These tomatoes have let me down

NCTIM · July 2, 2007

If a similar thread has been started please direct me.

So far I’m really disappointed with Chapman. The production is low and the fruit aren’t the best looking. The taste is just OK.

Arkansas Traveler is a good looking plant with lots of perfectly round pink fruits. Last year it tasted pretty good. This year it is really plain tasting.

Gregoria’s Altia was not as early as I had hoped for. It was my first large tomato but only by a day or so. The taste is just ok. Kalmans Hungarian Pink came in at about the same time and just blows it away.

Brandy Boy has let me down. I can’t believe it. The majority of the fruit are catfaced and the plants look like they’ll be among the first to succumb to disease.

Lucky Cross will just not do in my yard. Plants started by me and given to my uncle and a coworker are great. This is my second year growing it and I'm just not lucky.

What are you disappointments this year?

Tim

**nctomatoman** · July 3, 2007

I will chime back in later (once I find some true disappointments), but my only current disappointment is that only 3 of my 80 plants are giving me ripe fruit (I am on the cusp of being overwhelmed)....so Kimberly, Sungold and Mexico Midget are doing their best to keep us with some "real" tomatoes. We are eagerly anticipating the heavy hitters, however!

NCTIM · July 3, 2007

Its kinda wierd how DTM can be so different considering we live fairly close to each other. Wierder yet is that my uncle was a good 10 days ahead of me on several varieties and he lives about 3 miles away. I assuming we got started a pretty much the same time (mid April)for most. I got some in earlier but it couldn't have helped much. The first 10 days of April was realy cold and it was a fight for survival for the ones I had set out just before the winter decided to come back.

Tim

duajones · July 3, 2007

Overwhelmed is a good thing I have come to understand. It beats the heck out of being underwhelmed. Good growing and luck with your heavy hitters Craig. With 80 plants you are sure to have some dissapointments, but also have some great results with others. I wish I was at that stage all over again with my 20 something plants.

**carolyn137** · July 3, 2007

Tim, was your source of seeds for Chapman TGS b'c from pictures I've seen online I'm really wondering if it's actually Chapman.

As for the others, for each one that's disappointing you, and I've grown most of them, they did fine for me.

And that's the way these threads seem to go. Person A says nay and person B says aye.

Just too many darn variables involved.

BigdaddyJ · July 3, 2007

BrandyBoy is a winner for me.

I got my Chapman this winter from TGS. It was back ordered and arrived later than the rest of my order. Only two seeds germinated out of the entire pack and one was sickly and died. I have a lone Chapman plant outside now but am a month away from ripe fruit so the jury is still out.

JerryL · July 3, 2007

So far every plant I have is disappointing me. I HAVE NO RIPE TOMATOES!!!!!!

I got two small fruit off Kimberly a week ago and nothing since.

But like Craig, the onslaught is coming.

Tomstrees · July 3, 2007

I don't want to say anything, but the fruitset for Aunt Gerties is on the low side: 4 greenies.
Fingers crossed that the flav is what this ones all about ~

Tom

Tomatovator · July 3, 2007

I planted 3 PL varieties this year, Brandy Boy, Polish (Ellis) and Mariannas Peace. All are loaded with tomatoes. The largest ones are MP and Polish. There is a MP out there that has to be 1 1/2 pounds (single blossom, not fused). The MP and Polish are showing no signs of disease. The BB is showing some fungal problems on the lower leaves but not enough to be real concerned about it. The MP and Polish are out performing it so far. If they taste as good as I hope they may be my main crop next year. I should know in a week or three.

jwr6404 · July 3, 2007

ROSE
Only two,extremely distorted tomatoes and very few blossoms on a large sturdy plant. Our weather here in the PNW has improved the last couple of days and the greenies are popping out everywhere. Last Saturday I saw 2 BWs and I now count 17 with many more blooms. The NAR I got from my wifes friend,a couple of weeks ago, is blooming. Sure glad I listened to Carolyn and and removed one of the plant stems as this NAR is going to be a monster plant for a 17 gallon pot.

remy · July 3, 2007

It is way too early to comment on this year, but I grew Gregori's Altai twice before. I had the same experience. It was not early either year. And it tasted ok, but not good enough for a tomato that was ripeing with all the other tomatoes.
Remy

Fert1 · July 4, 2007

Quote:

ROSE
Only two,extremely distorted tomatoes and very few blossoms on a large sturdy plant. ...

