Tasty yet tough enough for high heat and humidity

b54red · October 18, 2009

I am a new member to this wonderful forum and would like the assistance of other members who live in the sweat belt running from south Texas to south Georgia and northwest Fl. I am searching for some truly tasty tomatoes, preferably indeterminate, that produce decently and can withstand the disease onslaught of this area to try in 2010. I am particularly interested in some heirloom varieties that can set fruit in high temps and weather disease and pests.
I have been gardening for over 30 years and am constantly searching for a better tasting tomato. The one heirloom that has been successful for me was Marianna's Peace. Some others have been partially successful Paul Robeson, Omar's Lebanese, and Giant Belgium.
Have had great success with these hybrids though some are not the tastiest: Big Beef, 1st Prize, Cabernet, Floralina, Celebrity, Applause, Brandy Boy (very tasty) and Small Fry (cherry, tasty).
Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated. I love this site. Thanks in advance.

bigbubbacain · October 18, 2009

You know, I go on the same quest every year. This past summer threw me a curve ball because of our heat wave that came on so early. My biggest surprise came from Indian Stripe: beautiful, dark brownish red fruits that were 8-12 ounces and loaded with flavor. The plants just cranked out fruit all summer long! I think my success with this one was more related to low humidity.

I don't know about you, but my problems always come in the mid-season. I always have some kind of blight or other disease issue that takes out a few of my plants right about the time when everyone else says "it's too late to put new plants in the ground".

That's when I put one of the old stand-by types in the ground. I've got a short list of what does well for me in our conditions. I don't grow these as often as I should because it's more important to me to keep finding the ones that will do well in these conditions. Here's my short list of hybrids and heirlooms:

Martino's Roma
Rutgers / Rutgers Improved
Golden Ponderosa
Creole
Arkansas Traveler
Mortgage Lifter
Mule Team
Sioux / Super Sioux
Dona

Dona is hybrid, and hard to find in seed form. I usually pick up a plant or two if I can find it. The rest are available in seed. I have some Indian Stripe seeds that I saved. Send me a private message if you'd like some.

b54red · October 21, 2009

Come on gang. I know that Bubba and I can't be the only ones in this area dealing with these problems. Every third heirloom I look at seems good to me, but with limited space I can't try them all. I know from past experience not to depend on the few heirlooms that were successful this year. There have got to be more tasty tomatoes that can survive down here besides hybrids and the few heirlooms I have found on my own.

Blueaussi · October 21, 2009

Well, you were making it sound like they needed to be hardy enough to storm the Alamo, so I didn't feel like anything that grows well for me would be hardy enough.

I would second Mule Team, and suggest you also look at Tropic. I get my seeds from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

matertoo · October 21, 2009

I had excellent success with Amelia, a hybrid that was developed specifically for the South. It produced well and had a very good taste. Seemed to resist diseases very well too.

My plants were Bonnie Plants from Walmart, but I think seeds are available from some sources. The only down side for me is that they are determinate. I didn't allow for that and planted all of mine in the Spring. Next year I will also save some for the Fall.

What first attracted me to the Amelia Tomato? Amelia is my wife's name.

Happy Matering,

Paul

piegirl · October 22, 2009

Two that have performed well for me - and yes, Nebraska is a long way from your area but trust me when I say we have extremely high humidity and high temps. This year was an exception. Principe Borghese is an Italian cherry that performs extremely well, setting in the highest of temps and humidity, never misses a beat and is disease resistant - at least for me. Is she the tastiest cherry tom - probably not but she does peform well. And Jet Star seems to set well up to about 100 degrees. Humidity doesn't seem to bother it much. Piegirl

Suze · October 22, 2009

I can't give you any 100% guaranteed bulletproof recommendations - because, IME there is no such thing, especially in Texas - guessing what will end up working best for me in any particular year is like hitting a moving target. However, here goes:

