Tomatoes for colder climates?

[davaroo]

I have a friend in Germany, Klaus. He loves tomatoes, but complains about the short season and sudden onset of cold weather.
He told me he had a freeze in May, this year.

So I suggested he do the following.

- Deep dig rotted manure into a 2 ft wide trench just before the first frost of Autumn, or as soon as the soil can be dug in Spring.
- Start his seeds 21 March, inside the house. Give them plenty of room in large starting cups and use a grow light fixture.
- 1 May, begin hardening off the plants outdoors.
- 15 May, erect a cloche over a 2 ft wide trench. Use black plastic on the growing bed to warm the soil under the cloche.
- 1 June, plant the started plants in the cloche.
- Leave the cloche in place until 15 June, moderating the inside temp as needed by opening the ends.
- Gradually remove the cloche by 1 July.
- Use only early varieties intended for cold climates.
- Scrub in a general purpose fertilizer when fruits set (or dress with clean fire ashes).
- DO not over water, but do not allow to dry out.
- Mulch, but only once the soil has warmed thoroughly.

Now, I'm curious to know what varieties you northern tomato-heads prefer.

I have committed to sending him some seed, and I'd like to know what you all consider reliable, short season tomatoes.

 

[digitS']

I have only had tomatoes from 2 varieties so far this year - Gold Nugget cherry tomatoes and Bloody Butchers, which aren't much larger than cherries.

The jury is still out on the Gold Nuggets altho' I've grown them before. I don't like it that they succumb to blight before the season ends. However, they are earlier than any other cherry that I've grown.

Bloody Butchers are known as JaliRanchers in my garden. DW hates the idea of "bloody" anything associated with her food. Because the BB's are rather tart, they are mostly MY food. She likes mild tomatoes but I make small efforts for her composure. The plant is quite small and I think that is important for early maturing.

I really enjoy SunSugar cherries. I'm growing Sun Golds for the first time this year but I've enjoyed eating them before. Sun Golds & SunSugars are very similar. Other great cherries are Sweet Chelsea and SugarSnacks. Probably an even earlier one, with good flavor too, is Sweet Baby Girl. These are tiny plants, tho'.

Early Girl sets the standard for an early tomato. I understand that it is the most popular tomato in the US. Some folks don't think much of its flavor but I'm happy enuf with it (I like all kinds of tomatoes). I'm afraid not to have it each year since it is so foolproof.

Big Beef is my best slicer. It doesn't have a problem maturing a crop of ripe tomatoes well before frost.

Thessaloniki is my heirloom slicer. It barely has time to ripen in my garden and I don't know how well it would do in Germany. Thessa is from Greece and seems perfectly happy in this arid climate, it just gets cold a little early for it. Nearly all large heirlooms require more time than I have to give them but Prudens Purple has also done well for me.

Porter is a plum heirloom and DW's favorite tomato. It is an early variety developed years ago in Texas.

When I lived not so far away but at an elevation where I only had a 90 - 110 growing season, I could only have ripe tomatoes from Sub-Arctic plants. I can't say much about the flavor tho'. I grew the Sub-Arctic Plenty.

Steve

 

[davaroo]

Thanks, Steve!

 

[patandchickens]

Early Girl is definitely the gold standard for cool-temperature-short-season tomatoes, IMHO. (FWIW, I've also got some Stupice and Sub-Arctic Plenty growing beside my Early Girls this year, and it is definitely a cool cloudy year!, and the Early Girls are still doing the best)

I pretty much agree with the rest of your advice, David. My only additions would be:

-- you can really start tomatoes a lot earlier than that, if you use wall-o-water or other similar protectors once you put them out. Depending on your weather patterns, you can gain 4-6+ weeks. Basically, if one has had the foresight to make personal weather records for one's property for a few years, look and see what's the last date that you can expect upper-teens (F) temperatures overnight; that's when you can put plants in the wall-o-waters. Start your seeds indoors 7-8 wks before that target date. Two weeks before the target date, put them somewhere coolish but not outdoors, and put clear (not black) plastic on the garden plot to start the soil warming up. Ten days before the target date, start *carefully* hardening the tomatoes off, in a gradual weather-sensitive way. Remove the clear plastic when you set up the wall o waters and plant the tomatoes. The wall o waters should be left virtually closed at the top, at the beginning; as the plants get growing, and the weather starts having sunny HOT days, you can open the tops or even 'cuff' them back, closing again at night as needed.

My last actual frost date is generally within the first week of June (I mean, according to what actually happens on our property, which is in a low spot). Using the above procedure, I can put my tomato plants out in the third week of April, meaning, starting them indoors in the beginning of March. This year I should be eating my first tomato in about two days -- although in a typical year it would be weeks earlier than this, sigh!

the wall o waters really give a LOT more protection than a cloche or row cover, and are a lot easier to manage than a tunnel (give more protection than an unheated tunnel, too). I highly, highly recommend them.

-- my mother, to whom "first ripe tomato on the block" is a major hobby , says that the red plastic really does make a noticeable difference. In a cold climate, I wouldn't put it out til the soil is warm enough for the plants to be growing actively. (Don't use it myself, too lazy and nobody to really compete with ) (edited to clarify: I mean the red plastic sheets they sell to supposedly hasten growth/ripening of tomatoes.)

Boy am I ever looking forward to that first tomato. We'll see how well I can hold off til it's dead-ripe vs saying 'aargh, give me my tomato!'

Pat

 

[detali]

Stupice is a good short season variety. It open pollinated, so you can save your own seeds from year to year. The fruit is not large, only about 2 inches, but very flavorful. Also, if you fertilize with kelp that gives the plant a little frost resistance, definity cool weather vigor.

Early Girl is a hybrid and with it you are tied to having to buy seed every year.