Looking for a gold compact indeterminate...

[Greatgardens]

I'm looking for a compact (not dwarf) indeterminate or semi-indeterminate that is gold and on the sweet side. F1 would be great, but OP is OK, also. My "standard" gold tomato of choice has been Golden Girl F1 for many years, but the past two years, Septoria has been bad here and GG has been very quickly overwhelmed.

I've had much better luck with indeterminates as goes Septoria, so I'd like to stick with them. I *think* that the added stress of concentrated bearing of determinates aggravates the problem.

Edit: I should explain that I'm looking for a compact variety, because I'll be growing this in a EarthBox. If this were for the regular garden, size wouldn't matter.

Right now, my #1 candidate is Orange Wellington from Burpee. It's a nice medium-large tomato with great flavor (IMO). Another choice would be Golden Jubilee (OP). But I'd love to hear other thoughts, if you've grown something that seems to fit the bill.

Thanks,
GG

[Cole_Robbie]

I am trying several new varieties next summer that might fit your description, but I want to grow them first before I recommend them.

I know you said no dwarfs, but just for what it's worth, Dwarf Sweet Sue is the best-tasting yellow tomato I have grown so far.

[Greatgardens]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I am trying several new varieties next summer that might fit your description, but I want to grow them first before I recommend them.

I know you said no dwarfs, but just for what it's worth, Dwarf Sweet Sue is the best-tasting yellow tomato I have grown so far.

OK, with that caveat, what are they -- just to think about them.

I haven't tried Sweet Sue, but reading about SS, it might work out. A couple of the yellow/bicolor dwarfs seem to have quite a "bite" to them, but from the descriptions, SS must be on the sweeter side. And it's PL, so that is usually good for foliage disease resistance.

[Cole_Robbie]

Let me PM you my grow list, as it stands at the moment.

And yes, Sweet Sue lives up to the name. I like Summertime Gold, too, but Sweet Sue is my new yellow dwarf.

[KarenO]

if you want an heirloom, have a look at some of these well known ones: Juane flamme, Nebraska wedding, Earl of Edgcombe, persimmon, lots of others. I cannot attest to how they will do in the face of disease pressures but they are all excellent in flavour

KarenO

[clkeiper]

I would bypass Nebraska Wedding due to its late maturity date, It may be a great tomato ( I have no idea- I never grew it) but it is too long getting ripe for my season.

I grow to sell not to eat them myself, but I do try them when they are ripe.

I grew Chefs Choice Orange, Amish Gold, lemon boy and Sunny Boy this year for yellow/orange/gold tomatoes. Amish Gold held up the best with the nicest/firmest texture of the varieties I planted. Chef's choice Orange was a really nice looking tomato but I thought boring as almost all yellow=gold tomatoes are to me. Once they were picked I had a hard time telling which was which just sitting in the trays. lemon Boy was to only one to vine over the next plant. the others were pretty tame getting to about 5' and stopping. Some were grown in a high tunnel and others were out in the garden. Our year was very dry and I had to water a bit and we had a regular spray program for fungus every week to keep my tomatoes alive. I had green tomato plants all the way to frost. Most of them, no matter the color, did well.

BUT my favorite one was Sweet Ozark Orange that I got from here and I grew one plant in the high tunnel and got just a few ripe fruits because I started it so late. Huge fruit (you will want to eat all of it because it is so good) and a manageable size plant in the high tunnel. I don't know if it was started earlier or field grown if it would have grown more..

[Greatgardens]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

I would bypass Nebraska Wedding due to its late maturity date, It may be a great tomato ( I have no idea- I never grew it) but it is too long getting ripe for my season.

I grow to sell not to eat them myself, but I do try them when they are ripe.

I grew Chefs Choice Orange, Amish Gold, lemon boy and Sunny Boy this year for yellow/orange/gold tomatoes. Amish Gold held up the best with the nicest/firmest texture of the varieties I planted. Chef's choice Orange was a really nice looking tomato but I thought boring as almost all yellow=gold tomatoes are to me. Once they were picked I had a hard time telling which was which just sitting in the trays. lemon Boy was to only one to vine over the next plant. the others were pretty tame getting to about 5' and stopping. Some were grown in a high tunnel and others were out in the garden. Our year was very dry and I had to water a bit and we had a regular spray program for fungus every week to keep my tomatoes alive. I had green tomato plants all the way to frost. Most of them, no matter the color, did well.