Indian Stripe - does better for me than CP
Top Sirloin - new-to-me this yr, not the hybrid in case anyone is wondering, best red beefsteak I grew for both productivity and taste
Holy Land, Yellow Strain - tasty and very productive two years running, a bicolor, more red than yellow in my conditions
Arkansas Traveler, or Burgundy Traveler
Grub's Mystery Green - always gives me a boatload of tomatoes four years running, early-mid to mid season green when ripe beefsteak
Bradley
Sungold F1, Black Cherry, Sweet Quartz F1 - must have cherry types
Green Giant x Yellow Sub F1 - massive production, very good tasting small saladette
Wes
Linnie's Oxheart
Purple Dog Creek
Sabre
Yasenichki Yabuchar
Dice's Mystery Black - loads and loads of great tasting tomatoes, sets well in heat
Pink Berkeley Tie Dye
Black and Brown Boar
Hege German Pink
Stump of the World
Little Lucky
Mountain Princess
Spudatula
Spudakee
Tsar-Kolokol
Big Cheef
Momotaro F1
Break O'Day
PPP x PP C
Jet Star F1
Christopher Columbus - new-to-me great tasting elongated paste, very productive
Casey's Pure Yellow
Tarasenko 6
Summertime Gold, Summer Sunrise, Summertime Green, Dwarf Emerald Giant (dwarf project)

I'm sure I'm forgetting several, but hopefully that will give you some ideas.

bigbubbacain · October 22, 2009

Thanks for that, Suze. I can't wait to try some of these myself.

b54red · October 24, 2009

Thanks, all of you. You've given me some good varieties to try. In the past the few heirlooms I tried either succumbed to disease or nematodes or failed to set fruit in a decent amount so I kept trying different hybrids. Most of the hybrids were determinates which are just too bushy and make all their tomatoes at once. They usually make a fair crop but then get diseases because sun and air can't penetrate the thick bush like foliage. In the past ten years or so I have gone more with indeterminate varieties. After having some success with heirlooms I'm now going for greater taste quality and more variety. This next year I am going to only plant a couple of the hybrids for insurance and try as many different types of heirlooms as I can fit in my garden.
Thanks for all your help.

AZRuss · October 24, 2009

Suze is your go-to person for hot season growing. Always great information. To her list I'd add Gary'O Sena and Moskvich.

b54red · October 25, 2009

Thanks all for the help. I found something funny this year on my planting dates. Two of the varieties of OP toms (Marianna's Peace & Paul Robeson) did terrible when planted in April but the ones I planted in June did good. Maybe it was just this year. Has anyone else found varieties that do better when planted a little later?
I've heard and found to be true that a lot of OPs need to be set out very early in order to get fruit set before the extreme heat gets here. Is there any kind of chart or list that lets you know which toms need to be set out very early and which can or need to wait a little longer?
I found ones needing early planting were Omar's Lebanese, Giant Belgium, and Brandy Boy.
The ones that did better set out in early to mid June were Marianna's Peace, Green Zebra, and Paul Robeson.

creister · October 26, 2009

I would second the recommendations for :

Sioux
Grub's Mystery Green
Break O'Day
Super Sioux
Thessoliniki
Eva's Purple Ball
Tom's Yellow Wonder
Brandywine Red
Pale purple perfect
Neve's Azorean Red
Coustralee
Lillian's Red Kansas Paste

b54red · October 27, 2009

I have found most of the seeds that I would like to try this coming year. I have not found a source for the following:

Hege German Pink
Linnie's Oxheart
Wes
JD's Special C Tex
Break O'Day

If anyone has information on where to obtain these please let me know.

Below is a list of seed I plan on buying and trying this upcoming season. I need to cut this list down by at least 10, so if you have any suggestions feel free to sound off. Thanks for all the help.

Abraham Lincoln
Gregori's Altai
Box Car Willie
Eva Purple Ball
Momotaro
Thessaloniki
Arkansas Traveler
Tropic
Sioux
Coustralee
Sun Gold Hybrid
Green Giant
Aunt Ginny's Purple
Stump of the World
Neves Azorean Red
Chapman
Creole
Dona
Moskovich
Sophie's Choice
Gregori's Altai
Box Car Willie
Eva Purple Ball
Momotaro
Thessaloniki
Arkansas Traveler
Tropic
Sioux
Coustralee
Sun Gold Hybrid
Green Giant
Aunt Ginny's Purple
Stump of the World
Neves Azorean Red
Chapman
Creole
Dona
Moskovich
Sophie's Choice

On second thought I need to cull at least 20, because I have some old favorites that I will also be planting. Man this seed shopping gets tougher every year.

geeboss · October 27, 2009

lets see 10 you say hmmmm well my suggestion is to pick two from my 10 and do the same from others who have more experience with the vast assortment your considering.

Not in any particular order

Sophie's Choice
Momotaro
Chapman
Sun Gold Hybrid
Neves Azorean Red
Coustralee
Thessaloniki
Gregori's Altai
Aunt Ginny's Purple
Cherokee Green

George

creister · October 27, 2009

From your list, I have had real good luck with Eva Purple Ball, Neves, Sioux, Coustralee, Stump of the World, and Aunt Ginny's Purple.

