Tomatoes 2021

[Gardening with Rabbits]

No cherries: Does this mean that you have been missing out on Sungold and Sun Sugar, @seedcorn ? Some people don't care for them, calling the flavor "cloying." I like them.

Years ago, I grew what was available and now considered an heirloom. Seedy little things but I wanted something to snack on while in the garden. Those golden cherries being introduced to the market was a special delight for me.

A few years ago, I began growing Yellow Jellybean. I'm even more happy with that one. It might be yellow but the fruit tastes more like a red tomato to me. Maybe it's just that they are quite different from the golden.

Steve

Sungold and Supersweet 100 are my favorite and when I make the rounds through the garden I snack on those and DS likes in salads too.

 

[seedcorn]

You might like "Elfin". It is a determinate OP grape (unlike the rampant commercial hybrid). Not sugar-sweet, but meaty & thin-skinned - like mini-Romas, but with much smaller seeds. HUGE terminal flower clusters, and tomatoes 1" long or less (probably leaning toward "less" if pot grown). The plants can actually be grown within a large tomato cage, although they will overflow somewhat. I've never tried them in pots, but in the ground the plants put out new branches & continue to bear until frost. The Grandson likes to take them to school for snacks, if that tells you something. And because it is OP, you can save seeds!
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How tall do they get? Determinant? But new branches keep bearing?

 

[Zeedman]

How tall do they get? Determinant? But new branches keep bearing?

About 3' tall in the ground. The Grandson grew his in a large pot, and it was smaller, only about 2'. And yes, it continued bearing until frost.

 

[heirloomgal]

You might like "Elfin". It is a determinate OP grape (unlike the rampant commercial hybrid). Not sugar-sweet, but meaty & thin-skinned - like mini-Romas, but with much smaller seeds. HUGE terminal flower clusters, and tomatoes 1" long or less (probably leaning toward "less" if pot grown). The plants can actually be grown within a large tomato cage, although they will overflow somewhat. I've never tried them in pots, but in the ground the plants put out new branches & continue to bear until frost. The Grandson likes to take them to school for snacks, if that tells you something. And because it is OP, you can save seeds!
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@Zeedman you sure have fine looking gardens.

 

[Zeedman]

@Zeedman you sure have fine looking gardens.

Only the ones at home. Those gardens receive a great deal of TLC; I turned under 3" of shredded leaves & grass clippings for the last 3 years (along with wood ashes & charcoal) and DW has been tireless in keeping them weed-free.

The rural garden is another story, and one best saved for another day.

 

[flowerbug]

Only the ones at home. Those gardens receive a great deal of TLC; I turned under 3" of shredded leaves & grass clippings for the last 3 years (along with wood ashes & charcoal) and DW has been tireless in keeping them weed-free.

The rural garden is another story, and one best saved for another day.

wouldn't Elfin be indeterminate if it keeps bearing until frost?

 

[Zeedman]

I think you used the wrong quote.

The literal definition of "determinate", as I've always understood it, is that the growing tips terminate - not the plant. I understand the reason behind your question though, because most determinate tomatoes have a concentrated set, after which they senesce. Those two characteristics are not necessarily intertwined. Elfin is a bit of an oddity... I sometimes refer to it as semi-determinate, because it has characteristics of both phenotypes. Those huge terminal flower clusters bloom gradually, so the tomatoes on them often ripen over a period of weeks, and new (smaller) branches continue to sprout. You might also notice from the photo that the leaf cover is not dense; I've joked before that the plant is using the huge numbers of green tomatoes as leaves, which may have a grain of truth.

I think maybe Elfin as a tomato is analogous to half-runners in beans; it benefits from support, but doesn't need much of it. I once grew the hybrid grape tomatoes from which Elfin was bred, and those are as strongly indeterminate as most cherry tomatoes - at least twice as tall as Elfin.

 

[flowerbug]

I think you used the wrong quote.

yes, i didn't think i had a quote in there at all...

The literal definition of "determinate", as I've always understood it, is that the growing tips terminate - not the plant. I understand the reason behind your question though, because most determinate tomatoes have a concentrated set, after which they senesce. Those two characteristics are not necessarily intertwined. Elfin is a bit of an oddity... I sometimes refer to it as semi-determinate, because it has characteristics of both phenotypes. Those huge terminal flower clusters bloom gradually, so the tomatoes on them often ripen over a period of weeks, and new (smaller) branches continue to sprout. You might also notice from the photo that the leaf cover is not dense; I've joked before that the plant is using the huge numbers of green tomatoes as leaves, which may have a grain of truth.

I think maybe Elfin as a tomato is analogous to half-runners in beans; it benefits from support, but doesn't need much of it. I once grew the hybrid grape tomatoes from which Elfin was bred, and those are as strongly indeterminate as most cherry tomatoes - at least twice as tall as Elfin.

i think i'll go with the below link description as it all reads about as my understanding has been:

Here's the Difference Between Determinate and Indeterminate Tomatoes

Determinate and indeterminate tomatoes both produce fruit, but have very different growth patterns. Learn the characteristics of each.

www.thespruce.com

yes, there might be oddities, nature can do that...

 

[seedcorn]

Anyone grow Jersey Devil? Sounds interesting to replace San Marzano’s.

 

[heirloomgal]

Anyone grow Jersey Devil? Sounds interesting to replace San Marzano’s.

I've grown that one. It is an unusual shape, and I think that is part of it's appeal. Meaty, dry flesh. But it was a large fruited variety, and I find that the larger ones produce less than the small more plum shaped canning tomatoes.