Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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August 20, 2010 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Los Angeles Z10
Posts: 291
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Gold Medal taste review- REMARKABLE!!
Let me begin by stating the obvious- bicolors (for the most part) are known to not have much going on in the way of flavor. I was hoping that I might hold an exception to this opinion, and that I would find that my Gold Medal plant was putting out sweet, fruity, tasty tomatoes.
The results? Aside from being huge, beautiful, meaty, and creamy in texture, the taste was really something special. It somehow managed to taste about as flavorful as an out-of-season, picked-when-green and then gassed, rock hard hybrid tomato from the grocery store. This thing literally had NOTHING going on. Moral of the story? Learn from your fellow t'villians experience. Of course we all have different tastes, but when 99% of any population tell you one thing, its very very likely that you will have the same take on the matter. I thought I could enjoy this tomato for it's simplicity and sweetness, but that was only detectable because there was almost nothing else to be tasted, including basic tomato flavor. My advice? unless you are growing fruit for their looks, don't grow Gold Medal. ***I do look forward to trying lucky cross and little lucky though! I think a PL bicolor with flavor sounds like a great scenario*** Last edited by heirloomdaddy; August 20, 2010 at 02:16 PM. Reason: one more thing....! |
August 20, 2010 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 212
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This is funny because I came on here to post about how happy I was with Gold Medal. It's my first year growing it and I did so because so many people on-line recommended it to me!
This is proof that you can't judge a tomato by what a few people say, you really do have to try it yourself. What is not-so-good to one may be the discovery of a lifetime for someone else. With Gold Medal, I finally found a tomato my son likes! He has always hated them and it took me awhile to get him to try a bite of a Gold Medal. He likes it exactly because it doesn't have the tomato taste. I'm sorry it wasn't what you were hoping for, but it will for sure be a constant in my garden from now on. This is the fun of tomato growing... with so many varieties and tastes, there truly is a tomato for everyone! |
August 20, 2010 | #3 | |
Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Z6 WNY
Posts: 2,354
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Quote:
Remy
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"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 |
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August 20, 2010 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Los Angeles Z10
Posts: 291
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Remy- I will be growing little lucky next year, which I purchased from you. I love everything about the descriptions i've read....great size too. I see that you love it.
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August 21, 2010 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 682
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No experience with that one but not all Bi colors are bland or tasteless (I do agree some are or very mild). Though different people like different things thats whats great. I think there is a tomato out there for everyone.
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August 21, 2010 | #6 |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
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I think it's iffy to decide that a variety grown once and liked very much is going to be the same for others or indeed that same person when the variety is grown in another season. And I say that b'c the gold/red bicolors in my experience are very much affected by the weather in any one growing season.
I've grown lots of this type and one variety that's sweet and fruity tasting one summer can be bland and mealy when grown the next time. Does that always happen? No, but it's happened to me quite often.
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Carolyn |
September 26, 2010 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Los Angeles Z10
Posts: 291
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These tomatoes have actually become tasty....more sweet and fruity, but the bare minimum amount of zip.
Not bad now! They are also a lot smaller now, as are all of my fruits. What is the reason for late season fruit getting smaller and smaller? |
September 26, 2010 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: WI, USA Zone4
Posts: 1,887
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Weather changing or Santa Ana winds not blowing the haze away...makes 'em stunted ;-)
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September 26, 2010 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 682
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I believe the smaller tomatoes are just due as dust devil said any type of stress on the plant. My latter ones have been small as well its been super dry and the heat here this summer was insane.
I have read somewhere that there is a hormone that accumulates in the growing tips, so after the first wave of fruit production and the plant starts to slow down you can top the plant. (prune away the upper most growing tips) and it will give the plant basically a second wind. So that the hormone will build up in the remaining branches and you will get more blooms and the fruits will be normal sized. I also read somewhere else that recommended the topping but the reason they gave was that the smaller fruit forms on the higher growth and that the nutrients have to travel from the roots to the higher growth and other parts of the plant absorb them on the way. Either case I have not tried it yet as by the time I had read it it was just too late in the season but next year I will see how it works. |
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