So What is the Verdict on Kimberley

[barkeater]

This spring, Kimberley was touted as the second coming, the earliest, best tomato ever,

Is it?

[michael johnson]

well for me-Kimberley was the very first to produce ripe tomatoes in my garden, about a week before anything else, it was mainly trouble free all through the season, was loaded with tomatoes all the time, and is still producing tomatoes out there now even though the weather is almost on the verge of a frost at night.

The flavour is very good also and well worth growing- its a real bread and butter allrounder and seems to be very reliable.

I am growing it again next season, and probably for several seasons after that.

[Grub]

Couldn't have said it better.

Three Kimberley in pots again this year.

In pots, it ranges to about 4-5ft, its PL leaves intertwining with other stuff around it, producing oodles of nice ones all season.

A rival for any hybrid an d with great disease resistance to boot.

Taste is very good. And it's what I would consider a kid or novice tomato. Anyone can grow it. And not too demanding on the staking and tying up.

In fact, Kimberley is the only one I give friendly friends to grow.

[Mantis]

Got two in with one in the greenhouse jumping along. It is loading up with fruit and may well ripen fruit before any of my earlies except Juanne Flamme that were sown three weeks earlier.

[bonekittyslug]

Well worth growing every year. Early and good mater taste. 4 feet or so in my containers.

Yes, when I get done playing with a few other varieties I will most likely grow Kimberly each year.

[greggf]

Do you folks think of it as a cherry tomato?

Has anybody compared it directly to Bloody Butcher?

=gregg=

[Tomstrees]

I'm going for it in 2007 -
I've heard nothing but great things about it ...
Ind. right ?

~ Tom

[PNW_D]

Notes from my '05 growout:

EARLIES
Kimberly (PL red)
A good one, delicious, sweet and kept its flavour right until the last one picked in late October. No splitting, holds well on the vine. Saladette, nice size for salad. Will grow again.

Info from seeds.ca
Kimberly is a selection made in the early 1950’s by John de Roque of Kimberly BC from Siberia x Tiny Tim.

[ddsack]

Well someone has to be contrary!

Kimberly was ok, but doubt I will grow it again. Both of the plants I had were shorter and wimpier with smaller tomatoes and at least a week later than Stupice, which remains my early favorite.

Kimberly would have been about 1/8th the size plant of the sprawling Bloody Butcher I had last year. Didn't regrow that because it actually took up more room than I care to devote to an early type -- which I tend to forget about once the big guys start arriving.

Dee

[lumierefrere]

Didn't do anything for me. Was one of the last to ripen and I mean late August. Fruit was small and unremarkable. Doubt if I'll bother with it again.

[Mischka]

Thanks to Suze, I was able to grow Kimberley this season.

I'll grow it again. It wasn't as early as I expected, but we had a lousy growing season here in Massachusetts.

To me, Kimberley is a great tasting salad tomato. Yield was high and the taste was right on the money. As a matter of fact, I've been picking them since late August and the three plants are still pumping out fruits.

Jack Frost is due here any night now and I'm certain he'll be putting an end to that, though. :wink:

[Grub]

I might add that it's my understanding Kimberly or Kimberlye is a modern OP and not an heirloom as many people refer to it.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if not then I think the distinction should be made clear. To me, there's something reverential about heirlooms not found in regular OPs. Thus, Kimberly get's harsh treatment in my patch.

[bcday]

Last year, Kimberly was almost a week later than Stupice. It had outstanding flavor at the beginning of the season, but no flavor at all later on. Stupice never lost its flavor over the course of the summer.

This year, Kimberly was a week earlier than Stupice and tasted great all summer long. I didn't change the way I grew it, I think the difference had to be the wacky weather we had this year.

One nice thing about Kimberly, it doesn't get the hard yellow shoulders that Stupice develops by midsummer every year here.

[greggf]

My impression is also that Kimberly is a modern OP and not an heirloom.

Like Stupice and Bloody Butcher, I believe, or Taxi.

I think people get carried away and refer to all OPs as heirlooms, at least if they taste good. Wishful thinking. 8)

There's a tendency to think that all things old or all things "natural" are "better" than all things new or anything manmade or man-massaged.



T'ain't true. I'd rather have modern surgery than a bleeding by leeches. Or a 2007 Subaru than a 1956 Studebaker.............

=gregg=

[Grub]

Agreed that new can, and often is, better. Fitting for cars and technology in general. Tomatoes? Not usually in my experience. Kimberly is an exception. Hopefully, some of our dwarfs and crosses in the projects hereabouts are too.

But I'm a sentimental fool who likes the old lines, the handmade furniture, the patina and a homecooked meal. Just gotto make sure future generations have the same choice.

One nice thing about Kimberly, it doesn't get the hard yellow shoulders that Stupice develops by midsummer every year here

Agree entirely. And, what is more, after an 110F mad day last year, it didn't roast. Sunscald is rare even with fruits baking in the sparse PL foliage.