October 18, 2009	#1
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Tasty yet tough enough for high heat and humidity I am a new member to this wonderful forum and would like the assistance of other members who live in the sweat belt running from south Texas to south Georgia and northwest Fl. I am searching for some truly tasty tomatoes, preferably indeterminate, that produce decently and can withstand the disease onslaught of this area to try in 2010. I am particularly interested in some heirloom varieties that can set fruit in high temps and weather disease and pests. I have been gardening for over 30 years and am constantly searching for a better tasting tomato. The one heirloom that has been successful for me was Marianna's Peace. Some others have been partially successful Paul Robeson, Omar's Lebanese, and Giant Belgium. Have had great success with these hybrids though some are not the tastiest: Big Beef, 1st Prize, Cabernet, Floralina, Celebrity, Applause, Brandy Boy (very tasty) and Small Fry (cherry, tasty). Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated. I love this site. Thanks in advance.

October 22, 2009	#7
Suze Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 3,027	I can't give you any 100% guaranteed bulletproof recommendations - because, IME there is no such thing, especially in Texas - guessing what will end up working best for me in any particular year is like hitting a moving target. However, here goes: Indian Stripe - does better for me than CP Top Sirloin - new-to-me this yr, not the hybrid in case anyone is wondering, best red beefsteak I grew for both productivity and taste Holy Land, Yellow Strain - tasty and very productive two years running, a bicolor, more red than yellow in my conditions Arkansas Traveler, or Burgundy Traveler Grub's Mystery Green - always gives me a boatload of tomatoes four years running, early-mid to mid season green when ripe beefsteak Bradley Sungold F1, Black Cherry, Sweet Quartz F1 - must have cherry types Green Giant x Yellow Sub F1 - massive production, very good tasting small saladette Wes Linnie's Oxheart Purple Dog Creek Sabre Yasenichki Yabuchar Dice's Mystery Black - loads and loads of great tasting tomatoes, sets well in heat Pink Berkeley Tie Dye Black and Brown Boar Hege German Pink Stump of the World Little Lucky Mountain Princess Spudatula Spudakee Tsar-Kolokol Big Cheef Momotaro F1 Break O'Day PPP x PP C Jet Star F1 Christopher Columbus - new-to-me great tasting elongated paste, very productive Casey's Pure Yellow Tarasenko 6 Summertime Gold, Summer Sunrise, Summertime Green, Dwarf Emerald Giant (dwarf project) I'm sure I'm forgetting several, but hopefully that will give you some ideas.

October 18, 2009	#2
bigbubbacain Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Zone 9 Texas, Fort Bend County Posts: 436	You know, I go on the same quest every year. This past summer threw me a curve ball because of our heat wave that came on so early. My biggest surprise came from Indian Stripe: beautiful, dark brownish red fruits that were 8-12 ounces and loaded with flavor. The plants just cranked out fruit all summer long! I think my success with this one was more related to low humidity. I don't know about you, but my problems always come in the mid-season. I always have some kind of blight or other disease issue that takes out a few of my plants right about the time when everyone else says "it's too late to put new plants in the ground". That's when I put one of the old stand-by types in the ground. I've got a short list of what does well for me in our conditions. I don't grow these as often as I should because it's more important to me to keep finding the ones that will do well in these conditions. Here's my short list of hybrids and heirlooms: Martino's Roma Rutgers / Rutgers Improved Golden Ponderosa Creole Arkansas Traveler Mortgage Lifter Mule Team Sioux / Super Sioux Dona Dona is hybrid, and hard to find in seed form. I usually pick up a plant or two if I can find it. The rest are available in seed. I have some Indian Stripe seeds that I saved. Send me a private message if you'd like some.

October 21, 2009	#3
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Come on gang. I know that Bubba and I can't be the only ones in this area dealing with these problems. Every third heirloom I look at seems good to me, but with limited space I can't try them all. I know from past experience not to depend on the few heirlooms that were successful this year. There have got to be more tasty tomatoes that can survive down here besides hybrids and the few heirlooms I have found on my own.

