Early Det. Mkt Varieties - Page 2

dice · October 10, 2012

"Value-added food processors can just add some 'tomato flavor'
to it. Catsup is 'catsup flavored', it does not matter if the original
tomatoes were tasteless or not. Processed tomatoes in
end products are a much larger market than fresh tomatoes,
so that is what plant breeders have targeted."

That would be my guess.

clkeiper · October 11, 2012

I think a lot of people just don't realize what good food, (whether it is tomatoes, peppers or meat), actually tastes like. Anything that comes from the grocery store is what a vast majority of people thinks that is just what the food always tastes like. No wonder that they need salt, sugar and fat to make it palatable, huh?

Cole_Robbie · November 27, 2012

My commercial pick right now would be Sunshine F1 from Seminis. But what stinks is that I only want about 100 seeds, yet the smallest quantity I can find is 500 from Harris for an eye-popping $38.50.

I just looked at tomato grower's supply, and they at least sell small quantities. The early red determinates they offer which interest me are:

Better Bush
Bush Beefsteak
Bush Early Girl
Legend
New Yorker
Oregon Spring
Red Rocket
Siletz
Sugar Baby

I had Bush Early Girl last year. I did not realize that it is a determinate.

Territorial has 'Beaverlodge' which I had great luck with outdoors and might try in containers as well. They say it's a 55-day determinate with "compact growth," but it seems like my plants got gigantic last summer and resembled a sprawling indeterminate.

If anyone has input on anything from the TGS list above, that would be great. I'd also love to hear from anyone who's grown the Sunshine F1. It's supposed to be from the "sunrise" family.

clkeiper · November 27, 2012

I grew Oregon Spring two years ago. I wasn't willing to eat more than one of them. Mine were mealy, bland and I thought the skin was a little tough. Hardly big enough to slice and too large to call a salad tomato. I didn't try it last year. I should again, just to be fair, though. If you wanted them for sauce or cooking they would probably be fine. Just my opinion.

Cole_Robbie · November 27, 2012

Thank you. That's exactly what I was looking for in the way of reviews. That's one less variety I have to try.

I'm theorizing that if the seed company does not say something positive about the flavor in the description of the variety, it's probably going to be awful. The Sunshine description says "good for vine-ripe production." I wonder if that means it tastes ok?

clkeiper · November 27, 2012

I have never heard of sunshine. I buy from several seed vendors and it is not listed in any of my catalogs. The one is a commercial supplier only and has a fairly extensive list to choose from.

The year I grew legend it rained EVERY day. It really didn't do very well in our weather that year, I know someone else who says it is a great tomato for him. There are factors we just can't control sometimes.

O.S. was in a high tunnel the same year so I had no weather issues with foliar related disease.

Keger · November 27, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

My commercial pick right now would be Sunshine F1 from Seminis. But what stinks is that I only want about 100 seeds, yet the smallest quantity I can find is 500 from Harris for an eye-popping $38.50.

I just looked at tomato grower's supply, and they at least sell small quantities. The early red determinates they offer which interest me are:

Better Bush
Bush Beefsteak
Bush Early Girl
Legend
New Yorker
Oregon Spring
Red Rocket
Siletz
Sugar Baby

I had Bush Early Girl last year. I did not realize that it is a determinate.

Territorial has 'Beaverlodge' which I had great luck with outdoors and might try in containers as well. They say it's a 55-day determinate with "compact growth," but it seems like my plants got gigantic last summer and resembled a sprawling indeterminate.

If anyone has input on anything from the TGS list above, that would be great. I'd also love to hear from anyone who's grown the Sunshine F1. It's supposed to be from the "sunrise" family.

Bro I dont know about your part of the country, but I did Red Rocket this year and they were first, but not that productive. Maybe better where you are, I just dont know.

Cole_Robbie · November 27, 2012

I suspected that, thanks. The pic I saw of a plant did look small.

goodwin · November 27, 2012

Polfast from Pinetree will set a bunch early. However, I think they may have replaced it. About 5 oz, deep red, with good midseason flavor. This is from the hoop house the year before last.

Lee

Cole_Robbie · November 28, 2012

Great pic. Thanks. I have had "polbig." I didn't realize the 'pol' was short for Polish.

dice · November 28, 2012

I grew Siletz last year. The plant looked like Lee's picture of Polfast,
with maybe a bit more leaf cover. Flavor was what I think of as
commercial: not sweet, not zingy, but I have had many far blander
tomatoes. Fruit were a bit large to can, many would not fit through
the mouth of a wide-mouth mason jar without forcing them. It was
legitimately early. I grew it in a spot where verticillium killed Danko
the year before, and Siletz did not flinch.

New Yorker has a bit more flavor and smaller fruit, about
the same DTM.

Cole_Robbie · November 30, 2012

Thanks dice.

I just recently realized that "tumbling tom," which was one of my hanging basket varieties, is indeterminate. I thought they were awful to eat, but I have had customers coming back saying how much they liked to eat them, and that they loved how the plant lasted all summer. They were eager to buy more hanging basket plants next year, so I'm going to grow them again.

