"MUST HAVE'S" in your 2010 Garden

[Zana]

Originally Posted by salix

a&hmom, Zana - sometimes get a bit of zone envy, but the older I get the more I appreciate the "resting" season. (Besides, I think we have fewer pest and disease problems...)

True....about the fewer pests...or so it seems. And I suppose Tomato snacking dogs could be anywhere too. LOL

[geeboss]

Well being still a 2nd year newbie I'm working on reducing the number by matching up the following and growing the perceived best for 2011. Round one will be

1] German Queen vs Aunt Ginny's Purple
2] Chapman vs Cuostraleee
3] Donskoi vs Dr. Lyle
4] NAR vs. BW x NAR
5] Sophie's Choice vs Goose Creek
6] Brandy Box vs Pink Brandymaster
7] Wes vs Top Sirloin
8] Mortgage Lifter vs Limbaugh Legacy
9] Special C Tex vs Indian Stripe
10] Spudakee vs Cherokee Purple
11] CherokeeGreen vs Spears Tenn Green
12] Lucky Cross vs Northern Lights
13] VA Sweets vs Red n Yellow
14] Opalka vs Polish Linguisa
15] Jersey Devil vs San Marzano Redorta
16] KBX vs Orange Strawberry
17] Yellow BW Platfoot vs Pork Chop
18] Tom's Yellow Wonder vs Rose Beauty
19] Tomatoberry vs Sweet Million
20] Super Sweet 100 vs Santa F3
21] Juliet vs Tommy Toe
22] Millefleur vs Snow White
23] Yellow Submarine vs Yellow Ssubakus Aliana

Dwarfs
24] Lucky Leprechaun vs German Extreme Dwarf
25] Victorian Dwarf vs Polish Dwarf
26] Citron vs Golden Dwarf Champion
27] New Big Dwarf vs Demidov


Then in 2011 I'll then match the one's that faired best in 2010 to reduce the ranks one more time.

So the chosen
(1) vs (2)
(3) vs (4)
(5) vs (6)
(7) vs (8)
(9) vs (10)
(12) vs (13)
(14) vs (15)
(17) vs (18)

(19) vs (20)
(21) vs (22)
(23) vs (24)

[rnewste]

Originally Posted by Zana

True....about the fewer pests...or so it seems. And I suppose Tomato snacking dogs could be anywhere too. LOL

I'm not sure I would generalize warmer climates with pests. True, where it is humid like Florida, pests are a real problem - - but here in the San Jose area, I haven't seen a mosquito in 5 years, nor have I ever sprayed for bugs - - other than the annual Termite spray around the foundation of the house.

As we typically don't get any rain from May until October, there is virtually no standing water where pests multiply. Of course, we have our other problems like Taxes and the like to deal with.....

Raybo

[mtbigfish]

instar8
yes and my seed list keeps growing to
It's mtbigfish for Montana Big Fish - where I will eventually live - green house and all
Dennis

[AZRuss]

Originally Posted by dipchip2000

AZ and Worth

I want the Sioux and Arkansas Traveler to cover me with the 100+ degree days I know to expect in late July and August. Both are supposed to be good in hot and humid climate. Sioux is supposed to be much better than Super Sioux. I have tried to cover all bases depending what the weather decides to do. I know not all will flourish but hopefully not all will perish either. I should have some type of crop
regardless what happens.

Trust me, I know about the 100 degree days, without (June) and with humidity (July-September), though it's never as humid here as other parts of the country. I'm going to make a prediction: Sioux and Traveler are going to sit there and do nothing unless there are a few days here and there below 92 day and 72 night. Just speaking from experience, and hoping they do better for you.

The only things I've had set fruit here July through September are Cold Set and Sheyenne, and I think they got pollinated by bees swarming the basil plants. (The fruits were awful--small, cracked and dry.) Now if you can attract bees, the Sioux and Traveler might be able to do something for you in the summer. Good luck!

