Factors Influencing Flavor

[organichris]

I think we could all agree that the single most prominent factor in determining a tomato's taste is genetics. However, beyond that, what else, if anything, can help a tomato reach its full genetic potential for flavor?

Perhaps little if any of this can be scientifically proven. Maybe we can say that such and such tomato grown in such and such a way had a higher sugar content or something, but I doubt anyone has really ever produced a study that could conclusively prove why a tomato grown in one way makes a better tomato than the same tomato grown differently.

What am I saying? Nothing really, except to preface these questions: In your experience (and, mind you, this is just personal experience), what if anything do you believe has been a major influence in improving the flavor of your tomatoes? Here are some things we've all heard thrown around: soil quality or fertility, organics, optimum irrigation, pruning, high leaf to fruit ratio, climate, overall plant health, and fertilizer or soil amendments.

What say you, Tomatovillians?

[Mudman]

I think watering can have alot to do with it. I read somewhere that overwatering could influence flavor and last year my area got more rain than I can ever remember. My Brandywines tasted no different than a tomato from the grocery store. Much softer but flavorless and watery.

[remy]

Water, temperature, and sunlight are the big 3 for me. Since I do every thing pretty much the same every year, in a warm sunny years with not too much rain(but enough that the plants grow well), I think they taste better.
Remy

[nctomatoman]

Some people swear by soil as the determining factor - the elusive "Jersey tomato" flavor characteristic...I've gotten into arguments at parties, and while selling seedlings, with people who claim that they've never tasted anything like it with any tomato grown anywhere else. Of course it isn't scientific, and memories of flavor are impacted by many things, such as missing living somewhere particularly favored....

I know that when we lived in Pennsylvania, we got to try Jersey tomatoes - there were great ones and not so great ones - and they didn't top the Brandywines or Cherokee Purples I grew in my own garden. And I will put a well grown Lucky Cross or Lillian's Yellow or Green Giant or Cherokee Purple from my driveway pots in a good season against any "Jersey" tomato.

I tend to think aside from genetics/variety, it is whatever the particular growing season is doing to the mechanics of the plant as it ripens fruit.

[RayR]

I agree with Remy's "big 3", we do live in the same area, but I think those three factors would apply equally in any area of the country regardless of what other specific environmental challenges you face or what cultural practices you choose to use as a gardener. Extremes in water, sunlight or temperature in one direction or the other is going to have consequences on other factors that will affect general plant health, yield and fruit taste like soil biology, nutrient uptake and pressures from pathogens and insects.
I think from personal experience the best tasting tomatoes come from the healthiest plants, how you achieve that (sometimes in spite of what Mother Nature throws at you) is a matter of experimenting to find what varieties and what gardening methods work best for you.

[shlacm]

So, how do you keep tomatoes from being BLAH when it rains a lot?

[attml]

One thing that I will add is that I never fertilize on a day when I know I am going to pick a beautiful tomato that I have been watching grow and ripen. In my experience when you fertilize (in the morning) and pick tomatoes in the afternoon the flavor seems altered and has a chemical flavor to it. That is very disapointing when you are expecting a good tomato flavor!

[feldon30]

Amount of sunlight.
Addition of compost.
Avoiding overnight temperatures below 50.

I think those are substantial factors beyond variety selection.

Tomatopalooza 7 fell just after several days of cool, wet weather. Nearly every tomato had a muted flavor as a result.

[b54red]

Almost everything mentioned in the above posts can affect flavor. I believe that soil and climate can make a big difference in the flavor of the same variety. Frequent heavy rains and cooler temps can negatively affect the flavor. After many years of growing tomatoes and trying hundreds of different varieties I would have to say that the biggest single factor is the genetics of the individual variety. Why else would the tastes vary so from variety to variety when they are all grown at the same time and under the same conditions.

[frankkj]

I am inclined to agree with genetics. After all, we just like some varities of tomatoes better than others. That said, I believe the health of the plant and the conditions under which it is grown play a large part in the final development of taste.

Many years ago, more than I will admit to, we used to buy tomatoes from a home gardner. They were undoubtably the most delicious tomatoes I have ever eaten. I do not know what variety they were, but I do remember vividly one of his cultural practicies. He would grow eack tomato to a single vine, staked on a stout 6-7' stake. All leaves and branches were removed below the currently ripening tomato cluster. As those were picked, more leaves and stems were removed. He grew tomato plants all summer long like this. The other thing I remember is that he spaced his plants 4-5' apart.