For me, Rose always comes on strong really late in the season. You think it's not going to do a darn thing, then about the time the weather gets hot and everything else stops setting fruit, Rose will decide to take off and set bunches. So don't give up on it. It may come through for you yet.

I am surprised to hear it has distorted, misshapen tomatoes. My Rose tomatoes always look perfect, except for a few cracks around the stem end, and some yellow shoulders on occasion. My husband pulled one yesterday that looks absolutley perfect. It's a lovely even shade of pink and is perfectly rounded. Of course, it isn't the way it looks but the flavor that matters. It has a strong tomato fragrance to it, which is usually a good sign.

Edited to add that it tasted as good as it looked and smelled. Here is a photo. The color is a little off, but it was a nice even pink and perfectly formed.

Granny · July 3, 2007

I have been really disappointed in Green Grape. Not realizing that my seed starting thumb had turned green, I started something like 20 seeds, got nearly 100% germination. Had over 100 plants (no grow lights) so of course I lost one here, one there....... it wasn't until I went to put them in the ground I noticed that of all the Green Grapes, only one had survived. In fact, it appears that virtually every plant that I lost was Green Grape.

Next year I won't bother with that one.

NCTIM · July 3, 2007

Great stuff and I'm enjoying all your comments. We have decided to head down to the beach house for the next 5 days or so. I don't know if the laptop is coming or not. If not I'll catch up when I get back.

Carolyn, TGS was my source for Chapman. I gave a bunch of plants away this spring and may have to eat crow now.

Have a safe 4th of July

Tim

moucheur · July 3, 2007

Well-regarded varieties that have been disappointing for me over the last few seasons include:

Earl's Faux
Cuostralee
Marianna's Peace
Omar's Lebanese
Fireworks
Anna Russian
Stump of the World
Earl of Edgecomb
Azoychka
Kimberly
Shuntukski
Nepal

In most cases the problem has been with low production and/or late ripening. My garden is shaded for part of the day, and I suspect a lot of these would perform better in a sunnier spot.

July 2, 2007	#1
NCTIM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: zone 8 NC Posts: 286	These tomatoes have let me down If a similar thread has been started please direct me. So far I’m really disappointed with Chapman. The production is low and the fruit aren’t the best looking. The taste is just OK. Arkansas Traveler is a good looking plant with lots of perfectly round pink fruits. Last year it tasted pretty good. This year it is really plain tasting. Gregoria’s Altia was not as early as I had hoped for. It was my first large tomato but only by a day or so. The taste is just ok. Kalmans Hungarian Pink came in at about the same time and just blows it away. Brandy Boy has let me down. I can’t believe it. The majority of the fruit are catfaced and the plants look like they’ll be among the first to succumb to disease. Lucky Cross will just not do in my yard. Plants started by me and given to my uncle and a coworker are great. This is my second year growing it and I'm just not lucky. What are you disappointments this year? Tim __________________ "You can observe a lot by just watching." - Yogi Berra

July 3, 2007	#2
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	I will chime back in later (once I find some true disappointments), but my only current disappointment is that only 3 of my 80 plants are giving me ripe fruit (I am on the cusp of being overwhelmed)....so Kimberly, Sungold and Mexico Midget are doing their best to keep us with some "real" tomatoes. We are eagerly anticipating the heavy hitters, however! __________________ Craig

July 3, 2007	#3
NCTIM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: zone 8 NC Posts: 286	Its kinda wierd how DTM can be so different considering we live fairly close to each other. Wierder yet is that my uncle was a good 10 days ahead of me on several varieties and he lives about 3 miles away. I assuming we got started a pretty much the same time (mid April)for most. I got some in earlier but it couldn't have helped much. The first 10 days of April was realy cold and it was a fight for survival for the ones I had set out just before the winter decided to come back. Tim __________________ "You can observe a lot by just watching." - Yogi Berra Last edited by NCTIM; July 3, 2007 at 12:41 AM. Reason: not finished

