Early Det. Mkt Varieties

[Cole_Robbie]

Thanks. I certainly can try that one. There are a lot of early Russian and Polish varieties. The one you posted was at least a commercial variety at one time. That may be a good compromise - a commercial variety, but an older one, hopefully from a time when commercial tomatoes still tasted good.

[Cole_Robbie]

Two years later, and I'm still working on the original question. I did try the Sibirsky Skorospelyi. I liked it, but they got sunburnt very badly when it got hot. These varieties are for my high tunnel, so the environment is a little different than outside. The temperature swings are greater, and any difficulties in pollination are exaggerated by the near-lack of bees and wind.

Taxi is the definite winner for an early determinate yellow.

For an orange, I really like Orange Blossom F1 from Johnny's. But I would like to be able to call my market table "heirloom tomatoes," and the Orange Blossom would be my only hybrid. I am thinking I will try Orange King instead.

Mountain Princess looks good to try as an early red slicer. I will probably also try a variety or two from the Dwarf project. Cosmonaut Volkov was my favorite red from the garden last summer. It's an early determinate, so I want to try it in the high tunnel as well.

[Tania]

I may suggest Oranze, 0-33, Gruntowy. Oranze is quite sunscald resistant. The others I am not sure, as they grew in somewhat shady location. The fruit set was phenomenal.

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Gruntowy
http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Oranze
http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/0-33

Krainiy Sever is very compact and so delicious.
http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Krainiy_Sever

Tatiana

[Lindalana]

Cole Robbie, I can send you a bit of Titan Red and Ballada, both early to mid early dets from former USSR, I have not grown either of them but they noted for performance either greenhouse or open ground which means they will take good to temp changes. Tania has them on her site.
I am about packed with Tormato swap envelope,let me know if you like to try.

[Cole_Robbie]

Thank you both. The Oranze looks especially exciting to me. It reminds me of an orange Taxi.

[KarenO]

If you are looking for something unusual, I grew copper river in my greenhouse this year. A bit on the later side but it produced a surprising number of gorgeous big green/pink tomatoes, much like Captain Lucky but on a regular leaf large determinate plant. I'm not sure what your customers want or expect but this is a beautiful and delicious tomato and it did very well for me although I just grew the one plant to try it out it was the last one standing and the fruit seem to hold well just getting pinker but not soft as they ripen
KarenO

[bower]

Cole Robbie, I'm still working on the same question myself.

If sunscald is a problem, I can give you two to scratch off your list. Zolotoe Serdtse and Orange-1 are both great producers and early, determinate or semi, but they really suffered a lot of sun damage this year, when the hot sunny weather kicked in two weeks earlier than usual (there was damage on other plants too, but not as bad)..

We switched back to Moravsky Div for an early red this year, at home and at the farm. They were great tasting, early, productive, and pretty resistant to sun damage in my greenhouse. At the farm we did a last pick and cut them down just last week. They surely pay the rent for their space, but it's an indeterminate though. The plants are not huge, compared to some, all the same.

Are you looking for determinates to plant in containers and sell? If so, the really small plants that load up with fruit would probably go over best. Siletz and Cold Set are two that are really small plants, with relatively large, abundant and decent tasting fruit, but they both also split pretty badly in my greenhouse when the weather got hot. Also susceptible to foliage disease, requiring high maintenance. The search continues....

[Cole_Robbie]

I had Morasky Div this past summer. It was a good tomato.

When I say "determinate" what I really mean is suitable for growing with just stakes to support them. So I'll likely be trying a few indeterminate dwarfs as well.

What seed companies call determinate seems to be all over the place in regard to the size of the plant. I've had Sunny Boy and Celebrity in the high tunnel, both of which are supposed to be determinate, but I can't tell them apart from indeterminates.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I had Morasky Div this past summer. It was a good tomato.

When I say "determinate" what I really mean is suitable for growing with just stakes to support them. So I'll likely be trying a few indeterminate dwarfs as well.

What seed companies call determinate seems to be all over the place in regard to the size of the plant. I've had Sunny Boy and Celebrity in the high tunnel, both of which are supposed to be determinate, but I can't tell them apart from indeterminates.

Easy enough to tell, just count the leaves between flower trusses. Is it two or three? If three it is indeterminate. If two it is either semi-determinate or determinate. You can tell those apart by if they have a terminal bud or not.

[Cole_Robbie]

I just ordered seeds. The high tunnel plants will be all non-hybrid varieties.

Mountain Princess and Ballada (thanks Lindalana) will be my reds. I ordered Oranze from Tatiana, and Taxi from Johnny's.

And although they are not determinate, I am going to try a plant each of Cosmonaut Volkov, Ten Hung Tan Chieh, Anna Maria's Heart, and Black & Brown Boar to see how they do in the high tunnel.

[natural]

Cole,

Have you considered Pink Berkeley Tie Dye?
It is definitely early for a medium tomato (8oz or so). The best tasting tomato I've grown. Some list the growth habit as a compact indeterminate. However, it is most definitely semi-determinate for me. I get a good fruit set early, then a smaller set, then the plant is finished.

Bill

[Cole_Robbie]

Thanks. I have grown it and agree that the flavor is great. I plan on ripping out the early crop on about the first week of July and re-planting, so I am trying to stick to mostly true determinates.

[barkeater]

Cole Robbie,

I'm planting a third of an acre of mostly commercial determinate varieties this year and Sunshine F1 looks like it could be a good early tomato for me. How early is it for you?
I'm actually been seriously considering paying the $38/500 for a sister variety, Sunstart F1, which is even earlier in trials. Have you tried Sunstart too?

[heirloomtomaguy]

Originally Posted by barkeater

Cole Robbie,

I'm planting a third of an acre of mostly commercial determinate varieties this year and Sunshine F1 looks like it could be a good early tomato for me. How early is it for you?
I'm actually been seriously considering paying the $38/500 for a sister variety, Sunstart F1, which is even earlier in trials. Have you tried Sunstart too?

Being that i just paid 8.10 euro for 5 seeds, 38 bucks for 500 sounds good.

[Cole_Robbie]

I haven't tried Sunstart or Sunshine. I would guess that they are more firm than what I like. Other growers at my market grow commercial varieties; they are like red baseballs to me. I just don't like firm tomatoes; I'm trying to only grow what I think tastes good.