best surprises of the season?

[heirloomdaddy]

For me it's got to be Green Giant. I think it's my favorite tomato...at least for now.

This thing is pumping out beast-sized tomatoes of incredible flavor...all this from an experiment growing my first GWR.

what about you guys?

[ubergoober]

Couldn't tell you yet...the only thing ripening right now are my cherry varieties.

[TomatoDon]

Purple Haze.....

[Wi-sunflower]

I'm with ubergoober, not much ripening yet.

Last year we didn't have hardly any heat in our area so had problems getting ripe tomatoes before Labor Day. This year we have had plenty of heat and humidity yet the tomatoes are still a bit slow to ripen. I think Hubby may have overdone it with the pre-plant fertilizer again. Nice plants but a bit late with the tomatoes.

Carol

[Timmah!]

Druzba, Eva Purple Ball, Brandywine, Aunt Ginnie's Purple, Earl's Faux are setting fruit nicely. I'm really liking EPB & Druzba's beautiful, round, blemish free, tasty fruits. Druzba laughs @ the Bacterial & Septoria spot, hardly a leaf on it with any problems, even though it's neighbors have many leaves on the lower regions with it when I neglected my spraying. EPB & Pineapple are very tolerant also, so far.

[FILMNET]

WHAT !!!!!! no ripe fruit yet, come on?????? its August 6, healthy gardens have already given ton of cherries and a few ripened fruit for 9 different plants. and we live by the ocean on North shore of Ma. Maine is 15 miles north.
But i have picked my fruits each early , ripened inside?

[austinnhanasmom]

My fruits are just ripening as well but so far -

Dana's Dusky Rose - tomato

[ubergoober]

Depending on zones and plant out dates....yeah some gardens are not even ripening yet lol. I have only had cherries and one Siberian come into the house.

[FILMNET]

Zone 6 cold coast so actually 6.5, planted in ground May 15 = 70+ days

[discrepancy]

Originally Posted by FILMNET

WHAT !!!!!! no ripe fruit yet, come on?????? its August 6, healthy gardens have already given ton of cherries and a few ripened fruit for 9 different plants. and we live by the ocean on North shore of Ma. Maine is 15 miles north.
But i have picked my fruits each early , ripened inside?

Haha, deep south here, no ripe fullsized maters yet. Plant out date around May 21st.

My plants sulked for over a month after going into the ground 'cause of a nonstop parade of problems.

Plus the heat's been too ridiculous, so even the flowers that get pollinated and set fruit have a decent chance of dying anyway (glares at her Gold Medal). I've got a few full sized tomatoes on the vine right now, but they probably won't start coloring until late August. Bah!

I'll start earlier next year.

[danwigz]

My biggest "surprise" right now is the Cherokee Purple. I had heard it was good, but I guess I didn't understand. I've been eating BLT's for a week and been enjoying every bite.

I've also had a few of my JBT's and am a little disappointed with it, its a good tomato, the skin is just a little thick for my current tastes, and its a bit too wet to use as a good sauce tomato.

I'm also surprised that my Green Zebra's don't have a singe ripe fruit. 8 plants and nothings ripe Grrrrr...


Danwigz

[huntoften]

I'm about done thanks to a month of 90's for highs, mid-70's for lows, high humidity, loads of rain and my garden looks like a blight/fungal bomb went off in it. I've lost or am losing probably 50% of my plants. I got off of my regimen of spraying daconil due to the storms and whatnot and it's because of my negligence that the garden is going downhill fast. Fortunately, we peaked a few weeks ago and had awesome harvests for about a month.

Sungold, Carbon, and Brandywine Suduuth were new to me this year and will definitely be making a return next year.

I think I'm going to forgo planting any roma's next year and replacing them with Opalka. Opalka is just so reliable, less BER, and more resistant to blight in my experiences...besides, they are too cool!

My friends do some amazing tomato art and they just used Opalkas recently...check it out! www.tomatotown.org is their site.

[recruiterg]

I am pleasantly surprised with Hege German Pink. Fairly early, very productive, very tasty.

[goodwin]

To start, a couple of hearts - Wes and Maria Amazalitei's. Here's a photo of Wes on the vine - each tomato well over a pound, I'd guess.

Lee

[nctomatoman]

In what is turning out to be the most difficult and disappointing tomato season in all of my gardening years, surprises (at least positive ones) are few....

Speckled Roman - yielding heavily when most other varieties are barely fruiting - I've not grown it in a few years, and forgot what a nice tomato it is in all respects

Nepal - I've not grown it in many years - it was the tomato that converted me from Better Boy to OP varieties in 1986 - and am again knocked out by the flavor. Tomatopalooza experience reinforces how important seed source is - the Nepals there were bland, but I am growing from seed descended from my original JSS seed in 1986.

Wherokowhai - one of the Dwarf varieties coming along, descended from Lucky Cross - looked and tasted just like Lucky Cross! Very promising...a potato leaf, bicolored, medium large dwarf with great flavor.

Dwarf Mr. Snow - another of the dwarfs, a large cream colored (very pale yellow toward white), oblate potato leaf dwarf with outstanding flavor. This one is just about ready for release.

Perth Pride - yet another of the dwarfs, medium smooth purple oblate, nice touch of tartness to the full flavor, one of the better tomatoes at Tomatopalooza - another that is nearing release readiness!

Out of 200 or so plants, such a short list of pleasant surprises...ah me!