2014 tomatoes & more

[efisakov]

This year I will attempt to grow a bit more than 40 varieties of tomatoes. Sandul Moldovan will not be one of the survivors.
Few were picked already.
Matina - straggles with invasion of spider mites. I have grown Matina a few years ago. It was early enough and productive for me. The taste was ok for an early tomato. But... Black Cherry is better. So, no Matina next year. Black Cherry was just couple of days behind it.

Cherokee Purple Heart had some bugs penetrating it. I had to cut almost half of two tomatoes picked still somewhat pink. Never the less they were delicious.

Brandywine black had BER on small tomato. Looking forward the big one right next to it.

The 3 Carbon tomatoes picked still pink were more than 30 ounces in total. They will make my BLT tomorrow.
(first two pictures)

Picked one Cherokee Purple that came from a fused bloom, more than a pound. Ugly looking fella. Will let it ripen inside.
(third picture)

Last but not least is one Vorlon tomato 9.5 ounces. The plant is loaded with more than a dozen good size tomatoes. First time growing. Looking forward to tasting.
(last picture)

[efisakov]

Cherokee Purple Heart. So far picked four tomatoes at 4 to 5.5 ounces. Few more getting ripe.
Screen Shot 2014-07-27 at 9.05.54 AM.png
Vorlon had given 9.5, 11.3 ounce tomatoes and about a dozen in total are still on the wine.
Screen Shot 2014-07-27 at 9.11.56 AM.png
Got some cucumbers. The light colored are Armenian (23.6 oz the biggest one).
Screen Shot 2014-07-27 at 9.14.39 AM.png
This picture has 3 Big Rainbow (bottom row), 1 Cherokee Chocolate (this was 15.6 oz and the other picked earlier were 9.5, 8.5), 2 JD's Special C-Tex (15.5, 11.5 oz) and the Japanese Suyo cucumber (20.4 oz).
Screen Shot 2014-07-27 at 9.16.28 AM.png
The last picture of a Carbon.
Screen Shot 2014-07-27 at 9.18.22 AM.png

[pinklady5]

They look fabulous! How is the taste of Volron? I've been enjoying Barlow Jap and Prudens Purple all week and soon I will be able to taste Indian Stripe for the first time.

[efisakov]

Originally Posted by pinklady5

They look fabulous! How is the taste of Volron? I've been enjoying Barlow Jap and Prudens Purple all week and soon I will be able to taste Indian Stripe for the first time.

Vorlon and JD are both taste good. This summer is not as hot as black tomato would like it to be, so the taste is a bit less than expected. I am still waiting for Black Master to compare.
Last year it was the best along with Sara Black and Big Rainbow. Brads Black Heart gave some awesome tasting tomatoes but was not as consistent in production. The season just started.
Barlow Jap and Prudens Purple are late for me. Just set the fruits.
I still have spider mites infestation (same as last year). Plus some bugs and looks like septoria, bacterial deceases... well, there we go again.
I will be happy with what I will get.
Two plants have died, few more are almost there.
I am growing more than 40 varieties this year, looking for the best tasting, producing and survivors...
Black Cherry was picked today. One plant gave more than two pounds...
I have two BIG tomatoes on the same truss, it is Claude Brown’s Y. Giant. Can't wait to pick them. They do look gorgeous. Pictured below.

[efisakov]

Screen Shot 2014-07-27 at 1.34.05 PM.png
Picked tomatoes almost ripe, due to the rain.
Top row: 3 Vorlon tomatoes 11.6, 17.7, 10.0 oz.
Second from the top: 2 Cherokee Chocolate 7.9, 13.8 oz.
Second from the bottom: Black Master 8.7 oz, Berkley Tie-Dye Heart 4.8 oz.
Bottom row: Cherokee Purple Heart 8.3 oz, Brad’s Black Heart 10.5 oz.
Will have to pick few Carbon later as well.

[efisakov]

I have pulled Sara Black and Amazon Chocolate today. Both stems at the bottom were infected. Brownish inside.
For Amazon Chocolate I used the same batch of seeds 3 years in a row. All died right after setting some fruit. I am able to pick small green tomatoes. I believe I have bad batch of seeds.
For Sara Black I have one batch of seeds that were not true and/or died too soon (from e-bay) and another new one from Mark. I grew last year seeds from Mark, they were big loaded and delicious. This year I decided to give a chance to both. Sara Black from Mark has big tomatoes and there are at least a dozen of them. I will be picking first ripe very soon.
Mark, thank you again. That shows you how important it is to have good batch of seeds.

[efisakov]

I am growing in containers 2 Rosella Purple Dwarf plants. One is 21 inch tall and the other is 37 inches.
The smaller plant gave me one ripe tomato 5.1 ounces.
The bigger plant has 4 small size tomatoes. It set them earlier but they are not ripening.

Here is Rosella Purple Dwarf tomato (5.1 oz) next to small Big Rainbow tomato (4.6 oz).

[efisakov]

First Cuostralee, 13 ounces. I did like the taste. The weird thing is that top and bottom pieces of tomato tasted differently. Top was sweeter.

[efisakov]

More cucumbers.

[efisakov]

Grandma Viney’s Y. & P. (9.5 ounces) next to Big Rainbow (7.5 ounces).
Second picture is of Grandma Viney’s Y. & P. sliced. Nice sweet taste.

[efisakov]

Vorlon, 22.6 ounces.

[efisakov]

Sara Black, 16.4, 11.9 and 4.7 onces.

[efisakov]

Carbon, 11.9, 8.9, and 4.0 ounces.

[Tania]

Ella, you've got such a great harvest! Lovely pictures. You are going heavy on blacks this year, aren't you?

We are a bit behind you here in Pacific Northwest, the large tomatoes just about to start ripening here.

Tatiana

[efisakov]

Thank you, Tania. What are you harvesting now?
I planted my tomatoes later this year than the last two years by 3 weeks. Winter was cold and long. The temperature during the month of July is lower than the average. My black tomatoes like it hot. The taste is not what it is usually. It is at 7 or 8. Some plants are doing great, setting many good size maters. So far we picked 35 pounds.
I have 4 plants that got sick and was pulled: Sandul Moldovan, Amazon Chocolate, Sara, and Peg’s Round Orange. Peg’s Round Orange was loaded with green tomatoes (52 ounces). I harvested them and sampling once they ripen. I like the taste. Will give it a chance next year again.
I will not grow Mortgage Lifter. Two years in a row not impressed with taste or production. Either my seeds are not good or this tomato does not like me.