Best zone/state/etc. for tomatoes - Page 3

camochef · December 30, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by tam91

What a great story - thank you !

Thanks! like many old men...I have a tendency to ramble.

Camo

Worth1 · December 30, 2010

There is no perfect state to grow tomatoes in. What does well in one place doesn't do well in others.
Like corn there are so many different verities that you cant easily put a state as the best place.
But if I had to make a pick Texas and California would be at the top of the list.

California is a long narrow state the goes north to west with many climates thus some place just has to be a good place to grow tomatoes.( It aint all LA folks) I love the state.

Texas is so diverse in its climate from the coastal area to the high desert and everything in between that again somewhere there is that perfect place to grow tomatoes. (It aint all desert)

Worth

oc tony · December 30, 2010

The San Joaquin & Sacramento valleys 12 to 16 millon tons every year.

stormymater · December 30, 2010

Some varieties that have been good to us here in coastal SE NC -
Andrew Rahart's Jumbo Red
Chesapeake
Creole
Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red
Burgundy Traveller
Greater Baltimore
Mule Team Sioux
Marvel Stripe
Oaxacan Jewel
Pineapple
Virginia Sweets
Ananas Noir
several of the Porter line
Arkansas Traveler
JD's Special C-Tex
Cherokee Purple
Black Krim
Noir de Crimee
Carbon
Rio Grande
Jersey Devil
Haley's Purple Comet
Tom's Yellow Wonder
Many varieties of cherries do well here too.

That is off the top of my head & I could easily give you a list 3-4x that long of ones that didna like it at all here. Wilts, mildews, insects - they all abound here. We're building a hoop house next month to get a jump on the year. This past year with June, July & August all averaging 90 degree days was TERRIBLE! Folks who got my plants early did produce some nice specimens though - even with the heat. I put mine in too late (for a variety of happenings). We're eating tomato sauce & salsa from '09 still though - so here's to a better year in 2011.

lemurian · December 31, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulF

Having experienced only two areas, south central Iowa and southeast Nebraska, my choice is Iowa. The only drawback to Iowa is that it is too easy to have great results without really working at it.

I don't know that I see it as a DRAWBACK, but it is true that I get amazing tomatoes without putting in much work

The only other place I've lived was in the SF Bay Area and I don't think you can grow tomatoes there, period. I don't know anything about growing tomatoes besides putting the plants in the ground and watering them, but that hasn't stopped customers from telling me that mine are the best they've eaten! A combination of amazing NW Iowa soil and heirloom varieties they've never had is responsible, I think. I certainly don't do anything special, I didn't even bother weeding last year! I'll be attempting to prune for the first time this season, and may even try to space them correctly

So I nominate Iowa!

mjc · December 31, 2010

Personally, I don't think that there is one area/zone that is better for tomatoes...but rather, look for the tomatoes that are better for your area (zone barely begins to hit the number of variables involved)...

December 30, 2010	#32
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	There is no perfect state to grow tomatoes in. What does well in one place doesn't do well in others. Like corn there are so many different verities that you cant easily put a state as the best place. But if I had to make a pick Texas and California would be at the top of the list. California is a long narrow state the goes north to west with many climates thus some place just has to be a good place to grow tomatoes.( It aint all LA folks) I love the state. Texas is so diverse in its climate from the coastal area to the high desert and everything in between that again somewhere there is that perfect place to grow tomatoes. (It aint all desert) Worth

December 30, 2010	#33
oc tony Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: oc ca. Posts: 173	The San Joaquin & Sacramento valleys 12 to 16 millon tons every year.

December 30, 2010	#34
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	Some varieties that have been good to us here in coastal SE NC - Andrew Rahart's Jumbo Red Chesapeake Creole Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red Burgundy Traveller Greater Baltimore Mule Team Sioux Marvel Stripe Oaxacan Jewel Pineapple Virginia Sweets Ananas Noir several of the Porter line Arkansas Traveler JD's Special C-Tex Cherokee Purple Black Krim Noir de Crimee Carbon Rio Grande Jersey Devil Haley's Purple Comet Tom's Yellow Wonder Many varieties of cherries do well here too. That is off the top of my head & I could easily give you a list 3-4x that long of ones that didna like it at all here. Wilts, mildews, insects - they all abound here. We're building a hoop house next month to get a jump on the year. This past year with June, July & August all averaging 90 degree days was TERRIBLE! Folks who got my plants early did produce some nice specimens though - even with the heat. I put mine in too late (for a variety of happenings). We're eating tomato sauce & salsa from '09 still though - so here's to a better year in 2011.

December 31, 2010	#36
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	Personally, I don't think that there is one area/zone that is better for tomatoes...but rather, look for the tomatoes that are better for your area (zone barely begins to hit the number of variables involved)...