October 21, 2009	#4
Blueaussi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Zone 8a Posts: 1,205	Well, you were making it sound like they needed to be hardy enough to storm the Alamo, so I didn't feel like anything that grows well for me would be hardy enough. I would second Mule Team, and suggest you also look at Tropic. I get my seeds from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

October 21, 2009	#5
matertoo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: LA (Lower Alabama) Posts: 354	I had excellent success with Amelia, a hybrid that was developed specifically for the South. It produced well and had a very good taste. Seemed to resist diseases very well too. My plants were Bonnie Plants from Walmart, but I think seeds are available from some sources. The only down side for me is that they are determinate. I didn't allow for that and planted all of mine in the Spring. Next year I will also save some for the Fall. What first attracted me to the Amelia Tomato? Amelia is my wife's name. Happy Matering, Paul

October 22, 2009	#6
piegirl Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 791	Two that have performed well for me - and yes, Nebraska is a long way from your area but trust me when I say we have extremely high humidity and high temps. This year was an exception. Principe Borghese is an Italian cherry that performs extremely well, setting in the highest of temps and humidity, never misses a beat and is disease resistant - at least for me. Is she the tastiest cherry tom - probably not but she does peform well. And Jet Star seems to set well up to about 100 degrees. Humidity doesn't seem to bother it much. Piegirl

October 24, 2009	#9
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Thanks, all of you. You've given me some good varieties to try. In the past the few heirlooms I tried either succumbed to disease or nematodes or failed to set fruit in a decent amount so I kept trying different hybrids. Most of the hybrids were determinates which are just too bushy and make all their tomatoes at once. They usually make a fair crop but then get diseases because sun and air can't penetrate the thick bush like foliage. In the past ten years or so I have gone more with indeterminate varieties. After having some success with heirlooms I'm now going for greater taste quality and more variety. This next year I am going to only plant a couple of the hybrids for insurance and try as many different types of heirlooms as I can fit in my garden. Thanks for all your help.

October 24, 2009	#10
AZRuss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 171	Suze is your go-to person for hot season growing. Always great information. To her list I'd add Gary'O Sena and Moskvich.

October 25, 2009	#11
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Thanks all for the help. I found something funny this year on my planting dates. Two of the varieties of OP toms (Marianna's Peace & Paul Robeson) did terrible when planted in April but the ones I planted in June did good. Maybe it was just this year. Has anyone else found varieties that do better when planted a little later? I've heard and found to be true that a lot of OPs need to be set out very early in order to get fruit set before the extreme heat gets here. Is there any kind of chart or list that lets you know which toms need to be set out very early and which can or need to wait a little longer? I found ones needing early planting were Omar's Lebanese, Giant Belgium, and Brandy Boy. The ones that did better set out in early to mid June were Marianna's Peace, Green Zebra, and Paul Robeson.

October 26, 2009	#12
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	I would second the recommendations for : Sioux Grub's Mystery Green Break O'Day Super Sioux Thessoliniki Eva's Purple Ball Tom's Yellow Wonder Brandywine Red Pale purple perfect Neve's Azorean Red Coustralee Lillian's Red Kansas Paste

October 27, 2009	#13
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I have found most of the seeds that I would like to try this coming year. I have not found a source for the following: Hege German Pink Linnie's Oxheart Wes JD's Special C Tex Break O'Day If anyone has information on where to obtain these please let me know. Below is a list of seed I plan on buying and trying this upcoming season. I need to cut this list down by at least 10, so if you have any suggestions feel free to sound off. Thanks for all the help. Abraham Lincoln Gregori's Altai Box Car Willie Eva Purple Ball Momotaro Thessaloniki Arkansas Traveler Tropic Sioux Coustralee Sun Gold Hybrid Green Giant Aunt Ginny's Purple Stump of the World Neves Azorean Red Chapman Creole Dona Moskovich Sophie's Choice Gregori's Altai Box Car Willie Eva Purple Ball Momotaro Thessaloniki Arkansas Traveler Tropic Sioux Coustralee Sun Gold Hybrid Green Giant Aunt Ginny's Purple Stump of the World Neves Azorean Red Chapman Creole Dona Moskovich Sophie's Choice On second thought I need to cull at least 20, because I have some old favorites that I will also be planting. Man this seed shopping gets tougher every year.

October 27, 2009	#14
geeboss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Fairfax, VA Z7 Posts: 524	lets see 10 you say hmmmm well my suggestion is to pick two from my 10 and do the same from others who have more experience with the vast assortment your considering. Not in any particular order Sophie's Choice Momotaro Chapman Sun Gold Hybrid Neves Azorean Red Coustralee Thessaloniki Gregori's Altai Aunt Ginny's Purple Cherokee Green George