July 3, 2007	#5
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Tim, was your source of seeds for Chapman TGS b'c from pictures I've seen online I'm really wondering if it's actually Chapman. As for the others, for each one that's disappointing you, and I've grown most of them, they did fine for me. And that's the way these threads seem to go. Person A says nay and person B says aye. Just too many darn variables involved. __________________ Carolyn

July 3, 2007	#6
BigdaddyJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Zone7 Delaware Posts: 399	BrandyBoy is a winner for me. I got my Chapman this winter from TGS. It was back ordered and arrived later than the rest of my order. Only two seeds germinated out of the entire pack and one was sickly and died. I have a lone Chapman plant outside now but am a month away from ripe fruit so the jury is still out. __________________ Farmer at Heart

July 3, 2007	#4
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	Overwhelmed is a good thing I have come to understand. It beats the heck out of being underwhelmed. Good growing and luck with your heavy hitters Craig. With 80 plants you are sure to have some dissapointments, but also have some great results with others. I wish I was at that stage all over again with my 20 something plants.

July 3, 2007	#7
JerryL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: S.W. Ohio z6a Posts: 736	So far every plant I have is disappointing me. I HAVE NO RIPE TOMATOES!!!!!! I got two small fruit off Kimberly a week ago and nothing since. But like Craig, the onslaught is coming. __________________ Jerry

July 3, 2007	#8
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	I don't want to say anything, but the fruitset for Aunt Gerties is on the low side: 4 greenies. Fingers crossed that the flav is what this ones all about ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

July 3, 2007	#9
Tomatovator Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Zone 6 Posts: 461	I planted 3 PL varieties this year, Brandy Boy, Polish (Ellis) and Mariannas Peace. All are loaded with tomatoes. The largest ones are MP and Polish. There is a MP out there that has to be 1 1/2 pounds (single blossom, not fused). The MP and Polish are showing no signs of disease. The BB is showing some fungal problems on the lower leaves but not enough to be real concerned about it. The MP and Polish are out performing it so far. If they taste as good as I hope they may be my main crop next year. I should know in a week or three.

July 3, 2007	#10
jwr6404 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: University Place, WA Posts: 481	ROSE Only two,extremely distorted tomatoes and very few blossoms on a large sturdy plant. Our weather here in the PNW has improved the last couple of days and the greenies are popping out everywhere. Last Saturday I saw 2 BWs and I now count 17 with many more blooms. The NAR I got from my wifes friend,a couple of weeks ago, is blooming. Sure glad I listened to Carolyn and and removed one of the plant stems as this NAR is going to be a monster plant for a 17 gallon pot. __________________ Jim

July 3, 2007	#11
remy Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z6 WNY Posts: 2,354	It is way too early to comment on this year, but I grew Gregori's Altai twice before. I had the same experience. It was not early either year. And it tasted ok, but not good enough for a tomato that was ripeing with all the other tomatoes. Remy __________________ "I wake to sleep and take my waking slow" -Theodore Roethke Yes, we have a great party for WNY/Ontario tomato growers every year on Grand Island! Owner of The Sample Seed Shop

July 3, 2007	#13
Granny Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 507	I have been really disappointed in Green Grape. Not realizing that my seed starting thumb had turned green, I started something like 20 seeds, got nearly 100% germination. Had over 100 plants (no grow lights) so of course I lost one here, one there....... it wasn't until I went to put them in the ground I noticed that of all the Green Grapes, only one had survived. In fact, it appears that virtually every plant that I lost was Green Grape. Next year I won't bother with that one.

July 3, 2007	#15
moucheur Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Boston, Mass. Posts: 50	Well-regarded varieties that have been disappointing for me over the last few seasons include: Earl's Faux Cuostralee Marianna's Peace Omar's Lebanese Fireworks Anna Russian Stump of the World Earl of Edgecomb Azoychka Kimberly Shuntukski Nepal In most cases the problem has been with low production and/or late ripening. My garden is shaded for part of the day, and I suspect a lot of these would perform better in a sunnier spot.