Early Tomatoes

While I have grown tomatoes for years, I still consider myself a newbie at germinating and growing heirlooms or op varieties. My interest right now is heavy into the darker colored varieties and a few color variations. My goal is always to choose varieties with good production, but most important is a taste that I find satisfying.

Lately, I've found my curiosity wandering into the possibility of an OP tomato garden emphasizing a group of early season cultivars, mid season cultivars, and late season cultivars.

For my 2011 garden, I intend planting Early Wonder, Matina, Siberian 2, and Harnas. Those are the varieties I have found consistently good comments about regarding earliness, production, and taste. I tried Stupice this past spring and I was under impressed. I think my problems with Stupice were more my fault than the fault of the cultivar, but I don't plan on trying it again in 2011. I may try it again in the future, but not right now.

I'm curious if anyone else has a favorite, non cherry; early (55/65 days) cultivar.

Ted

[mdvpc]

Al-Kuffa-Iraqi heirloom, is very early for me. I grew it in my greenhouse this fall, and it is producing a lot, very good taste, and very early. See my photos in the undercover forum.

[b54red]

Since you are a fan of the dark tomatoes you might want to try planting Carbon early. Last year it was one of the earliest for me of the dark tomatoes, beat out only by Noire de Crimee which didn't taste good early while Carbon was very good.
The earliest of the full size tomatoes for me was Gregori's Altai followed closely by Kosovo, and Red Siberian. Unlike you I was very happy with Stupice because of it's nice flavor for such an early tomato but I would have liked it to be a little bigger. This spring I will prune it and keep it to one or two fruits per cluster and see if I can get a little bit bigger fruits.

[goodwin]

I've been looking for the same thing. So far, I've found Arbuznyi and Grub's Mystery Green come at 60-65 days here. Black Early and Sophie's Choice are not far behind. I like Early Wonder as well, but that's a smaller plant. The siberian varieties I've grown do not handle the heat well - except for maybe Sasha Altai. However, I imagine our climate in Espanola at 6200 feet is a lot different from yours. Good luck with this project!
mdvpc - I am curious about Al-Kuffa -almost ordered seed a couple of years ago. The taste is quite bold - even sharp?

b54red,

I have both Carbon and Gregori's Altai on my grow list for 2011, but my research shows both to be 69/80 day cultivars. I'm looking at them fitting more into my midseason group. I know days to maturity is not an accurate measurement because it is dependent on so many conditions. I am using it as a general guide line to balance my garden to produce fruit from the earliest possible time frame, through the high summer heat and into the first fall frost.

Most of the truly early varieties I have found seem to fall into the determinate category and produce fruit on plants of small stature. That is one reason I am not planting the Stupice again this year. It is my intent to have them taper off in production as the mid season cultivars start producing. I can then pull the early plants and possibly grow peppers or eggplants in their place.

mdvpc,

I'm really interested in the Al-Kuffa. It looks like it would fit well into my early season grouping. I like the early tomatoes to be small plants. I've designed my garden to accommodate large plants on tall supports, medium height plants on medium supports, and short stature on supports of four foot maximum height. Now I need to find some Al-Kuffa seed. I think I read somewhere that Baker Creek carries it.

I haven't seen anyone mention the Moscow cultivar. Has anyone here had any success with it?

Thanks

Ted

Goodwin, I've been through Espanola many times. We have spent a lot of time skiing and camping in New Mexico. I'm surprised you can eat any tomato there that doesn't come from a can or the grocery store. You really need short season cultivars.

I like the Arbuznyi. I have not grown it, but it makes good sized fruit on indeterminate plants in 55/68 days. It also falls into the dark catogory and supposedly has a good black tomato flavor. Guess I'm gonna have to dust off my credit card and find a vendor that has it and the Al-Kuffa. I'm not sure what I will get if I order the Arbuznyi. A discussion on a different gardening website from a couple of years ago describes the fruit as being very similar to Indian Stripe up to 16 oz in size. They show photos of the fruit and plant. The plant is described as and seems to be PL.

On Tatianas site, the fruit is described as 3 to 8 oz and RL. I'm wondering if I order the seed, will I get the large fruited, PL cultivar or the small fruited RL cultivar. I believe Tatianas also shows it to be an 80 day variety.

