best surprises of the season?

[Mt.Imagine]

I'm very thrilled with my first try at Black Krim--they've pumped out so many tomatoes, and they have absolutely the best flavor I've ever tasted. Also, Caspian Pink seems much more vigorous, disease-free, and better tasting (less acidic) than the brandywines, so it is a new favorite. Annais Noire, which has nothing but sweetness, is not. My biggest suprise, I guess, is that it turns out I just have too many tomatoes...

[dustdevil]

MI, Tomato gardening in Hawaii...must be rough ;-) Do you need a helper?

[Mt.Imagine]

Hah, well the mild year round temperature and lack of most mainland diseases does help; but I already have a very happy friend with four legs that loves to assist while I'm in the garden.

[b54red]

My best surprise was an odd seedling from my BTD Pink seed that produces a small to medium size, pink tomato that is delicious. It's nearing the end of it's production now but my tally so far is 104 tomatoes off of one plant. It made my Stupice look stingy. I've been saving the seed and hope it will be stable and reproduce this magnificent plant again next year.

[Timmah!]

Originally Posted by b54red

My best surprise was an odd seedling from my BTD Pink seed that produces a small to medium size, pink tomato that is delicious. It's nearing the end of it's production now but my tally so far is 104 tomatoes off of one plant. It made my Stupice look stingy. I've been saving the seed and hope it will be stable and reproduce this magnificent plant again next year.

You wouldn't happen to have a few extra of them there seeds for a certain someone to try & grow out next season, would you?

[beeman]

Just thought you might like a look at this? One of 12 Quarts just processed so far.
Big Beef 1lbs 3ozs.

[Buck7762]

Almost everything is still green in the U.P. I've had about 2 doz Golden Nuggets, and stupice is close to picking. I did get a late start this season though. Green Sausage is doing very well, but because its my first time with a green tomato, I don't have a clue when its ripe. Any comments on this would be helpful.

[Delizzy]

Originally Posted by Buck7762

Green Sausage is doing very well, but because its my first time with a green tomato, I don't have a clue when its ripe. Any comments on this would be helpful.

The best way to tell when a green when ripe tomato is ready to eat, is to get touchy-feely with it. When you give it a gentle squeeze, it will give some when it is ripe. You might have to experiment a bit to find the amount of "give" that has the best flavor for you.

Delizzy

[rsg2001]

I too have lost around 40% of my plants due to all sorts of crud-like wilt. Someone suggested in another thread it might be tomato russet mite, but I don't think so - the crud isn't russet colored, nor is it greasy to the touch. But I'm having the best and worst season at the same time. My surprises:

Cherokee Purple. Never grew it before, bought a plant in Dutchess County when there Memorial Day weekend. While the plant is one of those affected by crud, it's going to yield around 14 incredibly delicious tomatoes when it's done. They are SOOOO amazing. Sorry I waited so long.

The Earthbox. I use several Gardener's Supply gigantic self watering containers (in addition to the in-the-ground tomatoes), but saw a full Earthbox kit at Home Depot in the spring and said, hey let's try it. The two tomatoes I've planted in it so far are the healthiest and will be the biggest yielders of my crop. The two Earthbox tomatoes performing so well are:

Marizol Purple. I tried this last year and got just a single large incredibly delicious tomato, and decided to give it another chance. This year, in the Earthbox, it's doing fabulously and I've already had several large tasty beauties - they definitely look more pink than purple though.

Pozhar. So far, I've harvested around 30 of them and there are still lots left and I see a couple of new babies. After eating several I'd say, if you wait till they are almost over-ripe, they are totally sensational. They have ranged from 2 oz to 4.5 oz. These are from Carolyn's seed offer and definitely a saver.

As for the rest: I had the first taste of Rouge D'Amagu, and it was superlative - distinctive and juicy. Unfortunately I'm only going to get three tomatoes out of the two plants; it has some wilt, maybe fusarium. In a container. I will save seeds from the next one. This is also from Carolyn's seed offer.

The Sungolds are very, very good again this year, but not quite as plentiful as in years past, no doubt because of the high temperatures we've had off and on since late spring in New York. Also, the Black Cherry plants that I grew from seed are doing well - and very tasty. The Black Cherry I picked up from Dutchess County isn't doing quite as well as the home grown one.

I also have a few varieties I planted late in ordinary big pots, that I think will give me something good in September. Those are Sprite (a red grape), Lime Green Salad, another Marizol Purple, and a Mystery Black I saved from what was supposed to be Cherokee Chocolate seed but which looked like Black Plum - the Mystery Black (3 in the pot) is growing true to the plant that I had last year - all of them fruiting - so my guess is that the seed packet had mixed black varieties. There's a Green Doctor in the same pot as the Sprite which looks healthy but not much in the flower dept. yet.

The bomb-outs: Hillbilly - just got some sort of wilt without yielding a thing. And Burning Spear (from Carolyn's offer) - both are expiring - they had a couple of flowers but just aren't going to make it. Kimberly was disappointing this year - last year it was a nice surprise.

[strax]

I'm getting a lot of ripe maters. Chocolate stripes and 1884 pink heart are new to me and both have outstanding flavor... hold onto your socks!!!

Jake

[panhandler]

Originally Posted by b54red

My best surprise was an odd seedling from my BTD Pink seed that produces a small to medium size, pink tomato that is delicious. It's nearing the end of it's production now but my tally so far is 104 tomatoes off of one plant. It made my Stupice look stingy. I've been saving the seed and hope it will be stable and reproduce this magnificent plant again next year.

Good luck with that. Maybe you've discovered a PBTD mutation -- "The Berkeley of the South"

[PaulF]

While this week has seen an explosion of ripe tomatoes, so far the biggest surprise has been a tomatoes I did not care for in the past but I grew again because some one asked me to grow. Old Brooks this year is a medium large pretty fruited great tasting tomato.

[camochef]

Dana's Dusky Rose had been holding the #1 spot this year ,which is where it finished last year. Then I tasted a Cowlicks Brandywine-R.L. which became number one, as the normal Cowlick's Brandywines were holding the #4 spot.
Yesterday Ihad my first Bear Creek and discovered a new #1 tomato and a new favorite!
BEAR CREEK beats out Dana's Dusky Rose, Cowlicks, Barlow Jap, Stump of the World, Amazon Chocolate, Black Master and everything else Ive tasted so far this year! What a great tomato, especially with the hot, dry weather we've been suffering with this season.
But I'm only an old man who grows a few tomatoes once in a while and doesn't know much, but I recommend Bear Creek for all to try, you owe it to yourselves.
Camo

[eyolf]

The cherries are starting, and this is the first year in 17 that I haven't planted out Kotlas.

Stupice instead (they are very similar)

Also have a trade with a Canadian seed saver called "Orange Russian" now, but in a side-by-side growout with Azoychka a few years ago they seemed identical, except the Canuck was two or 3 days earlier.

Selection by a northern gardener? That's my proposal.

Of note was a freebie my wife brought home with some bedding plants..."Early Opener"; covered with 5 oz globes, but none coloring up. I have almost-ready fruits on three Bonny Bests, so Ha!, modern hybrid!

[goodwin]

Here's another nice heart - Lithuanian Crested Pink. Quite beautiful, a strong grower, and these are big - nearly a pound.
Maybe we should start a thread devoted to heart types, because I've been impressed with nearly every one I've tried this year.
Lee