I didn't mean to get so long winded with all this, but I just wonder if possibly our practices and tomato culture have an effect on taste. Many of us group plants close together to conserve space. Most of us cage, Florida weave, etc. to reduce time pruning, prevent sun scald, or other reasons. After growing tomatoes for personel use for over forty years, I have tried many things in quest of the ultimate tomato taste. For some reason, I never tried the above cultural practice. Think I am going to go out now and start a few more plants.

Frank

[cushman350]

Originally Posted by frankkj

I am inclined to agree with genetics. After all, we just like some varities of tomatoes better than others. That said, I believe the health of the plant and the conditions under which it is grown play a large part in the final development of taste.

Many years ago, more than I will admit to, we used to buy tomatoes from a home gardner. They were undoubtably the most delicious tomatoes I have ever eaten. I do not know what variety they were, but I do remember vividly one of his cultural practicies. He would grow eack tomato to a single vine, staked on a stout 6-7' stake. All leaves and branches were removed below the currently ripening tomato cluster. As those were picked, more leaves and stems were removed. He grew tomato plants all summer long like this. The other thing I remember is that he spaced his plants 4-5' apart.


Frank

I thought when the toms start their blush, the tom was "shut off" from the plant.

Released: July 18, 2005At First Blush, Harvest TomatoesMANHATTAN, Kan. – When they reach a certain age, tomatoes – Americans’ favorite garden vegetable, which is really a fruit – start acting like teenagers. All they do is hang around. They’re in the throes of suddenly active hormones – which in the tomatoes’ case, produce gas! They’re still attached to their vine, but become totally closed off from its day-to-day operations.Vegetables guru Chuck Marr says this “adolescent” stage is when tomatoes need to leave the vine.

If this is true, seems anything done to the plant after fruit blushing would have no effect. Confusing?

[b54red]

I had my tomatoes spaced about 6 to 10 ft last year but allowed too many stems to develop so they all became a huge mass on the trellis at times. I had one bed with the tomatoes less than 3 ft apart and did better with my pruning and that was the most productive bed and the tomatoes on average lived longer. I don't see how the lack of leaves would really make the tomato taste better but for me it helps with air circulation to limit the stems and keep the foliage thinned somewhat.


This year I am planting much closer but limiting the stems to two on most of the plants. I don't know if it will work better but it sure is easier when it comes to tying them up to my trellis. I find it awfully hard to cut off a nice healthy fork or sucker with blooms on it but I am doing it. Boy, some of these varieties send out a lot of suckers and fork every foot or so. It sure is easier to prune than tie up so I'm liking this method so far. Maybe they will taste better.

[desertlzbn]

The hard part for me is that I have to irrigate since it only rains 2 or 3 times a year here. If I don't irrigate EVERYDAY my plants are wilted. I have a hard time with figuring out when and how much to water.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by desertlzbn

The hard part for me is that I have to irrigate since it only rains 2 or 3 times a year here. If I don't irrigate EVERYDAY my plants are wilted. I have a hard time with figuring out when and how much to water.

Do you use soaker hoses? I am using cypress mulch that is fairly cheap at less than 2 dollars a bag and I am finding it is holding in water much better than anything I have tried before. It has cut my watering in half. I put it down 3 to 4 inches thick over a couple of sheets of newspaper as a weed barrier.

As long as you don't have large fruits on the plants you could try thoroughly soaking the ground by letting the water run for a long time and if you have a good mulch it should hold the moisture for longer. When fruit develops good you would need to use less or it will affect the taste or cause splitting.

[frankkj]

Cushman:
I'm not touting what I reported as the ultimate way to grow great toatoes. What I said was this was how one successful gardner did it. I have not grown tomatoes using this proceedure, until this year, and I am trialing a few plants this way.

Although I have no scientific proof, nor can I remember where I read it, I do not believe that developing fruits derive any benefit from leaves lower on the stem. If anyone knows the answer to this, please chime in.

Incidently, the old gardner I was talking about planted on flat top rows, which he kept clean of weeds, grass, and mulch. He and his wife watered each individual plant every evening with a hosepipe (water hose for those that do not speak Southern). As I said, this fellow would have tomatoes for sale all summer long here in south Louisiana, and they were the best I remember having ever eaten.

Sorry for getting off topic, but just suggesting that plant health, and the growing conditions that affect that health, may have more to do with taste than we give credit for.

Frank