New Variety - Ben Gantz - Seed for Trial

[nctomatoman]

Okay - here is the verdict...for the initial fruit, anyway. I like this variety - the flavor is not Cherokee Purple league, but for an early, very nice - I would call it quite mild, tending toward the sweet side, and gave it a 6.5 on a 10 point scale - it is a very useful tomato, having flavor on par with or better than the other non-cherry earlies (better than Taxi, Stupice, Kotlas, not quite as flavorful as Kimberly, but that is too small to be a slicer). I like the health, shape, and productivity. Certainly very good value for an early season decent sized tomato you can slice and put on a sandwich. Well done!

[PNW_D]

Well, my Ben Gantz is now colouring up at

GDD: 7 25 - 1029.8

I'm curious - Is this one a red or pink - the photo from Tomatopalooza (see pic below) looks like both

And here are pics of my two plants (see post 94 for pics) - plant 1 fruit much smoother in appearance
... hmm, can't seem to attach any more pics - will post and try again

[Lee]

Here's some of the ones that were at TP7 yesterday. It is
definitely a pink. A deep colored pink, but it has the clear
skin. It's been very productive for me this season. It has
given me the second most of all my varieties!

[PNW_D]

Thought I'd posted this??

Anyhoo, here are the pics of my two plants

GDD: 7 25 - 1029.8

[Tania]

I picked three ripe fruits on Saturday, have not tasted them yet. Along with Ben Gantz fruit, I also picked 1 Carbon, 3 Cherokee Purples, and 1 Liz Birt. The last three are in greenhouses, but Ben Gantz plants are growing outside and were planted later than the ones in the greenhouses. So it is certainly early, the first larger-fruited ripen for me in the open ground.

Will post pictures once I move them from my camera to computer.

Our tomato harvesting season has now officially begun in PNW

Tania

[PNW_D]

GDD to first ripe: 7 27 - 1075.7 Plant 1 (smooth) Plant 2 (catfaced)

very nice for first ripe - sweet, smooth, mellow - fruit from Plant 1 taste tested

I had previously posted Kimberly as first past the post - but it was not quite ripe - rather 'acidic' - not my recollection from previous grow out - so Ben Gantz - first early here

Thank you Paul!

[Tania]

D., it sure looks very good - you are a few days ahead of me with Ben Gantz!

My very first 'larger' type was Shtambovy Kartofelnolistny 164 this year, and I also picked 2 Red Siberian (8-10 oz) yesterday. I will be sampling Carbon today, it looks fully ripe, and Ben Gantz may be not too far behind

Tania

[PNW_D]

Good to hear Shtambovy Kartofelnolistny 164 came in early for you Tania - hopefully as yummy as I remember from last year?? It was quite the unique tomato for its time, but I'm sure there are some PL dwarfs now with the dwarf project??

[Tania]

D., Shtambovy Kartofelnolistny 164 was very good (but not 'great'), and I tasted Ben Gantz today, and it was better than Shtambovy Kartofelnolistny, but not as good at the Cherokee Purple that I also sampled today.

Certainly Ben Gantz is a very worthy tomato, very early for its size and very good tasting - thank you Paul for creating it and sharing the seeds for trial!

Tania

[PNW_D]

You have Cherokee Purple already!! Excellent

I'm trying Indian Stripe instead - two plants - it is amazing how much the fruit expand every day - sets high up on the plant - very healthy to date - looking forward to this one

[dice]

Cowberian was first among my very early bigger-than-a-cherry
varieties. Bloody Butcher was second (beat Pointy, I was
amazed; so did the Stupice X ? F2). Still waiting on Ben Gantz
and Kimberly to show some red, but they are very close (first
fruits to set have acquired a golden tint; I will probably wake
up tomorrow to some blush on both).

[Tania]

Originally Posted by PNW_D

You have Cherokee Purple already!! Excellent

I'm trying Indian Stripe instead - two plants - it is amazing how much the fruit expand every day - sets high up on the plant - very healthy to date - looking forward to this one

Indian Stripe is a great tomato, I am still unsure whether I like Cherokee Purple or Indian Stripe better

For some reason this is a 'black tomato' year for me - all black varieties ripened early and before the red/pinks - I've got ripe fruits from Carbon, Cherokee Purple, Brad's Black Heart, Black Early, Chernomor, and about a dozen of Purple Haze F3 descendants (Galatea and Despina).

I also picked 2 ripe Liz Birt tomatoes today, and 1 more Dora. These two obviously inherited the 'earliness' of their Cherokee Purple parent.

Tania

[hill60]

I did not start Ben Gantz early like the rest of my tomatoes that are either producing ripe fruit or beginning to blush.

I picked the first three ripe Ben Gantz today so I would consider it an early tomato for me. The fruit are a nice pink with slight green shoulders and weigh 7 oz. 8 oz. and 10 oz. The plants are sturdy healthy potato leaf that are growing fine in my containers.

It seems to be toughing out the (for us) extreme heat we are not used to. The last two weeks temps have been 35C to 39 C. The plants are still in flower but not setting new fruit.

I haven't tasted it yet I will take some pictures first to post later.

Hill60

[lj in ny]

Paul-this has been the most interesting thread I think I have ever read! You're story pulled me in and I enjoyed reading everyone's posts from receipt of seeds to harvest. I was impressed with the geographical rage of your growers but disappointed to see that no NE growers volunteered. In retrospect it's just as well given the cold, rainy, blight infested season we've had. I've been starting tomatoes from seed for about 10 years and would love to give BG a try alongside my Stupice and Cherokee Purples next year.

[hill60]

It was unanimous at my house Ben Gantz is a nice tasting and texture tomato. It will go nice sliced on a sandwich or in a salad.

I will grow it again thanks Paul.

Hill60