Tomato Tuesday 2017

I was sure we had this, but I couldn't find it anywhere so I started a new one.  Here is my entry (even though it isn't Tuesday).

Do I get a prize or something? A trip to Hawaii, maybe?

Sorry, just reminded me of a couple of my Big Boys

Thanks, CN! I thought we already had this thread, too, and also couldn't find it when I looked. Thanks for aligning our imaginations with reality by creating it.

countrynaturals wrote:I was sure we had this, but I couldn't find it anywhere so I started a new one.  Here is my entry (even though it isn't Tuesday).

Do I get a prize or something? A trip to Hawaii, maybe?

LOL
You SHOULD get a prize. is there a prize for full grown tomatoes that have been green for the longest time? I've been waiting for some of mine to blush up since May.
:/

45 days post transplant!  My pride and joy!


Do I win?  What's my prize?  

brianj555 wrote:45 days post transplant!  My pride and joy!


Do I win?  What's my prize?  

I concede. You win a free membership to this fine forum.

Getting Bigger! Has a visitor too!

You guys will definitely win....a TOMATO!!!!!  OH YEAH, there is a tomato in your future...and it will be enjoyable.... 

Yes!  It's such a good feeling to see fruit.  It seemed like the plants would never flower.  Then it seemed like they would never fruit.  Now I have like 10 tomatoes showing and many more look as if they will be showing any day now.  I have 12 plants, all of which are determinate, so If things keep progressing like they are now, I should have plenty.  I only hope we don't have a hurricane or tropical storm.  (I live about 5 miles north of the gulf.)

This is a review of the 23 types of tomatoes I grew this year, whether I plan to grow them again next year, and short description/critique. For climate/condition/season perspective: I'm in 5b/6a in central Pennsylvania. For most of these I started seeds indoors mid-March, transplanted to larger pots twice, hardened off, and transplanted out mid-June (i.e. late, life happened; last frost is late April to mid May.) First half of the season was great, then there was too much rain/humidity and some unseasonably cool evenings below 50*F, including a 38*F low and a 35*F low ... and disease - I think leaf spot septoria, but I'm not sure.

Purple Cherokee – YES. splitting/catfacing issues, and needs more support than I provided due to the huge fruits – but the rich flavor makes them well worth it! Fruits are brownish purple – are/should the shoulders sometimes still green even on ripe fruit, like Black Krim?

Brandywine – Eh, probably not.  Mine has hue slightly flattened light pink-fruit, and potato-leaves. Nice flavor and texture, but not mind-blowing. I think I'll try Pruden's Purple next year instead.

Sweetie cherry – YES. still my favorite cherry tomato. Sweet, and tomatoey with a good texture. Generally early, some issues with cracking. Gets diseases but keeps going. (Chadwick Cherry was even more resistant, but not as flavorful.) Round, red cherry tomato, smaller than average.

Candy Sweet Icicle – Yes. Pointed fruit with beautiful stripes, but prone to cracking – bad weather for that this year.  Nice flavor – sweet, complex.

Bellestar (determinate) – NO. rapidly succumbed to disease.

Green Zebra. Yup. favorite of mine, though I see why it is too acidic for some. Small to Medium, and sometimes large golden-green, round fruits, with darker green stripes.

Black Vernissage – No! This plant has been very prolific and the tomatoes have not been splitting, but the first fruits were horrible: bland and mushy. A lot of them rotted on the vine. Later ones were better, but still not ‘good.’ I researched and it sounds like my cool, wet weather is likely responsible for the poor flavor and texture. People growing these in a warmer, less swampy environment will likely get to enjoy the tasty tomatoes other reviews indicate these plants are capable of.  They are very pretty – small, red with darker almost metallic stripes.

Black Krim – Yes. Another favorite of mine. It didn’t do well this year, I’ll have to wait until next year to do a side-by-side comparison with Purple Cherokee.

Black Opal Cherry. Definitely. Tastes like I recall Black Krim tasting like, but in cherry tomato form, and a little sweeter. The texture is a little mushy when they are overripe, but tolerable. Some splitting, but most of the tomatoes have this year. Purple, browner on the shoulders, round, cherry tomato.

New Yorker (Determinate). No. The flavor and texture were excellent (tomatoey and meaty and a little sweet), but the BER problem was extreme and didn’t resolve. In agreement with what I’ve read, treatment with eggshells and epsom did not prevent BER; the wacky weather is likely responsible. Oddly, the web reports this variety as being highly resistant to BER – but it was affected the worst of all the varieties I grew (and this includes previous years.) Puzzling.  Vivid red, roundish with ribbing.

42 Days (Determinate). YES. On the small side, but early, productive, and flavorful. The fruits were sweeter when it was warmer, but most of the tomatoes were ripe then. I just have stragglers now. Red, round, small.

Isis Candy Cherry. Probably not. They haven’t been sweet! Sweetie was sweeter and more flavor. Again, this might well be the weather/growing conditions – and, honestly, this tomato got the worst growing spot. But right now I’d rather grow a tomato that is still ok to good during bad years than one that is horrible some years and amazing others.  Small, red-orange.

