolate Cherry"; to keep it simple, mine will be on the envelope you receive for the return. Grow on!

 

[Jared77]

What about green zebra? That's got a real good flavor & a very different direction from what your growing if you don't want a sweet alternative.

I'd look at yellows like Taxi, or Lemon Boy. Or could do something like Berkley Tie dye or Berkley pink tie dye ad a bicolor tomato. Trying to think outside the box here for you. I try every year to try something new in tomatoes. Just a couple to see what else is there without taking up a ton of space. WAAAAAY to many not to try something.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

I find many of the German Bicolors/yellow/orange varieties good. Kellog's Breakfast, Pineapple, Paw Paw, never tried a bad one! Many are also old and endangered varieties from our area, Seedcorn. Garden Peach is another good one that fits into the category.

I haven't tried many of the black varieties, Black Trifele is a great one it has a hard-to-describe kind of chocalate undertone flavor. It has a nice pear shape and dark black color inside, attractive tomato overall.

I've tried a few cherry tomatoes and they never fail to produce a good harvest.

I've been on an oxheart kick lately, mostly the orange or yellow types. Obtained this unidentified orange oxheart from a close neighbor, will post pictures and distribute seeds when I grow it out. (It needs a name, there are too many orange oxheart varieties out there to tell what the heck this is!)

Other than that I really don't have a "favorite" tomato. I'd say just look around and find something that sounds interesting to you. The Sandhill Preservation Center is a great place to start as they have a huge selection of cheaply priced tomato varieties to choose from.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Here's a website that has a lot of tomato varieties that aren't found anywhere else. They also have many other varieties.

jandlgardens.com

 

[Jared77]

I hear you on the oxheart kick I've been acquiring seeds from them too.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

I hear you on the oxheart kick I've been acquiring seeds from them too.

Nice looking little gems, aren't they? Sandhill has a green when ripe variety that I plan on trying but haven't yet.