Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

Discuss your tips, tricks and experiences growing and selling vegetables, fruits, flowers, plants and herbs.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old December 2, 2012   #1
Cole_Robbie
Tomatovillian™
 
Cole_Robbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
Default A Colorful Market Table

I'm picking out seed to order for an outdoor summer market garden. I was hoping to be able to grow hybrids that have at least decent flavor. I was also wanting to have several colors of tomato to make an eye-catching display at market.

Here are my picks so far. I would love to hear any feedback on them:

Brandymaster - Red, Pink, and maybe yellow. I'm a big fan of Brandywine.

Lemon Boy

"Heirloom Orange F1" - I think it's new: http://www.geneticseed.com/comm_view...t.aspx?ID=3657

Tomande - http://www.geneticseed.com/comm_view...t.aspx?ID=3506

I'll probably have Big Beef as another red, and I'll have Cherokee Purple, too. No one buys the black and purple tomatoes, but they at least attract attention and start conversations when people say "ewww! Those tomatoes over there don't look right."
Cole_Robbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 5, 2012   #2
clkeiper
Tomatovillian™
 
clkeiper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ohio
Posts: 4,350
Default

Brandywines take a long time to ripen for me. They are never ready as early as my other varieties. I hardly have any of them on my table before the markets are almost over. So I quit trying to get them for markets and only raise the plants for sale to the gardeners.

Brandymaster is a 70-80 day tomato

Brandywine is closer to 100 days.
__________________
carolyn k
clkeiper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 5, 2012   #3
Wi-sunflower
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 2,591
Default

Frankly you can't go wrong with a colorful display of cherries.

I thought I had a pic of our stand with the tomatoes but couldn't find anything.

We do 1 row of pints / variety and alternate colors depending on what we have that day. We also try to be sure to put the variety name on them too as that helps sell them. When customers invariably ask "which is the sweetest ?" I tell them "everyone's taste is different. Try some samples and see which YOU like". The tasting is what sells them.

Depending on your market those heirloom cherries may open people up to trying the larger heirlooms.

Sure cherry tomatoes are more work to pick. But they get people looking at other kinds of tomatoes. And it's not as hard to have good heirloom cherries as it is to have good looking large heirlooms that people just turn their nose at because they aren't "perfect".

Carol
Wi-sunflower is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 5, 2012   #4
Sun City Linda
Tomatovillian™
 
Sun City Linda's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SoCal Inland
Posts: 2,705
Default

I have seeded Tomande two years in a row but always end up giving all the plants away! It sure comes out the gate strong. One of these years I will have to grow one!
Sun City Linda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 5, 2012   #5
Cole_Robbie
Tomatovillian™
 
Cole_Robbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
Default

Thanks for the replies.

The tasting is what sells them.

I agree. With all of the heath code restrictions, it is nearly impossible to offer a tray of cut up samples. But all of those regulations are not applicable if you simply give someone a whole tomato, which of course they're going to eat. Cherries are naturally "sample-sized."
Cole_Robbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 5, 2012   #6
Wi-sunflower
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 2,591
Default

Cherries are naturally "sample-sized."

EXACTLY !!!

Carol
Wi-sunflower is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 5, 2012   #7
Keger
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Richmond, TX
Posts: 327
Default

We do really well with cherries, really well. And the more colors the better.
Keger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 10, 2013   #8
NisiNJ
Tomatovillian™
 
NisiNJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Bordentown NJ
Posts: 32
Default

Cherry tomatoes:

Sungold is a wildly popular golden color hybrid. People say to let them ripen until they're orange.
I love the sweet taste of Tami G grape. It's a big hybrid plant that produces a lot of cherries.
Black Cherry is an OP that produced well for me, but some other people prefer Chocolate Cherry. Maybe people would change their minds about black tomatoes if they popped a free sample in their mouths.

Just some ideas.
NisiNJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 10, 2013   #9
ScottinAtlanta
Tomatovillian™
 
ScottinAtlanta's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 2,593
Default

Here in Atlanta, where I frequent farmer's markets, I see a growing preference for the black tomatoes - particularly Cherokee Purple - and also people seem to love Green Zebra, with its nice stripes. Red Zebra also seemed to be a crowd favorite in summer 2012.
ScottinAtlanta is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 10, 2013   #10
FarmerShawn
Tomatovillian™
 
FarmerShawn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Vermont
Posts: 1,001
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by NisiNJ View Post
Cherry tomatoes:

Sungold is a wildly popular golden color hybrid. People say to let them ripen until they're orange.
I love the sweet taste of Tami G grape. It's a big hybrid plant that produces a lot of cherries.
Black Cherry is an OP that produced well for me, but some other people prefer Chocolate Cherry. Maybe people would change their minds about black tomatoes if they popped a free sample in their mouths.

Just some ideas.
I second each and every recommendation. I pick them into large containers (along with some green, red, and yellow cherries) and then just offer empty pint boxes so folks can mix and match according to their desires. Some just take the sungolds, but most go ahead and try the variety mix. And it sure makes it easier for me not to have to pre-package them.
Shawn
__________________
"Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!"
-- Tommy Smothers
FarmerShawn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 21, 2013   #11
Marcus1
Tomatovillian™
 
Marcus1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Colorado
Posts: 124
Default

I have good luck with Goliath , large red indeterminate early 65 days, Mountain Fresh +, large red determinate 75 days, and I plant Carolina Gold instead of Lemon Boy, large gold determinate 75 days is a more productive better appearance still low acid ( which I can't stand but custs like). Flavors not as good as some heirlooms but more than decent and they are round and pretty. Pretty sells.
Marcus1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 21, 2013   #12
biscgolf
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Virginia
Posts: 353
Default

i do a lot of cherries for markets as well... all carol's points are spot on- there is also less competition at my markets selling cherries as opposed to large tomatoes.
biscgolf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 19, 2014   #13
Cole_Robbie
Tomatovillian™
 
Cole_Robbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
Default

Here was my market table this morning, Artisan/Colored cherry mix, Big Beef, Taxi, and "Heirloom Orange F1." http://i.imgur.com/9faojpu.jpg
Cole_Robbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 19, 2014   #14
nickbolk
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Squamish, BC Canada
Posts: 33
Default

That's a great little spread you had at your table!
nickbolk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old July 19, 2014   #15
Cole_Robbie
Tomatovillian™
 
Cole_Robbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
Default

Thanks. Customers love my sign that says "Pesticide Free." I point at the stink bug bites as evidence that I am telling the truth
Cole_Robbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:55 PM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★