Black Dragon. Yes. Not as productive as I’d hoped, but they got transplanted late. The flavor has been excellent, rich and sweet. Minor issues with BER.  Plum-tomato shaped, brownish red, with darker shoulders.

Yellow Plum. Nope. Nice balanced but mild flavor. I do want to grow a yellow tomato next year... but not this one. Brown spots (disease from constant wet weather) on the fruits are unsightly. Prolific. Yellow, small, plum-tomato.

Jaune Flamme – Yes! This was an adoption rather than something I specifically picked out. It’s acidic, but flavorful, and tastes like it would make an excellent tomato sauce. Round, medium, orange fruits. Mine have been splitting when I pick them which makes them poor 'keepers'.

Primary Color Angora. Naw. Really fascinating plant – very fuzzy, and the tomatoes were a little fuzzy, too. Green with blue spot/stripes, ripening to an odd ... bluish orange*, medium size, slightly flattened. Initial fruit was like one of those disappointing nectarines that is ripe, but not sweet. A little acidic, but not very flavorful. *I know, this doesn't make sense, I'll have to photograph it.

Red Oxheart – Sort of – I think I’ll skip this coming year but come back to this one. Mild to moderately tomatoey, meaty, a little sweet, a little acidic. Red, and ‘oxheart-shaped.’

Blue Gold – No, but maybe at some point further in the future. Mild, fruit, slightly sweet. Pretty medium sized, slightly flattened fruit that start blue and ripen to yellow, sometimes still with dark shoulders when ripe, sometimes with light speckles on the dark.
 
Peach Blow Sutton. No. Lightly fuzzy, peach-colored fruits. First one was mild, a little more acidic than sweet. (Suz – these don’t taste like peaches.)

Pineapple – Don’t think so, especially since I don’t have seeds - this was also an adoptee. The unripe fruits are nice and big, but it’s a late variety so I still don’t have a ripe fruit to taste test. 

Valencia. No, but maybe again some other year. Lightly sweet, tastes like a tomato. Nice texture for slicing. Large orange fruits.

Nepal – I don’t know. I grew this based on a recommendation that it was an early that would keep going well into the fall (not frost tolerant or anything like that, but would still set fruit at lower temperatures.) It wasn’t early; not sure if I’ve had one yet.  Medium to large round red fruits.

Pink Stuffer. No – none ripe yet. Grew them more for mechanics (i.e. stuffing) than flavor. Even though I planted late I thought I’d have one by now...

I'll add my review of the varieties I grew this year. The summer was unusually dry and scorching, often bumping 110*F. The goals for this summer were to have enough for canning and making tomato sauce, and to have some slicers. Well, slicing didn't really turn out good but I do have 5+ gallons of prepped frozen tomatoes. I planted 9 plants, 27" apart down the amended dirt strip and they did well there. I alternated Det -Indet - Det - Ind etc. The Det. covered the Indeterminates so next year I will just plant the tall ones consecutively and have bushies at both ends. Ten (10) went into the boxes and 5 into 5-gallon buckets.

Sun Gold - Prolific, hearty and tasty. They are cherry so they are just a supplement for the frozen tomatoes awaiting my attention for canning. Great snacking. A+

Black Vernissage - Early producer of small (larger than cherry) tomatoes. Best picked the first day they color-up and are slightly tender, otherwise they get mushy. The interior color is vibrant and should add good color to the canning and sauce. A-

Snow Fairy - Compact bush with 2" red tomatoes. Just so darn cute and produces well for its size.

Better Boy, Big Boy and Delicious Beefsteak - These were new to the garden this year. Each produced a few fruit but hibernated during the heat! I'll try them again next year.

Mortgage Lifter - New this year and I will grow again next year.

Amish Paste, Roma and San Marzano - each produced a few. Of course I will keep trying to grow these.

Rutgers - produced a few and I will try again next year.

Super Sweet 100 - Tiny and not worth the effort when Sun Gold is around.

I have about 40 Tomatoes of various sizes on the vine now.  Many many blooms.  All are still green and none have made it to the table yet, but I do feel pretty happy with this being my first year.  Three of the 40 have some form of blemish from barely noticeable to a very severe cat face.  ( I think that's what it's called). I figure 3/40 ain't bad.  I have 11 total tomato plants. ( one died when my cucumbers fell and one is really struggling) 10 of which seem to be very healthy. 6 are heatwave tomatoes ( which I have read doesn't taste a whole lot better than store bought ) and 5 are celebrity.  I have read celebrity usually get around 4 feet and three of mine are over 6' easy.  MM really works and I've gotten lots of help from here.



Just above is one of the heatwaves, which has the most fruit (12) so far.
Below is a pic of the tallest celebrity ( in the middle). They are also setting fruit, but the heatwaves are about a week ahead. 

Looking good!