Tomatoes for the Garden!

[digitS']

The Evolution of the Hominid's Diet

The tomato seed has been organized so that it can be sown in containers in just a few days! Twenty six varieties with 6 of them hybrids - if I counted right. Last year, there were 29 varieties which was the most evah !

I really enjoy eating, growing and talking about tomatoes! Mine would be a different garden if there weren't so many plants and so many varieties out there.

There's no question that I rely on the hybrids and have for a long time. Still, I've gone for heirlooms in what is a big way for me but only 3 are new-to-me this year .

Taste is subjective. With the heirlooms - some just absolutely delight me with their flavor. That's me.

I will continue to grow Early Girl and Big Beef and the golden cherries. It worries me a little that I don't have much control over the seed from those varieties. Yes, they do seem to have good vigor and I really appreciate their resistance to disease but the heirlooms that are grown from saved seed - make me happy.

Would you like to list your 2012 tomato varieties??

Steve

Big Beef Hybrid
Bloody Butcher (known in my garden by the less frightening name "Jalirancher" )
Buisson
Casey's Pure Yellow*
Dagma's Perfection
Dr. Carolyn
Dr. Wyche's Yellow
Early Girl Hybrid
Earl Of Edgecombe*
Gary O Sena
Ildi
Juane Flamme
Kellogg's Breakfast
Orange Minsk
Market Miracle
Pink Pearls
Rainy's Maltese
Sandul Moldovan*
Sungold Hybrid
SunSugar Hybrid
Sweet 100 Hybrid
Sweet Quartz Hybrid
Thessaloniki
Tigerella
Woodle Orange
& Mystery**

* new-to-me
** mystery-to-me, turned up in the starts last year

 

[Waylon05]

The Evolution of the Hominid's Diet

The tomato seed has been organized so that it can be sown in containers in just a few days! Twenty six varieties with 6 of them hybrids - if I counted right. Last year, there were 29 varieties which was the most evah !

I really enjoy eating, growing and talking about tomatoes! Mine would be a different garden if there weren't so many plants and so many varieties out there.

There's no question that I rely on the hybrids and have for a long time. Still, I've gone for heirlooms in what is a big way for me but only 3 are new-to-me this year .

Taste is subjective. With the heirlooms - some just absolutely delight me with their flavor. That's me.

I will continue to grow Early Girl and Big Beef and the golden cherries. It worries me a little that I don't have much control over the seed from those varieties. Yes, they do seem to have good vigor and I really appreciate their resistance to disease but the heirlooms that are grown from saved seed - make me happy.

Would you like to list your 2012 tomato varieties??

Steve

Big Beef Hybrid
Bloody Butcher (known in my garden by the less frightening name "Jalirancher" )
Buisson
Casey's Pure Yellow*
Dagma's Perfection
Dr. Carolyn
Dr. Wyche's Yellow
Early Girl Hybrid
Earl Of Edgecombe*
Gary O Sena
Ildi
Juane Flamme
Kellogg's Breakfast
Orange Minsk
Market Miracle
Pink Pearls
Rainy's Maltese
Sandul Moldovan*
Sungold Hybrid
SunSugar Hybrid
Sweet 100 Hybrid
Sweet Quartz Hybrid
Thessaloniki
Tigerella
Woodle Orange
& Mystery**

* new-to-me
** mystery-to-me, turned up in the starts last year

I'm also a big time tomato-head. I've grown mostly hybrids in the past with a couple heirlooms mixed in. This year is my first year to grow any non-red/pink varieties. Here's my list for this year:

CHERRIES:
- Sun Gold (2)
- Sweet 100 (1)
- Black Cherry (1)
- Texas Wild (1)
- Matt's Wild (1)

YELLOW/GOLD VARIETIES:
- Amana Orange (1)
- Big Rainbow (1)
- Lillian's Yellow Heirloom (1)
- Georgia Streak (1)
- Dr. Wyche's Yellow (2)
- Kelloggs Breakfast (2)

BLACK/PURPLE VARIETIES:
- Cherokee Purple (2)
- Carbon (2)
- Black Krim (1)
- Black from Tula (1)
- Indian Stripe (2)

PINK VARIETIES:
- German Johnson (2)
- Mortgage Lifter (2)
- Arkansas Traveler (2)

RED VARIETIES:
- Moskvich (1)
- Carmelo (2)
- Dona (2)
- Creole (1)
- Big Beef (4)
- Brandy Boy (4)
- Boxcar Willie (2)
- Champion (2)
- Better Boy (2)

I've been trying to put my plants out in the garden for two weeks but the rain has kept me from being able to till. I finally planted 38 of the plants over the past weekend. I'll probably plant about 10 more plants over the next couple weeks.

