best surprises of the season?

[remy]

My best surprise is Pork Chop. It looked so pretty, but I was afraid it would be flavorless. It ends up it does taste good!
Also after waiting a whole year and having eaten many new tomatoes, I was afraid Stump of the World would end up not living up to my memories. Not so, it is still my favorite.
Remy

[velikipop]

Remy,


I just picked and tasted my first Stump of the World tonight and it has to be the best so far. It will be a mainstay from now on. The only dissapointment is that it did not produce a lot of fruit. Is that normal?

Alex

[remy]

Originally Posted by velikipop

Remy,


I just picked and tasted my first Stump of the World tonight and it has to be the best so far. It will be a mainstay from now on. The only dissapointment is that it did not produce a lot of fruit. Is that normal?

Alex

That isn't normal for me. It is a vigorous grower, makes lots of fruit for its size, and will produce until it the season is done. Have they made flowers that didn't make fruit? Maybe something about your weather this year? I'm betting next year you'll have more fruit.
Remy

[velikipop]

OK that is good to hear. It probably is a problem on my end, I have several plants that have stopped growing and producing.

[kirchren]

My big surprises this year were Persimmon and Spears Tennessee Green. Persimmon was very prolific and produced these gorgeous bright orange tomatoes that were yummy. I was shocked by how many there were.

Spears Tennessee Green was my very first green when ripe tomato. I loved watching the skin turn yellow. They have beautiful coloring and lots of tomato taste. I have to admit, the first one I eat turned me off, just due to the color. Once I got over my prejudice though, I thoroughly enjoyed these. I'm pretty sure both varieties will be back next year.

Karen in Ohio

[Tworivers1]

My best surprises were three hearts I tried for the first time - Kosovo, German Red Strawberry and Wes. Kosovo and German Red were productive and are still producing but I only got a few tomatos from West. However, the few I got were very tasty and good sized.

[OneoftheEarls]

Redwolf

Morden Yellow

[OneoftheEarls]

Both Glacier and Polar Circle grew bigger and tasted better than anticipated


Harnas grew out first!

[rxkeith]

nicest surprise so far for me this year is pervaya lyubov from carolyns offer. productive, pretty pink fruit, pretty darn good tasting. another one i like is sylvan gaume a big oxheart type tomato. big tomato, big flavor. just not a lot of them so far.



keith

[robbins]

This year I retried Sylvan Quame - hadn't grown it for years - and was blown away by the taste and texture - dense steak like meat, sweet and absolutly delicious. On the down side - very few seeds.
Pink Sweet - lovely pink fruit, nice complex flavor.
Virginia Sweet - mountains of big bicolor tomatoes - sweet creamy fruit.
Boloto - green when ripe - wonderful flavor.
Bear Creek - always great!

[habitat_gardener]

I had a big surprise yesterday, a tomato that tasted unlike any other tomato I'd tried. The person who grew it called it Orange Russian (maybe OR 117?). Very fruity! Of course, I saved seeds.

Of the ones I've grown, Tobolsk is a great-tasting and productive large orange tomato, and Purple Brandy is a good purple, not as productive as Tobolsk, with a more assertive flavor. Early in the season Ludmilla's Pink Heart was great, but it produced only for a month and then it was done. George O'Brien is a productive and good-tasting juicy red plum/paste tomato.

I'm still waiting for a couple dozen or so June-planted varieties to ripen, including most of the ones from Carolyn's seed offer.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by habitat_gardener

I had a big surprise yesterday, a tomato that tasted unlike any other tomato I'd tried. The person who grew it called it Orange Russian (maybe OR 117?). Very fruity! Of course, I saved seeds.

Of the ones I've grown, Tobolsk is a great-tasting and productive large orange tomato, and Purple Brandy is a good purple, not as productive as Tobolsk, with a more assertive flavor. Early in the season Ludmilla's Pink Heart was great, but it produced only for a month and then it was done. George O'Brien is a productive and good-tasting juicy red plum/paste tomato.

I'm still waiting for a couple dozen or so June-planted varieties to ripen, including most of the ones from Carolyn's seed offer.

The variety you refer to is called Orange Russian #117, called by some Dawson's Orange Russian #117 b;c Jeff Dawson bred it by crossing Russian # 117 , a red double heart, with Georgia Streak, a typical gold/red bicolor and OR #117 is a selection from that cross.

I've grown ORussian #117 but still prefer the original Russian #117.

[maryinoregon]

Another green tomato summer here in the Pacific Northwest, at least, this part of it. I have had a few cherries and a friend has shared some Manitobas with me. Sigh. It's been cool and overcast as of late. Some definite rain showers. At least it will help with the forest fires.

Even using WOWs has not worked for me this year. I may need to build a hoop house for next summer.

And if my neighbors large trees were gone, I would have a lot more sun in the garden. Wish a few of those trees were gone. Yes, I do like trees. Double sigh...

[Tania]

In the last two weeks the best tomato surprise was a variety called 'Polan'. It started slowly (... as most tomatoes here in PNW this summer...), but got loaded with small to medium dark pink fruits that are so meaty and deliciously sweet.

Sakharnyi Pudovichok is still great, I picked another fruit today and had it in a salad - so good!

Watermelon Beefsteaks are now tasting great also. I love it.

Solguld - a new tomato I got from Sweden last year. It is a Sweden attempt to stabilize Sungold F1, and it is very good. The fruits are the same size and shape as Big Sungold Select, but yellow and not orange. Plants are compact and grow well in 3 gal pots. Taste is sweet and tangy at the same time, it is juicy but meaty. Excellent.

Tania

[Tormato]

A possible PL heart is the biggest surprise.

A lesser surprise is that U2 (aka Elbonian Mud Ball) F2 doesn't have an earthy taste, this year.

Gary