BUT my favorite one was Sweet Ozark Orange that I got from here and I grew one plant in the high tunnel and got just a few ripe fruits because I started it so late. Huge fruit (you will want to eat all of it because it is so good) and a manageable size plant in the high tunnel. I don't know if it was started earlier or field grown if it would have grown more..

Chef's Choice Orange has caught my eye from the press & descriptions and that it is an AAS. Did you by any chance taste any of them?

I grew Sweet Ozark Orange two years ago, and it was very nice, except it was quite susceptible to Septoria for me. KBX is a favorite here, but it is a very large plant.

Earl of Edgecomb is on the list. I've grown it before, and it reminds me a lot of Golden Jubilee. Sunray is of course very similar, but a larger plant. (I remember doing a taste test of it as a kid at the Indiana State Fair back in the 50's at the Purdue University Ag. exhibit.) Juane Flammee' is a bit smaller than I'm looking for, but very tasty.

And since I continue to mention Septoria, I should note that last summer the non-cherry variety that did best against Septoria was Perth Pride from the Dwarf Tomato Project. Nice tomato, but I have difficulty telling when "black" tomatoes are ripe (especially when nestled deep in the vines, and PP has a very short shelf life. I also grew Iron Lady (det. F1), but she did not even do as well as Celebrity and far worse than Perth Pride.

-GG

[travis]

I am infested with Septoria, and do not use fungicides because I am trialing my own custom crosses to find those which are most tolerant to Septoria, Early Blight, and Grey Leaf Mold.

For the years 2012 (dry and hot), 2013 (hot and wet), and 2014 (cool, wet start, hot humid midseason) Carolina Gold was the most tolerant of all the conditions, and tolerated fungal diseases better than most, including Septoria, which while it spotted the lower leaves, never affected the fruit or killed the plants.

While Carolina Gold is not certified as Septoria resistant or tolerant, I consider it moderately tolerant, and capable of outgrowing the disease until weather conditions change from cool/wet to warm/dry, and Septoria subsides.

Carolina Gold is superior to other tangerine colored tomatoes in that it has heat set capability, and is resistant to Grey Wall disorder, is crack resistant, and has the basic garden disease resistances to F, V, and To.

Oh, and while it is listed as "determinate," for me it has yielded over a more extended window than most Dets .. more like Bradley or Celebrity.

[clkeiper]

Greatgardens, I tasted the Chef's choice orange once or twice while out in the garden. I don't think it tasted fabulous nor was it a spitter to me, bland/boring to me describes it for my taste buds. I like a stronger flavored tomato myself, but it was a nice looking tomato.

[ContainerTed]

Here's a couple of Dwarfs to consider.

[BigVanVader]

I would second Sweet Ozark Orange, It didn't seem more prone to issues to me than most any other heirloom tomato and I plan to keep growing. I kept it sprayed weekly like the rest.

[RJGlew]

My "go to" gold determinate is also Golden Girl F1 (Pinetree). Too bad it is no longer an option for you since it is a really great tomato for me, with huge productivity. I grew Sakharnyi Zheltyi (aka Sugary Yellow) for the first time this year - a tall, gangling indeterminate so it may not be right for you - that was a real hit with my family. Very nice taste & big fruit.

[Cole_Robbie]

I am trying Sweet Ozark Orange and Sakharnyi Zheltyi for the first time next summer.

My family has grown Carolina Gold for market. It is a firm tomato, which is great for shelf life. I don't think the flavor is bad at all, but I'm not a fan of firm tomatoes. Some people prefer them.

[Gerardo]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I am trying Sweet Ozark Orange and Sakharnyi Zheltyi for the first time next summer.

My family has grown Carolina Gold for market. It is a firm tomato, which is great for shelf life. I don't think the flavor is bad at all, but I'm not a fan of firm tomatoes. Some people prefer them.

SOO has great taste, keeps well too. "creamy" is the word that comes to mind. I finally culled my two plants last week after a 7 month run. Good productivity. You will like them.

I'll be doing a pilot yellow-orange grow-out starting mid Jan, a few of them are from your stable.

• BHN871
• Blazing Beauty
• Harless Creek Gold
  Orange Jazz
• Orange Minsk H
• OR 117
• O Strawb
• Orlov Yellow
  Summertime Gold
• Sweet Sue
• Uluru Ochre (close enough to yellow)
• Utyonok
• Yoder's German Yellow

I may add a few from the MMMM. Trying to find the right one(s) for a major summer crop.

I've been thinking about pursuing a yellow breeding project, just so I can name it Travis Bickle.

[charline]

try Qiyanai Huang, one of my favorites. Very tasty and a healty compact plant