2019 Tomatoes photos and review

[maxjohnson]

Brandywine - Cowlick's

The plant I grew didn't reached it's potential due to overcrowding by my 20ft wide red cherry plant. Otherwise growing in the ground I think 10lbs per plant or more should be possible. Not the largest fruits, although I didn't limit the blossoms, size ranges between 8 - 14oz. Taste wise very much Brandywine smooth texture and balanced acidity, with light amount of sweetness, but not comparable to Sudduth's and Stump of the World which are on another level. Maybe the fruits weren't ripe enough. The skin is more durable than Sudduth's and generally don't crack.

Rating: It's good, grow it.

[maxjohnson]

I saved seeds from a micro I bought from a local Florida nursery called Supersweet. I asked the owner about it's background, but they don't know since they use a supplier. The seeds are stable. Fruits was somewhat sweet and doesn't crack from rain, but I think I over watered this year making it bland. It's my favorite micro to grow because it's so reliable.

[maxjohnson]

Mega Marv


I received the seeds from the MMMM so thanks to who ever gave it away. This is my favorite beefsteak I ever grew so far, along side with Green Giant. Very big regular leaf plant that will need big trellis. Seems to have decent resistance. The plant likes a lot of water, despite that aside from catfacing the skin generally doesn't crack. The flavor and texture are superb. Very meaty, juicy and tender, very little seeds. It's more meaty, not runny, and not gel-like. Good balance of sweetness and some acid.

I think it is a mistake to only grow it for competition, this is an amazing eating tomato that is very productive. I limit one or two blossoms per trusses, most fruits are between 1 to 2 pounds.

Rating: Perfect

[maxjohnson]

Girl Girl Weird Thing

Another one I received thanks to MMMM. I thought I wasn't going to get any because of wrong seeds, but the plants I gave to my family and friends are correct. They didn't water much or care for the plants, but it still survived the septoria and seem productive.

Durable skin and minimal blemishes. Lots of water, very smokey, very sweet, and moderately acidic. A little more acidic than my liking for raw eating, but I think it will be great for making salsa.

Rating: Probably good yield, grow if you like very sweet with a good amount of acidity.

[Hensaplenty]

Nice pics and descriptions! Thanks for sharing!

[MrBig46]

Originally Posted by maxjohnson

Silvery Fir Tree

This one deserves a mention because it's the most acidic tomato I ever tasted. Love the flavor, but if you don't have a strong stomach acid it will end with heartburn.

Rating: Acidic and good.

I want to grow Silvery Fir Tree next year. I was quite surprised that you evaluate this variety as the most sour tomato. On Tatiana TOMATObase is the rating- very good taste, excellent taste. I don't like sour tomatoes. I'll have to reconsider.
Vladimír

[maxjohnson]

It's worth a try. The plant is small and only need 2 gallon of soil to produce, it doesn't take up much space or resource to grow.

MrBig46 Silvery Fir Tree has a reputation of being unusually sour. Carolyn would talk about that one. I grew it and it was quite acidic, but I've had more acidic tomatoes.

[Whwoz]

Fantastic reports, please keep them coming

[maxjohnson]

Pink Bumble Bee

This plant is not very tall and can grow in a 3 gallons container on patio. The yield is just average. The fruit have a thick skin so it's recommended if you want something that store well and absolutely doesn't crack. Flavor wise, it is juicy and taste somewhat like classic red tomato with decent sweetness. I prefer the variety Blush which have a more fruity and lasting flavor.

Rating: It's alright, but I think it look better than it taste.

I wasn't given the right seeds for Sunrise Bumble Bee, I have to try it next year.

[Barb_FL]

When I grew it, mine were beautiful, super productive and very bland. I forget the skin, but probably too thick for me.

I think these must taste better grown as he does it, in the field vs a container.

I have SunRise BB if you want seeds. I stopped growing these after Pink BB and Purple BB (which I had the same comments) and switched to cherry hybrids which don't have the skin issues (or at least the ones I grow doesn't). Exception is Brad's Atomic Grape and Karma Pink but they aren't really cherry tomatoes to me.

I did grow Magia Rose last year which was good. Prior years I waited to long to pick it.

[maxjohnson]

Rebel Alliance

In term of yield, it's average. It is indeterminate despite being multiflora. Fruits are between 0.75 to 1 inch.
The texture is crunchy, but with juice also. The flavor is overall smokey, a little sweet, and a little fruity.
Refrain from watering too much, let it ripen until dark reddish brown for most sweetness.

This variety store well which would be the main reason to grow. It have durable skin and doesn't crack at all.
Pests seem to leave the fruits alone.

Rating: Stores well, good for snacking off the vine, don't expect big harvest.

[maxjohnson]

Pink Bumble Bee Update

I might have judged these too soon, about 5-6 days after my last taste test, the sweetness begins to kick in for all the plants. For some reasons the earliest ripened fruits weren't as sweet. I would say they are tasty now and the plants started to produced a little more too. It seems they don't put out a whole lot at first.

I noticed one of the plant have a unique characteristic. At first I thought it was just a slower starter, but now it seems to be a trait. It's shorter (3.5ft) and the fruits are consistently larger at 1.25" diameter and uniformly round, almost saladette size. It is both more spherical and larger than the fruits from other plants, and tastes the same. See photos for comparison.

Updated Rating: Recommended

[maxjohnson]

Mega Marv

[NicolasGarcia]

Originally Posted by maxjohnson

Brandywine - Sudduth's

It got diseased and produces only a couple fruits. Even with poor growing condition and under fertilized it's one of the best beefsteak I ever tasted. Sweet, meaty, lots of gel, little seeds.

Rating: Grow it for the taste, but expect few fruits. Keep fungicides at the ready.

I also grew Stump of the World, I think the two plants are very similar. Sudduth's have the edge on flavor, but Stump of the World might have better yield.

Maxjohnson thank you very much for the reports and photos, I have also cultivated this year for the first time brandywine sudduth´s strain and stump of the world, and for me it has been two plants with a lot of production, bss it has been the plant with the largest leaves and stem that I have never seen, of very large tomatoes of great weight and of very good flavor, and super production, the only fault that the fungus attacked (mildew).
Stump also had a very large produccoin but less than bss, both have very good flavor tomatoes that are worth planting them year after year.
A tomato that has surprised me in everything has been "chapman"
Greetings and thanks again.
Nico