[barkeater]

After last years horrible weather, these were the only ones that did well, so they are my must-haves, in order:

Ramapo
Bloody Butcher
Orange-1
Early Wonder
Black Giant
Black Cherry
Moskvich
Momotaro

[k3vin]

The only variety I always put out at least a couple plants of every year is Costoluto Genovese. They are not much good for canning or fresh eating, but production and disease tolerance are consistently good... I keep them around primarily however, because they make sauce with terrific flavor. The flavor of the sauce is unlike any other variety I have tried.

[b54red]

I had 4 tomato varieties that set in the heat this past season. In order of productivity during the heat: 1st Prize, Marianna's Peace, Big Beef, and Steak Sandwich.
As for "must haves", it is getting harder and harder to decide between the really tasty and the productive.

Paul Robeson
Marianna's Peace
Brandy Boy
Big Beef
1st Prize
Cabernet
Applause (only because it is very early)

I keep adding more to my no grow list but still my "must grow" list continues to get larger and my garden space remains the same.

[camochef]

Haven't been posting much lately, it's winter! Usually I plant a few hundred tomatoes every year. Not this coming season! I do have a few favorites that I hope to get in the ground:
1. Dana's Dusky Rose
2. Amazon Chocolate
3. Sandul Moldovan
4. Lillian Maciejewski's Poland Pink
5. Barlow Jap
6. Cowlick Brandywine
7. Brandywine- Glicks
8. Shannon's South African Mystery Black
9. Tarasenko6
10. JD's Special C-Tex
11. Richardson
12. Limbaugh's Legacy potato top
A far cry from the numbers I usually plant but after this past year, I need a break. These are the best of the best the past few years and as long as the weather doesn't go completely nuts, should provide me with more than enough tomatoes. Hope everyone has a decent year ahead and I wish all the best of luck!
Camo

[TomatoDon]

Hi geeboss,

That's an interesting list. One thing that caught my eye is that sometimes you have two strong choices vs each other and later maybe two middle-of-the-pack varieties vs each other. Have you considered not having specific head-to-head competition that might eliminate a good one, and instead just grow X amount and pick the top 20, or 12 or whatever number you want? As an example, I'd rather have C Tex AND Indian Stripe (as you listed one vs the other) rather than the winner of Millefleur vs Snow White.

[rsg2001]

My must-haves: top tier
Eva Purple Ball
Sungold
Black Cherry
Cherokee Chocolate
The above always do the best in my garden, year after year. Next on the list:

Kimberly
Basinga - if I can find the seeds anywhere. Two years ago I bought one plant while visiting a nursery in Dutchess County - it was amazing.
Lemon Boy
Black
Brandywine Sudduth or Marianna's Peace
Lime Green Salad

Then there will be some others that I will try.

[MikeInCypress]

I will have about 40 plants. A variety of the "new hot things" and some tried and true varieties. My "have to haves" are
1) Sungold
2) Orange Minsk
3) JD's C-Tex
4) Brandy Boy
5) Cherokee Green
6) Snow White
7) Black Sea Man
8) Berkeley Tie Dye

I try to rotate through 200 varieties that I have seeds for for 25 or so of the remaining spots and I try to grow around 8 varieties each year that are new.

MikeInCypress

[jtharper76]

Here is my list so far:

Cherokee Purple
Black from Tula
Green Zebra
Black Zebra
Brads Black Heart
Mortgage Lifter
Brandywine (pink, PL)
Ozark
AND OTHERS..........

[Mojo]

Anyone who was at SETTFest already knows my answer:

ATKINSON!!!!!!!!!

Cherokee Purple is a "must" as well, and so is Black Krim. Everything else is expendable/exchangable. If I have suboptimal germination (and/or Roy and Shelley don't hook me up with their surplus plants), then the must-haves will include Early Goliath and Celebrity.

[walkinggin]

My must haves are few:

Cherokee Purple because it is reliably delicious
Cherokee Green because it is reliably delicious
Aunt Ginny's Purple because it is delicious and I am an egotist!

Ginny