Thanks

Ted

[mdvpc]

Good

I would not say the taste is sharp from my fall greenhouse tomatoes. In the winter, the flavors Are subdued. I have not grown it outside during the spring. That said, for a winter greenhouse Tomato it's very good.

Originally Posted by mdvpc

Good

I would not say the taste is sharp from my fall greenhouse tomatoes. In the winter, the flavors Are subdued. I have not grown it outside during the spring. That said, for a winter greenhouse Tomato it's very good.

I looked at the Al-Kuffa in the black container you posted on the undercover forum. It looks like a great tomato plant. I haven't found any fruit photos yet. Tatiana lists it, but has very little information and only shows Baker Creek as a vendor.

Based on your photo, it looks to have a very compact form with a stout main stem. I think it would probably make a great "patio" tomato for container gardeners.

I'm interested in it as a compact, in the ground, early variety. It would be nice if it could survive the heat of a Texas summer, but I doubt it.

Since you are in the desert southwest, have you ever used any of the seed sold by The Seed Trust in Northern Arizona? They produce their seed at higher altitudes, but supposedly have some varieties which do well in the hotter desert climates. My summer climate is almost desert with temps around 110 F in June, July, and August.

Ted

[zipcode]

I was rather unimpressed with matina. Seems to be a tomato that doesn't have any real advantages. It's quite a bit later than Stupice, and the plants grow way too tall, with high internode distance and fairly small leaves. For me the production was definitely poor.
You could try one of the stupice 'clones', other equally early and potato leaf plants with small tomatoes: kimberly, bloody butcher, edouard, or a new one moravski div which I'm also gonna try next year.
People talk well about Sibirskiy Skorospelyi, but not sure it's as early as stupice.

[mdvpc]

Ted

There is a photo of Al-Kuffa fruit on my thread on the first page. Photo of 3 fruit.

[tomakers]

I've grown Kimberly the last couple of years, it is early and tastes good. It will produce right up to frost if you let it. Carbon is also usually quite early in my garden. Usually the first full size fruit to ripen and great taste IMO.
Tom

[OneoftheEarls]

If I can link to another forum (mine) I can post my page on the 2010 early experimental garden I did...40 some varieties in all

approved by mod, also posted at member site

http://45thparallelseeds.webs.com/ex...garden2010.htm

[b54red]

My memory is not what it used to be so I went back and checked my notes on all my tomatoes planted in March that produced fruit. They are listed in order of how long from plant out to picking of the first fruits.

Stupice -- 52 days
Applause -- 60 days
Noire de Crimmee -- 64 days
Limbaugh's Legacy -- 64 days
Gregori's Altai -- 65 days
Red Siberian -- 68 days
Kosovo -- 68 days
Donskoi -- 68 days
Prudens Purple -- 68 days
Carbon -- 69 days
Jd's Special C Tex -- 69 days
Neves Azorean Red -- 70 days
Jetsetter -- 70 days
Brandy Boy -- 70 days
Moreton F1 -- 70 days
Arkansas Traveler -- 71 days
Stump of the World -- 73 days
Cowlick's Brandywine -- 73 days
Omar's Lebanese -- 75 days
Pale Perfect Purple -- 76 days
Caspian Pink -- 76 days
Mortgage Lifter -- 79 days
BTD Pink -- 82 days
Momotoro -- 84 days

[OneoftheEarls]

Great info. thanks!

[OneoftheEarls]

So by gleaning several sources I come up with at least a group for consideration.

Applause
Arbuznyi
Cold Set
Donskoi
Early Chatham
Faywort
Gregori's Altai
Harnas
Kosovo
Limbaugh's Legacy
Noire de Crimmee
Pearly Pink
Polar Circle
Stupice
Tarasenko6
Victoria
Vodar
Zloty Ozarowski


I would also maybe trade off Matina for Stupice.

The Siberians and Sub-Arctics.

Polar Circle, Victoria, Tarsenko6, Glacier and Morden Yellows were surprisingly big...many were Victorias and maybe Mordens double fused.

Uri67 was okay for growth, nasty on taste. Ola Polka was unique but not crazy good tasting.

Pearly Pinks were as big and tastier.