2019 Tomatoes photos and review

[maxjohnson]

Anasazi

This one have a curious name, but it seems to be a plum shaped purple Russian saladette tomato, around 3oz each. Yield is very average especially if you don't force prune for more steams. Flavor is good and very smokey, classic purple variety taste. I would say it is good enough to pass as Kumato for me, but of course not round and uniform. Will crack with too much rain.

Rating: Might grow again for novelty, but will prune for more stems.

[maxjohnson]

Piennolo del Vesuvio

It's a tall and thin vines plant. Need pruning to force more stems for better production. Tastes like tomato. Nothing that makes me desire it.

Rating: Won't grow again.

[maxjohnson]

Orange Roussollini

Very prolific short bushy determinate plant. Grape shaped 1.25" fruits. Sturdy main stem. Zero flavor, taste like unflavored paper.

Rating: Left all the fruits on the plant for the squirrels and birds to eat.

[maxjohnson]

Blush

A yearly stable. Drooping wispy branches. Low acid, sweet, juicy, meaty, sometimes crunchy. It taste best if you let them ripe until red stripes appears. It's a decent yield, but not great, so you'll need multiple plants as you'll eat them fast.

Rating: A+

[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]

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.

[maxjohnson]

Lemon Drop

My yearly stable since 2016. Now is my favorite cherry variety. I don't know what I did this year, maybe the Ohio climate, but it produced a lot better than before even only in containers.

Fruits are 1", sweet with a tiny lemony hint. Fruits need to be ripen until fully yellow with no green tint left for most sweetness. Also give full sun and not over water to develop higher brix. I don't see the need to spend money on Sungold seeds when I have these, although it is a different sort of flavor. Doesn't crack from rain also.

Rating: A+

[maxjohnson]

Ambrosia Orange UBX

This plant have a very unique spicy aroma, much stronger than Sungold. The fruit size is similar to Sungold, but it's much less prolific. Important to not over water and let the fruit ripen to pinkish red to develop higher brix, which can sometime surpass Sungold. Picking it while still orange won't be ready. Cracks from too much rain.

Rating: Your mileage may vary.

[Whwoz]

Fabulous reports maxjohnson, love the detail and the photos. One or two of those I have been considering growing, must do so this year thanks.

[svalli]

Great photos and reporting of the varieties.

Piennolo del Vesuvio is one of the so called winter tomatoes, which can be hanged on a string and stored for the winter. I grew Giallo Piennolo last year and since our season is short, I had to pick a lot of them when they were not fully ripe. I stored those in room temperature and we ate last ones in December. Now I have Kenneth's Piennolo growing, but do not yet know how they taste, since first one is just blushing.

Sari

[Notostraca]

Great pics and info, thanks for sharing! I've had silvery Fir Tree seeds for ages but haven't germinated them yet as some people don't rate the taste well, happy to see that this varies or at least depends on your taste.


After reading what you wrote about Lemon Drop I'll probably try that instead of Sungold next summer too.

[maxjohnson]

Dragon's Eye (Wild Boar)


It looks similar to Solar Flare, but in saladette size. It have the potential to be very sweet if allowed ripen on the vine and turned well red, more red than in the photos below. Overall very good flavor that lingers and low acid. Yield is okay, but not great. The skin is durable and doesn't crack from rain, although stink bugs takes a liking. Sometimes you get fruits that are mini-beefsteak or has pointy bottom. I've also saved seeds from one that produces striped yellow, without the red.


Rating: Grow if you like a very sweet saladette, but not a big yield.

[maxjohnson]

Jaune Flamme and Anasazi.

[jtjmartin]

Thanks Max! One of the reasons I love T-ville!

I've had a hard time growing Brandywine here - low production is sometimes no production. SOTW has produced better but I just haven't seen much taste difference from say ISPL that produces a crazy amount of tomatoes.

I'm adding Lemon Drop to my grow list for next year! Thanks.

Jeff

[arnorrian]

Great reviews!