Do you grow hybrids?

erlyberd · February 12, 2011

Just wondering how many of you include hybrids in your garden now that heirlooms are so easy to find. I realize each has there place but my days of shelling out $40-50 on seeds each spring are over. I'm far from being a master but after 20 years of growing a garden I'm going on my 2nd year with a 100% heirloom/open-pollenated veggie garden. So my question is...As each year ticks by am I awaiting disaster? What are your thoughts? With the decline in nutrient values in veggies since the 1950's I feel that I'm getting the best of both worlds, or many worlds if you like.So, I have many reasons, some monetary, nutrition, organic, non GMO and the thrill of collecting new varieties.

heirloomdaddy · February 12, 2011

The hybrids that I grow, I do so for flavor or production. Sungold and Sweet 100 are fantastic, and I am partial to cucurbits with a degree of powdery mildew resistance.... it can get a little out-of-hand in my garden, and nothing is more depressing than failing to grow zucchini!

All of the reasons you addressed make OP's way cooler though!

tam91 · February 12, 2011

A few, but they're getting fewer every year. I doubt I'd ever give up Sungold though.

ContainerTed · February 12, 2011

Fewer and fewer. Sungold may be here for awhile, but every time I look at one of the hybrids, I ask myself if there's an OP that looks and tastes like that. I can usually think of several. Then I ask myself what about the taste. And this is where OP's and Heirlooms win hands down. There aren't many hybrids that can hold a candle to the taste of a homegrown OP. Last year I grew Parks Whopper for the sake of nostalgia. My wife accused me of going to Walmart and wasting money. True story.

So, I'll probably dabble in the cherries, but there are so many tomatoes out there to try, that spending money on companies that continue work on GMO's is just wrong.

Send Parks Whopper to the compost bin, and hand me a tomato from African Queen or Cowlicks Brandywine or Krasnodar Titans or etc....ad infinitum.....

Ted

barefootgardener · February 12, 2011

Over the past 15 years I have grown heirlooms almost exclusively, in my gardens..I was obsessed with it..Still am...but, last year I wanted to try the much praised Sungold, (my grandsons favorite) and also some other newer hybrids from Carolyn's offer. Plus I had a friend who has a huge GH and planted over 1,000 hybrid tomatoes..yes she gave me some, and I planted in an isolated area..

The Sungold will be back. And this year I am trying Jetstar..The Amish Farm/market grew these and sold a lot of them..They tasted pretty good and had excellent production. My friend has stage four breast cancer, and a big part of her diet is tomatoes..I tried to give her as many heirloom tomatoes from my garden as I could, but she really loves the Jetstar...So I am growing a plot of them just for her..and will keep a few for ourselves..

So while the mast majority of my gardens will be heirlooms. I have no problem slipping in a hybrid or two to try..

frankkj · February 12, 2011

I grow fewer and fewer hybrids each year. That being said; I, like others, will allways have Sungold and Big Beef in the garden. I am trying many more heirlooms and op veggies since converting to an all container garden this year and abolishing the row and raised bed gardens altogether.

Frank

kygreg · February 12, 2011

Sungold and Big Beef every year and one or two others that may interest me like Country Taste and Steak Sandwich.

sfmathews · February 12, 2011

I grow both. I fight fusarium, so if I lose some heirlooms to it, I can usually count on the hybrids to extend my harvest.

b54red · February 12, 2011

I also deal with fusarium among other plagues and will always plant some hybrids. For just great taste in a hybrid I plant Brandy Boy, Ramapo, and Sungold. For good taste and great production I plant Big Beef and Jetsetter. I still try a new hybrid now and then. I'm trying one that is supposed to be tolerant of TSWV this year since I lost at least 50 plants to it last year. It will probably taste terrible but it is only one spot so I'll try it and see.

tam91 · February 12, 2011

Oh yes, another vote for Brandy Boy and Big Beef.

I actually like boring 'ol Lemon Boy, just for contrast in taste and flavor on a mixed plate. And it's so productive.

