2020 Tomato Grow List Revised

[Nan_PA_6b]

My sister loves tomatoes but has quirky taste buds. Her brain is set strictly to pass/fail mode. It's either a good enough tomato or it isn't. If it's red/pink, and got strong enough flavor with some tartness, it'll pass. (Although she'll eat a bowlful of Sungolds if you put them in front of her.) If BB passes the test, she won't care at all if others are better later in the season, since she doesn't acknowledge "better."

[FarmerShawn]

I've tried lots of early tomato varieties, and most are, at best, bland. But three have made my "every year" grow list. Bloody Butcher tops the list for me, being both the earliest and the tastiest. But not far behind, and beating BB for production, are Stupice and Matina. What, for me, drops them all lower on the list for what I'm going to eat today as the season progresses is not their flavor, but their size. As the bigger ones come in, it's easy to overlook the salad sized tomatoes. But I'm a Market Gardener, and I've got customers who stop by every week just to get a big bag of those tasty salad sized tomatoes. And BB is their favorite.

[Nan_PA_6b]

Good to know, Farmer Shawn! Bodes well for me.

[wildcat62]

Might try that Bloody Butcher this year.

[greenthumbomaha]

Originally Posted by FarmerShawn

I've tried lots of early tomato varieties, and most are, at best, bland. But three have made my "every year" grow list. Bloody Butcher tops the list for me, being both the earliest and the tastiest. But not far behind, and beating BB for production, are Stupice and Matina. What, for me, drops them all lower on the list for what I'm going to eat today as the season progresses is not their flavor, but their size. As the bigger ones come in, it's easy to overlook the salad sized tomatoes. But I'm a Market Gardener, and I've got customers who stop by every week just to get a big bag of those tasty salad sized tomatoes. And BB is their favorite.

I like all three, one Stupice and rotate the other two so I have at least one early in my backyard and one or two in my rural garden. They keep on going all summer, and the flavor never fails. It isn't at the top of the sweet juicy summer Brandywine type, but to me they have equal flavor to most of the well reputed larger hybrids.

I have grown quite a few Stupice variations from MMMM seeds, picking from a new envelope each year. Like a child, each is a little different, but love them all.

I also neglect the smaller tomatoes once the bigger reds and pinks start coming. They just get hurriedly picked for the sauce box. I get busy admiring size and colors and exploring and charting the newcomers. When harvesting gets crazy and tomatoes are coming in too fast to pick each one at the perfect time, the stinkbugs start their attack on the ripe larger fruit, the earlies get my attention again. The stinkbugs didn't touch my two backyard Stupice plants.

- Lisa

[Tormato]

Originally Posted by Nan_PA_6b

My sister loves tomatoes but has quirky taste buds. Her brain is set strictly to pass/fail mode. It's either a good enough tomato or it isn't. If it's red/pink, and got strong enough flavor with some tartness, it'll pass. (Although she'll eat a bowlful of Sungolds if you put them in front of her.) If BB passes the test, she won't care at all if others are better later in the season, since she doesn't acknowledge "better."

Give your sister Aunt Gertie's Gold, and a pair of rose colored glasses.

[Nan_PA_6b]

Originally Posted by Tormato

Give your sister Aunt Gertie's Gold, and a pair of rose colored glasses.

That works for the golds; now how do I get her to eat the blacks?

[Tormato]

Blindfold?

[Nan_PA_6b]

Originally Posted by Tormato

Blindfold?

Yes, we have to get her to start accepting "wrong colored tomatoes" somehow!

(Sungold has really helped.)

[decherdt]

I still have 7 or 8 weeks to change my plans. Trialing compact indies instead of determinates this go round. http://www.tomatoville.com/album.php...pictureid=3240

[Tormato]

Originally Posted by decherdt

I still have 7 or 8 weeks to change my plans. Trialing compact indies instead of determinates this go round. http://www.tomatoville.com/album.php...pictureid=3240

Pervaya Lyubov grows as a fairly compact indie, for me. Compared to determinates, well..., there is no comparison in flavor.

[imp]

I'm still trying to decide on some varieties myself, so I know the feeling!! I have to try to look through my seed stash for Orange Russian 17, not sure I have seed for that and not finding it for sale anywheres.

[Nan_PA_6b]

Originally Posted by Tormato

... Compared to determinates, well..., there is no comparison in flavor.

Is that a philosophical comment?

[Tormato]

Yes, and in more than one sense.

[greenthumbomaha]

I saw basketfulls of what was described as two heirloom keeper varieties in a facebook feed but lost the link. One was a slicer and the other a gold striped plum.

Would like to add these or similar to my grow list.
Starting another new thread for suggested full sized keepers. I had a huge supply of orange slicers all the way to Thanksgiving this year. All the various reds molded.


- Lisa