Show Us Your Tomato!

[thistlebloom]

Thistle what else did you plant from their list?

When I planted Black Krims I know it was August before I got my first Black Krim and that was in 2011 when I had them. They got huge, but they stayed green forever. I planted some this year and they are smaller but they are green too. When I had them too they seemed to color from the bottom up vs all over like I'd been used to.

I have: Alaskan Fancy
Koralik
Fireworks
Northern Delight
Mule Team
San Francisco Fog
Taxi
Paul Robeson
Legend

Those are from the list Tomatofest has for northern growers.
I also have Dr. Wyches Yellow, Cherokee Purple and Japanese Black Trifele from my saved seed. Seems like I'm forgetting one....

 

[digitS']

. . . Really, the Gold Rush is the only one listed as a determinate and there are several late varieties that have hardly made a good start yet. The indeterminates will also take up any slack. . .

Oops! I was out there deciding on whether I should just pick all the Gold Rush at once today and I wandered on down the line to Legend thinking, "And, here are the other determinates."

Yes, it is! But, the thing about Legend is that it will run up very close to the first frost here with ripening fruit. Temperatures will begin to drop and it will have - whatever ripe tomato season it will have. When I first grew Legend, I realized that a determinate could have a value for the non-canner. It hardly makes any difference whether it would die after ripening fruit or not when freezing temperatures would kill it anyway.

And, anyway . . . it looks real healthy at this stage and has that determinate look of being simply LOADED with fruit!

I picked a few of the Gold Rush and left the rest. They aren't ripe and, at least, the stems of the plants look good. I'd say that in about 10 days, even the stems will be deteriorating but I'll have all the fruit off the plants by then.

Casey's may be a "semi-determinate" but it still looks okay and there were more tomatoes worth picking. I'll get to do a taste testing but Casey's is a larger tomato from a larger & more productive plant. It is even a little earlier than Gold Dust.

Steve

 

[Jared77]

Nice list Thistle any early impressions? Any keepers on that list? I'm trying my hardest to get off the Early Girl bandwagon. Even if I have to bring my wife kicking and screaming off it.

 

[digitS']

I can give you a "late" impression for Legend. I believe it the 4th year that I've grown it. There is something about it in my post last night. It really cured me of being a raving anti-determinate tomato grower .

The press on it is that it is "early-early." Well, there are none ripe and I've already picked a few Goliath Original and there are a steady number of Early Girls right now. It has to be early for my climate but it doesn't arrive at breakneck speed.

You know how the tomato production slows with cooler weather? I'll get 3 weeks harvest from Legend. Its ripening time is perfect for that cool-down so it doesn't just give-out & give-up like a determinate will during the warmer weeks of the season.

The plants are simply loaded with gorgeous red slicers of about 8 to 10 ounces! They don't split. However, don't let anyone tell you that they are wonderfully flavored . . . they are okay . . . slightly better than okay. Mild. If someone could do something with its flavor genes, Legend would be a near-perfect beefsteak for my garden.

A big advertising plus for Legend is that it is resistant to late blight. I don't live in a late blight area, as far as I know. It is healthy!

Steve

 

[Jared77]

Hows the flavor compare Legend to Early Girl? I had it on my list of need to try.

I'm trying to replace Early Girl. With that description I don't think it will but won't know till I try. Something that I can save seed on, but produces, tastes, size, number of fruit, and timing. That's my goal. Its a tall order and if its not what I want I'll keep going down the list since its a pretty long list

 

[digitS']

Taste is subjective, Jared!

We just had a lady tell us that Porter is her "favorite" tomato! I mentioned on TEG something about Texans loving & hating that tomato. I found the article doing a google search: "The Porter tomato comes to mind. I have heard folks swear by it and others swear at it when it comes to flavor." Texas Gardener Magazine To me, the Porter isn't anything to write home about . . .

Personally , I like the Early Girl flavor! However, I am also in a sweat to find an open-pollinated alternative! Legend will just be another choice out there . I'll sample the Fireworks soon & be able to report on Cold Set in a few days but I don't know if that one is on Tomatofest's list. I'm trying!

Steve

 

[Jared77]

Oh I know taste is subjective, I just wanted to be sure it even had enough flavor. I'm more irritated with bland tomatoes like my grapes are. The unidentified grapes that I grew are just blah. Part of it I'm sure is all the rain we've received, but these are as boring as grocery store maters.

They look nice but seriously that's where it ends.

I agree the flavor of Early Girl and their production is why I keep growing the dang things. I like them. The only thing I don't like is that I can't save seeds. Otherwise its a heck of a tomato. All the varieties of tomatoes out there and we can't find an alternative? I cry foul!! So I'm looking.

I believe Fireworks is on the list. I have quite the wish list on that site I keep waiting for a complaint from their Admin saying I'm abusing the privileges of the wishlist. Who me?

 

[MontyJ]

Looks like I'll be canning again this weekend...







Trying to hold off the blight, but it may be a loosing battle. The weather just will not cooperate this year.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

I better get out there and grab me a few green ones before it's too late.

 

[so lucky]

Monty, what kind of tomatoes are those in the last photo?