Marko · February 12, 2011

In last ten years the only hybid i grew was Momotaro. This season I'll try two hybrids from Serbia. Maraton ASVF F1 is a tomato machine, there are reports of yielding more than 30kg/66lb per plant. It is very popular among profesional growers in Greece and Turkey. The other one is Medeno srce (=Honey heart) VF F1, heart shaped and very sweet. I'm sure that both have some very good genes and are worth to dehybridize.

Fred Hempel · February 12, 2011

Marko,

What is the tomato in your avatar?

**carolyn137** · February 12, 2011

Years ago I used to grow quite a few hybrids along with my OP's but part of that was b'c I was doing a coopertaive study with the Cornell Extension Service who were monitoring my OP and F1 plants for foliage diseases, primarily.

But in the last 15 years or so the only hybrid I grow almost ever year is Sungold F1 and more recently the new NCSU variety Mountain Magic F1, a cherry tomato. I forget who it was above who referred to getting some of the NCSU new ones from my seed offer last year, but I've grown MM F1 for three years now and it not only is dependable but taste great as well, as long as you let the red ones off the vine ripen up off the vine for a few days. And the package of disease tolerances it has are tremendous.

And from time to time I will grow Supersonic F1 and JEt Star F1 and Ramapo F1 or the OP Ramapo I dehybridized. The first two were bred by Harris and along with their Moreton Hybrid were three of THE first great tasting F1's out there and I prefer them for taste and production to any other hybrid, bar none, as well as many OP's I've grown.

But my first love, ahem, that's what the tomato variety Pervaya Lyubov translates out to) will always be primarily family heirlooms with some great OP commercial varieties primarily from across the pond.

beefsteak · February 12, 2011

"heirloomdaddyThe hybrids that I grow, I do so for flavor or production. Sungold and Sweet 100 are fantastic"

Heirloom daddy, if you think sweet 100's are good try supersweet 100's, they are absolutly delicious!

OneoftheEarls · February 12, 2011

There is an OP Sungold.

I have no reason to grow hybrids for tomatoes.

Corn. yes

February 12, 2011	#1
erlyberd Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: CT Zone 5 Posts: 186	Do you grow hybrids? Just wondering how many of you include hybrids in your garden now that heirlooms are so easy to find. I realize each has there place but my days of shelling out $40-50 on seeds each spring are over. I'm far from being a master but after 20 years of growing a garden I'm going on my 2nd year with a 100% heirloom/open-pollenated veggie garden. So my question is...As each year ticks by am I awaiting disaster? What are your thoughts? With the decline in nutrient values in veggies since the 1950's I feel that I'm getting the best of both worlds, or many worlds if you like.So, I have many reasons, some monetary, nutrition, organic, non GMO and the thrill of collecting new varieties.

February 12, 2011	#4
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Fewer and fewer. Sungold may be here for awhile, but every time I look at one of the hybrids, I ask myself if there's an OP that looks and tastes like that. I can usually think of several. Then I ask myself what about the taste. And this is where OP's and Heirlooms win hands down. There aren't many hybrids that can hold a candle to the taste of a homegrown OP. Last year I grew Parks Whopper for the sake of nostalgia. My wife accused me of going to Walmart and wasting money. True story. So, I'll probably dabble in the cherries, but there are so many tomatoes out there to try, that spending money on companies that continue work on GMO's is just wrong. Send Parks Whopper to the compost bin, and hand me a tomato from African Queen or Cowlicks Brandywine or Krasnodar Titans or etc....ad infinitum..... Ted __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

February 12, 2011	#6
frankkj Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Louisiana Posts: 90	I grow fewer and fewer hybrids each year. That being said; I, like others, will allways have Sungold and Big Beef in the garden. I am trying many more heirlooms and op veggies since converting to an all container garden this year and abolishing the row and raised bed gardens altogether. Frank __________________ Old and Wise? Or maybe just getting old?