 

[chris09]

Well since you asked nicely I'll post mine Steve.

Yellow Sun Gold (Burpee Seeds) will put in about 6 plants
Campbell 33's (Totally Tomatoes) will put in about 50 plants
Veeroma VF (Stokes Seeds) will put in about 50 plants

I may or may not be adding to this list


Chris

 

[The Mama Chicken]

Aunt Ruby's German Green-15
Beefsteak-15
Small Red Cherry-15
Roma-15

 

[r4eboxer]

Wow Steve that's a HUGE variety. I'm wondering do you have a specific use for each variety? I am always wondering what everyone does with the veggies out of the garden. Do you have certain ones you use to make sauce, or ketchup or ones for sandwiches?

oops forgot my list

Olivade (for sauce)
Big Beef 9eating or sandwiches, oh and for Juice and stewed tomatoes)
Debarao (saladette and sauce)
Amish Paste (sauce and salsa)
Ox heart (to freeze and for sauce and ketchup)

How many plants I put in the ground depends on how many seeds I get germinated and harden off correctly. I really need a good tomato harvest this year. I got a blight last year and I 'cough cough' am having to purchase canned tomatoes for my soups and cooking needs. it kills me to have to do that!

 

[ninnymary]

I only have room for 8 tomatoe plants. Still need to find 3 more. I know I will plant:

2 early girls
1 sungold
1 japanese triefle (one of my favorite ones)
1 bloody butcher (will be my first time)

Last year I also planted black krim. It did well but I'm not sure I'll plant it this year. Since I already have a black one, I'm trying to have more of a variety. I also planted thessalonki. It did so so.

Maybe hillbilly. One of my favorite ones but not as productive as I'd like. Steve, any suggestions that will do well in my cool summers? I like medium size ones, not very fond of cherry ones.

Mary

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

I am planting

4 Terrific
4 Opalkas
4 Cherokee Purple
4 Chadwick Cherry

All of them are new to me but the Terrific's.

I really want a Sungold, but I do not have any seeds, *pout*. Need to look and see where I can find some.

I started my tomatoes and peppers on Sunday. I put them in egg cartons and on a cookie sheet. I have them setting in my "only" sunny window in the house. The heater in my house is set on 70, but the soil temps were around 64 so I put the cookie sheet on top of a type of candle warmer. It's a little pot with a small bulb inside. the center tray which is right over the lamp is about 86 and the farthest from the lamp is around 74. I have no funds for a seed starting mat, but I believe soil temps is why my peppers didn't sprout last year.

I took the temp on top of my refrigerator and it's colder up there. I really want these seeds to sprout.

Now in the big family plot, my granny has started 40 Terrific tomato seeds. They did try new tomatoes last year, but didn't like them.

 

[digitS']

I don't grow any specifically for canning/freezing, r4eboxer. The freezer is where quite a lot of fruit ends up at the end of the season - spaghetti sauce mostly. (I can see yours and Chris' orientation that way from the get-go .)

Some plants will go to the farmers' market and to other gardeners. I may make a "deal" with one neighbor so that I don't have to have Orange Minsk for example - big, rangy plant without a lot of fruit, or Ildi - little plant, covered with fruit but the golden cherries and Dr. Carolyn are better. Still, if I want fresh seed . . . I've gotta be able to get my hands on that fruit somehow !

('Hangin' - Sungold is deservedly a very, very popular cherry and many people who won't grow other hybrids, have those. Seed must be in just about any garden center.)

Fruit will also be going to the market. It is great to have a mixed offering, especially of colors. Since there is often a good deal of difference in flavor between the colors -- Waylon, you are in for some surprises !

Steve

 

[digitS']

Mary, despite how close I am to the Pacific - only several hundred miles of desert & high mountains - I'm am sure that I'm not the best one for advice in that cool, marine climate.

I might look north for local advice if I were you! You know how you are so close to that very different climate in the Central Valley - close but no banana . Oregon State University has done a lot for Pacific Northwest gardeners! Here is an article in the Seattle newspaper (click).

(I've really overshot the Bay Area but hope you get some ideas there .)

Steve

 

[Waylon05]

Fruit will also be going to the market. It is great to have a mixed offering, especially of colors. Since there is often a good deal of difference in flavor between the colors -- Waylon, you are in for some surprises !

Steve

I'm definitely excited about trying the new varieties - hopefully most of my surprises will be pleasant!

I tried to pick a good variety of both yellows/golds and blacks/purples with the hope that I will find a couple varieties of each that will perform well in my hot, humid climate...