2008 report

[Suze]

This thread seems as good a place as any to offer observations about some of the new-to-me ones I am growing this year. Still many to photograph and taste, and I am waaay behind in doing this. I've not had a lot of free time lately, because it seems I'm constantly having to water something in the garden (hasn't rained here for almost a month), secure plants so they can take these high 35+ mph winds, etc. Plus, it is brutally hot here. Ok, I'm done whining now. On a positive note, my tomatoes taste superb (in general) because the flavor is not getting diluted by excessive rain, as it did last year.

Amazon Chocolate is an excellent dark, close second in taste to Pink BTD. PL dark, history unknown. My source's original source was Amishland Seeds. I was sent the seeds as a freebie enclosed in an SSE request I made to a long-time listed member, and told to grow this, it is a good tomato. So I did.

Blackfoot is one I grew last fall. I need to look at the epidermis again, because I could have sworn it was a pink. Looks more like a red this year. History unknown for sure, although I think someone may have indicated it came from the Blackfoot tribe, hence the name. There is a thread about it here somewhere, and also one on Dave's Garden in the tomato forum. Taste is very good to excellent. Edit -- it's a red, because the epidermis is definitely yellow.

Cleopatra is a great tasting red cherry, and I'm not easily impressed by most cherry types.

Dr. Wyche's Yellow is one I've grown in the past, but it has been quite a while. Excellent flavor, kind of like KB, but a notch or three above. Avg productivity.

Faster is a nice, productive red. Good flavor, super productive, compact indet. Would make an excellent canning type, but is also good for fresh eating. Globe/std shape, but with a sharp point at blossom end on most fruits.

Heaven's Joy is good to very good. Very productive, darkest dark for me so far this year. It's no CP for taste, but still worthwhile.

Hege German Pink - Wow! Best tasting pink in the garden this yr and also the most productive.

Jewish - Wonderful tasting red oxheart. Throws some big ones, avg to low avg productivity.

Jumbo Jim Orange - When I looked at the sliced tomato, I figured it wouldn't taste like much because of the spaces in the locules. But I was dead wrong. Tied with Tasmanian Blushing Yellow for the best yellow/gold/orange I have tasted so far this yr. Avg productivity.

Koroleva - this plant is under major stress and has not done that well (at one point it almost died), so take my comments with a grain of salt. Flavor was avg, and fruits are not as big as what I was expecting. Shape and color seem right, though.

Pink Berkeley Tie Dye is probably the best dark I've tasted so far. Delicious! I say dark, because the flesh is dark (pink-black) inside. Moderate fruit set, around 7-9 tomatoes. Edit - ended up with 12-15 fruit, some was hiding, and a couple also set a little later.

Ramapo F5 is a good solid/dependable red. Not an 8-9-10, but a 7 easily. Pretty red globes, extremely productive.

Sheboygan is super productive, just loaded. It's no Prue, etc., but very nice, on the sweet side.

Sprite is a pleasant surprise. Tastes like the pricey grape toms in the grocery, but a notch above. Stays a tad crunchy even when dead ripe, but great flavor for what it is. Very productive, plant is about 4 ft tall. Green fruits have a major tendency to drop if bumped when picking. My plant is RL.

Spudatula Black is very productive, and great taste. Just a slight notch below this Pink BTD and the Amazon Chocolate I've mentioned earlier. I believe this is a cross of Black from Tula x some unknown PL.

SunPlum PL - Mark, if you are reading this, it was stable for me this yr from my saved seeds (fall '07). I still like this one. Jaune Flamme sized, pretty deep orange-red fruits. Productive.

Tarasenko 6 is the best red beefsteak I've tasted so far this year. Moderate productivity.

Tiger Tom (not to be confused with Tiny Tiger, which is blah) is one I grew because Craig says he likes it. A nice two or three bite tomato, Jaune Flamme sized or thereabouts. Tart, but not one-note. Tangy, refreshing taste. Pretty fruits, productive. Indet.

Wild Bill's Big Red is very good to just shy of excellent, just a notch below Tarasenko 6. Avg productivity.

Zore's Big Red is delicious. Tastes kind of like Wes, Linnie's Oxheart or any number of other excellent large red heart/variable shaped types. This is a PL oxheart, so a bit unusual. Yes, the foliage has a sort of "droop" to it. Low-avg productivity, throws some big ones.

Thumbnails attached in the order of my comments. You can also go to My 2008 album to view.

More later as I have time to do some more tasting and take photos.