Best hybrid this year goes to................?

[feldon30]

http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/...go=submit

Originally Posted by Parks.com

Diva is an all-female variety, so expect big yields.

[feldon30]

Not to be confused with Rose Sweet Quartz Multiflora the Third?

[FlipTX]

I think Diva is parthenocarpic so it doesn't need to be pollinated. Other gynoecious varieties may need a separate pollinator.

Speaking of which... Has anyone grown any parthenocarpic tomatoes that are worthwhile? Maybe they'd be good for growing in the "cold" Houston months?

[feldon30]

As far as I know, tomato pollenation will take place if temperatures remain between 47 and 74 (the rule of 4774) degrees for a few days.

Michael (Deer Park) and others have reported continued tomato harvests through January. Houston has maybe 3-5 frost days per year and sometimes they don't come until January or February. Although I have heard repeatedly that fall tomatoes don't come out as good as summer varieties. I have yet to see anyone enumerate exactly what that means. I'm assuming that ripening in cool, wet weather instead of 80-90 degrees affects the flavor? It can't be an accident that most of the suggested fall tomato varieties are Russian.

I will hopefully learn a lot from the 2 fall growing seminars in Houston next month. Cornelius Nurseries Tomato Clinic (PDF) on July 8th at 10:15am and the Fall Vegetable Garden class at UrbanHarvest on July 29th 9:30am-12:30pm.

[barkeater]

Yes Flip, Diva is parthenocarpic so does not need a pollinator. I don't know of any tomatoes that are pc, unless maybe Oregon Spring, which I tried many years ago, which didn't impress me. However, Diva is the best pickling cuke I've ever grown, practically seedless early on and when picked small later.

[travis]

JD,

I thought SW Indiana was the Land Without Spring. Wow, you Jayhawkers got some radical season changes beyond our fickle weather flips!

Keep us posted on the Gurney Girls. They sound interesting. I'm always looking for a tasty hybrid ... you know ... early, round, crackless, tasty, reliable, etc.

PV

[travis]

Bark,

There are other parthenocarpic tomatoes besides Oregon Spring. J.R. Baggett has been working almost exclussively on them for PNW growing conditions.

For a discussion of open field trial of genetically modified parthenocarpic tomatoes, link here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6750/5/32

To link to an abstract of a paper discussing parthenocarpic tomatoes developed from crossing and back crossing with a cultivar named Severlanin, link here: http://www.actahort.org/books/200/200_16.htm

James R. Bagget has developed Oregon Star and Oregon Pride as parthenocarpic tomatoes. Here’s a little article about Baggett: http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/breeder_Baggett.htm

And here’s a nice article about some parthenocarpic tomatoes J.R. Baggett sent out to Long Island Seed Project for trials: http://www.liseed.org/tomosu.html

PV

[carolyn137]

I still say that of all the hybrid tomatoes I've grown the best tasting have been the Harris varieties Moreton Hybrid, Supersonic and Jet Star.

Moreton Hybrid is no longer available.

And Ramapo F1 is another great one, but we've discussed this one ad nauseum as to no longer available and my distribution of seeds from dehybridizing it.

And say what you must but two of the earliest hybrids released, Big Boy and Better Boy are still pretty darn good tasting varieties. Is it b'c they both have the large pink heirloom Teddy Jones as one parent? :wink:

Jim Baggestt retired a couple of years ago and I don't know if his parthenocarpic work is being carried on by anyone else. I've grown a few of them and find them to be soft fleshed and pretty much tasteless and in my mind not worth growing.

They were bred for the PNW and cool springs but there's other varieties that might work better than those parthencarpic ones. And his variety Legend will go down in history just as that, a legend, b'c it sure didn't perform the way it was supposed to re disease tolerance, that's for sure.

[nctomatoman]

...and here is what I think of some of the better known hybrids -

Moreton - big yawn on taste or productivity
Jet Star - ditto
Supersonic - pretty good tomato
Whopper - the original was very good indeed
Better boy - my pre-heirloom standard. Just fine.
Big Girl - not very good tasting at all, though productive
Burpee VF hybrid - fair at best
Lemon Boy - I really like this variety, and still grow it on occasion
Better Girl - Excellent variety
Ultra Boy - Right up there with Better Boy
Supersteak - very disappointing in yield and flavor
Big Pick - Excellent productivity and flavor
Early Cascade - produced plenty, but we didn't really enjoy eating them!
Firebird - pink that JSS used to offer - very, very good
Ultra Sweet - ultra productive and ultra bland and ultra hard

[Deer Park]

Craig,

Have you grown Top Sirlion?

Michael

[nctomatoman]

No, Michael - aside from a few hybrid cherries that I did not list (Sungold, Sweet Gold, Golden Gem, Sweet Million, Sweet 100, Sweet Orange, Sun Sugar, Golden Honey Bunch, Jenny, Jolly), my list is the extent of my hybrid growing. My garden is now 98% open pollinated varieties, and has been since about 1988.

[sirtanon]

Wow, I'm surprised nobody has yet mentioned Big Beef. Of all the hybrids I've grown, it is by far the most productive, vigorous, and flavorful.

[Andrey_BY]

Gavrish is the best and most famous Russian seed company for tomato hybrids founded by proffessor Sergey Gavrish.

http://www.gavrish.ru/products/index_en.html#tomato

I've tried a lot of their OP and hybrids and very delighed with:

La-La-Fa F1 (determinate)
Kostroma F1 (semideterminate, bunchy)
Funtik F1 (indeterminate with excellent taste)
Russky Razmer F1 (Russian Size F1) - one of the biggest Russian varieties (up to 2.5 kg) and one of best in taste!