2016 Garden Tomato Results

[Nan_PA_6b]

Hi folks,
Here are the results from my & my mom's gardens. Everything was "dry farmed" (read "neglected"). I observe that I'm "tomato taste impaired," seemingly can't taste a lot of the flavors in some tomatoes. (Also note DH will eat anything.)

Big Beef
Mum: Best tasting! Flavorful! Great!
Sis: Best tasting! Great! Also great dried!
Me: Bland fresh, dried.
DH: It's good!
Productivity: Low, but they were in too shady a spot &/or overcrowded.
Notes: Invited back & will receive sunny place of honor

Black Cherry
Mum: Wonderful cherry!
Sis: <won't eat "wrong colored" tomatoes> She did admit it was good dried.
Me: bland.
DH: It's good!
Productivity: churned 'em out, both in sun & in part shade. Fruits bigger in sun.
Notes: Fruits cracked when the rains came. Very tall plants; about 7-8'. Invited back.

Black Krim
Mum: It's good.
Sis: <won't eat "wrong colored" tomatoes>
Me: Bland fresh, good dried.
DH: It's good!
Productivity: So-so. May have been overcrowded &/or too shady.
Notes: Nice sized beefsteaks. Give it full sun. Not invited back.

Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red
Mum: Bland
Sis: Bland
Me: Bland
DH: It's good!
Productivity: low; 18 small fruits on this plant. The fruits were smaller than advertised. May have been too shady.
Notes: Small plant. If you plant it, give it full sun & more water. Not invited back.

Costoluto Genovese
Mum: Ew!
Sis: Ew!
Me: Just tasted wrong; no sweetness at all. And, bland. Nobody liked it dried, either.
DH: It's good!
Productivity: Excellent. 59 fruits on this plant. We had more very attractive, horrible tasting 'maters than we knew what to do with.
Notes: Beautiful ruffled large fruit. Plant sprawled. Not invited back

Early Girl
Mum: Second best tomato ever! Also great fried green.
Sis: It's good. Very good dried.
Me: Bland.
DH: It's good!
Productivity: Holy Moly! This thing was really productive: 105 fruits on this plant.
Notes: Was next to a plant that died of wilt, but that hybrid wilt resistance kept it healthy as advertised. Invited back.

Green Berkeley's Tye Dye
Mum: Flavorful!
Sis: <won't eat "wrong colored" tomatoes>
Me: I can taste this! It's great, just a little too tart, and almost too strong tasting to eat!
DH: It's good!
Productivity: so-so; 22 fruits on this plant. Probably wants water and a little more sunshine.
Notes: Beautiful colored fruits. Too strong even when unripe, for fried green tomatoes, although they taste great.

Gregory's Altai
Mum: It's average.
Sis: Meh. Bland dried.
Me: Finally! A good, strong taster!
DH: It's good!
Productivity: Fantastic, until it died of wilt, breaking my heart. 29 fruits before dying early.
Notes: Grew back from the ground in November. Not invited back.

Julia Child
Mum: Good to very good.
Sis: N/A
Me: I got exactly one bite of one fruit. Eyes rolled back in my head.
DH: N/A
Productivity: Made a ton of greenery, died of wilt. 13 diseased fruit = TWO BITES of goodness.
Notes: Probably tastes fantastic, under perfect conditions. Grew back from the roots in November, made a lot more greenery. Not invited back.

Matina
Mum: Flavorful. Good fried green, too.
Sis: It's good. Good fried green, too.
Me: It's good.
DH: It's good!
Productivity: This small plant chugged along churning out very small (1-1.5") tasty tomatoes until frost. 77 fruits from this plant.
Notes: This plant was beside and in front of plants which died of wilt. Matina didn't even blink. Small & would do well in containers. Give it more water & I bet it's a winner.

Riesentraube
Mum: It's good.
Sis: N/A
Me: It's mild but good, just a little sweet, not candy.
DH: It's good!
Productivity: Stupefyingly low. This plant was crowded and it produced 18 cherry tomatoes.
Notes: Give it space, and probably more water, if you want fruit. I had low germination on this one, too.

Tommy Toe
Mum: Too mealy.
Sis: Best plant ever! There's always a handful of 'em! Great taste! Not good dried.
Me: Bland
DH: It's good!
Productivity: Awesome super heavy. Produces clusters like a cherry, but the fruits are up to 2". Tastes like a big tomato, so I'm told. Slowed down in the November cold but kept going.
Notes: Did well in sun and in shade. This was the last plant standing in Sis's garden which was obliterated by early blight.

Yellow pear
Mum: Too mild fresh, but excellent dehydrated.
Sis: Too mild fresh, but excellent dehydrated.
Me: Too mild fresh, but excellent dehydrated.
DH: It's good!
Productivity: Very good, even in partial shade.
Notes: Huge plants. One fought off wilt very well; the others didn't even get it. Everyone should dehydrate these.

Nan