I didn't realize that there was such a thing as an indeterminate that would do well in a smaller container. Are the "dwarf" indeterminates similar? Customers wanting container plants really hate the way that determinates die on them, even though that is what they are meant to do.

dustdevil · November 30, 2012

Shipability(longkeeping and bruise resistance...ie firm), disease resistance, and the ability to be picked by machine is top priority in many commercial vegetable varieties. Taste is secondary...

People who were raised on big box store tomatoes aren't too fussy. I see a lot of them throw produce in their cart without even looking it over.

jennifer28 · December 1, 2012

Have you considered Sibirskiy Skorospelyi (Siberian Precocious) ?
Heritage tomato seed has it

http://heritagetomatoseed.com/heirlo...y-skorospelyi/

It was actually Steve at Heritage that put me on to it... Maybe close to what you are looking for?

akgardengirl · December 1, 2012

Tania has it also and it is fairly early here in AK.
Sue

October 10, 2012	#16
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	"Value-added food processors can just add some 'tomato flavor' to it. Catsup is 'catsup flavored', it does not matter if the original tomatoes were tasteless or not. Processed tomatoes in end products are a much larger market than fresh tomatoes, so that is what plant breeders have targeted." That would be my guess. __________________ -- alias

October 11, 2012	#17
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	I think a lot of people just don't realize what good food, (whether it is tomatoes, peppers or meat), actually tastes like. Anything that comes from the grocery store is what a vast majority of people thinks that is just what the food always tastes like. No wonder that they need salt, sugar and fat to make it palatable, huh? __________________ carolyn k

November 27, 2012	#19
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	I grew Oregon Spring two years ago. I wasn't willing to eat more than one of them. Mine were mealy, bland and I thought the skin was a little tough. Hardly big enough to slice and too large to call a salad tomato. I didn't try it last year. I should again, just to be fair, though. If you wanted them for sauce or cooking they would probably be fine. Just my opinion. __________________ carolyn k

November 27, 2012	#21
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	I have never heard of sunshine. I buy from several seed vendors and it is not listed in any of my catalogs. The one is a commercial supplier only and has a fairly extensive list to choose from. The year I grew legend it rained EVERY day. It really didn't do very well in our weather that year, I know someone else who says it is a great tomato for him. There are factors we just can't control sometimes. O.S. was in a high tunnel the same year so I had no weather issues with foliar related disease. __________________ carolyn k

November 28, 2012	#26
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	I grew Siletz last year. The plant looked like Lee's picture of Polfast, with maybe a bit more leaf cover. Flavor was what I think of as commercial: not sweet, not zingy, but I have had many far blander tomatoes. Fruit were a bit large to can, many would not fit through the mouth of a wide-mouth mason jar without forcing them. It was legitimately early. I grew it in a spot where verticillium killed Danko the year before, and Siletz did not flinch. New Yorker has a bit more flavor and smaller fruit, about the same DTM. __________________ -- alias

November 27, 2012	#18
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	My commercial pick right now would be Sunshine F1 from Seminis. But what stinks is that I only want about 100 seeds, yet the smallest quantity I can find is 500 from Harris for an eye-popping $38.50. I just looked at tomato grower's supply, and they at least sell small quantities. The early red determinates they offer which interest me are: Better Bush Bush Beefsteak Bush Early Girl Legend New Yorker Oregon Spring Red Rocket Siletz Sugar Baby I had Bush Early Girl last year. I did not realize that it is a determinate. Territorial has 'Beaverlodge' which I had great luck with outdoors and might try in containers as well. They say it's a 55-day determinate with "compact growth," but it seems like my plants got gigantic last summer and resembled a sprawling indeterminate. If anyone has input on anything from the TGS list above, that would be great. I'd also love to hear from anyone who's grown the Sunshine F1. It's supposed to be from the "sunrise" family.

November 30, 2012	#27
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Thanks dice. I just recently realized that "tumbling tom," which was one of my hanging basket varieties, is indeterminate. I thought they were awful to eat, but I have had customers coming back saying how much they liked to eat them, and that they loved how the plant lasted all summer. They were eager to buy more hanging basket plants next year, so I'm going to grow them again. I didn't realize that there was such a thing as an indeterminate that would do well in a smaller container. Are the "dwarf" indeterminates similar? Customers wanting container plants really hate the way that determinates die on them, even though that is what they are meant to do. Last edited by Cole_Robbie; November 30, 2012 at 12:22 AM.

November 30, 2012	#28
dustdevil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: WI, USA Zone4 Posts: 1,887	Shipability(longkeeping and bruise resistance...ie firm), disease resistance, and the ability to be picked by machine is top priority in many commercial vegetable varieties. Taste is secondary... People who were raised on big box store tomatoes aren't too fussy. I see a lot of them throw produce in their cart without even looking it over.

December 1, 2012	#29
jennifer28 Two-faced Drama Queen Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital Posts: 955	Have you considered Sibirskiy Skorospelyi (Siberian Precocious) ? Heritage tomato seed has it http://heritagetomatoseed.com/heirlo...y-skorospelyi/ It was actually Steve at Heritage that put me on to it... Maybe close to what you are looking for?

December 1, 2012	#30
akgardengirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anchorage, AK zone 3/4 Posts: 1,410	Tania has it also and it is fairly early here in AK. Sue