February 12, 2011	#13
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Years ago I used to grow quite a few hybrids along with my OP's but part of that was b'c I was doing a coopertaive study with the Cornell Extension Service who were monitoring my OP and F1 plants for foliage diseases, primarily. But in the last 15 years or so the only hybrid I grow almost ever year is Sungold F1 and more recently the new NCSU variety Mountain Magic F1, a cherry tomato. I forget who it was above who referred to getting some of the NCSU new ones from my seed offer last year, but I've grown MM F1 for three years now and it not only is dependable but taste great as well, as long as you let the red ones off the vine ripen up off the vine for a few days. And the package of disease tolerances it has are tremendous. And from time to time I will grow Supersonic F1 and JEt Star F1 and Ramapo F1 or the OP Ramapo I dehybridized. The first two were bred by Harris and along with their Moreton Hybrid were three of THE first great tasting F1's out there and I prefer them for taste and production to any other hybrid, bar none, as well as many OP's I've grown. But my first love, ahem, that's what the tomato variety Pervaya Lyubov translates out to) will always be primarily family heirlooms with some great OP commercial varieties primarily from across the pond. __________________ Carolyn

February 12, 2011	#2
heirloomdaddy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Los Angeles Z10 Posts: 291	The hybrids that I grow, I do so for flavor or production. Sungold and Sweet 100 are fantastic, and I am partial to cucurbits with a degree of powdery mildew resistance.... it can get a little out-of-hand in my garden, and nothing is more depressing than failing to grow zucchini! All of the reasons you addressed make OP's way cooler though!

February 12, 2011	#3
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	A few, but they're getting fewer every year. I doubt I'd ever give up Sungold though.

February 12, 2011	#5
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	Over the past 15 years I have grown heirlooms almost exclusively, in my gardens..I was obsessed with it..Still am...but, last year I wanted to try the much praised Sungold, (my grandsons favorite) and also some other newer hybrids from Carolyn's offer. Plus I had a friend who has a huge GH and planted over 1,000 hybrid tomatoes..yes she gave me some, and I planted in an isolated area.. The Sungold will be back. And this year I am trying Jetstar..The Amish Farm/market grew these and sold a lot of them..They tasted pretty good and had excellent production. My friend has stage four breast cancer, and a big part of her diet is tomatoes..I tried to give her as many heirloom tomatoes from my garden as I could, but she really loves the Jetstar...So I am growing a plot of them just for her..and will keep a few for ourselves.. So while the mast majority of my gardens will be heirlooms. I have no problem slipping in a hybrid or two to try..

February 12, 2011	#7
kygreg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: kentucky Posts: 1,019	Sungold and Big Beef every year and one or two others that may interest me like Country Taste and Steak Sandwich.

February 12, 2011	#8
sfmathews Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Allen, TX Posts: 398	I grow both. I fight fusarium, so if I lose some heirlooms to it, I can usually count on the hybrids to extend my harvest.

February 12, 2011	#9
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I also deal with fusarium among other plagues and will always plant some hybrids. For just great taste in a hybrid I plant Brandy Boy, Ramapo, and Sungold. For good taste and great production I plant Big Beef and Jetsetter. I still try a new hybrid now and then. I'm trying one that is supposed to be tolerant of TSWV this year since I lost at least 50 plants to it last year. It will probably taste terrible but it is only one spot so I'll try it and see.

February 12, 2011	#11
Marko Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Slovenia, Europe zone 7b Posts: 300	In last ten years the only hybid i grew was Momotaro. This season I'll try two hybrids from Serbia. Maraton ASVF F1 is a tomato machine, there are reports of yielding more than 30kg/66lb per plant. It is very popular among profesional growers in Greece and Turkey. The other one is Medeno srce (=Honey heart) VF F1, heart shaped and very sweet. I'm sure that both have some very good genes and are worth to dehybridize.

February 12, 2011	#12
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	Marko, What is the tomato in your avatar?

February 12, 2011	#14
beefsteak Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: NW PA zone 5 Posts: 121	"heirloomdaddyThe hybrids that I grow, I do so for flavor or production. Sungold and Sweet 100 are fantastic" Heirloom daddy, if you think sweet 100's are good try supersweet 100's, they are absolutly delicious!

February 12, 2011	#15
OneoftheEarls Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Up North Posts: 660	There is an OP Sungold. I have no reason to grow hybrids for tomatoes. Corn. yes