My final grow list for 2011 (for now)

Okay, The following is my tentative, final grow list for 2011. I say tentative because I found three more varieties I want to grow after I composed my previous final grow list. I don't know if there really is a stopping point. My problem now is the fact that if I find another "must have" tomato, I will need to eliminate one of my previous "must have" varieties from this list or eliminate some other veggies from my garden. I will have no more room unless I finally decide to also grow some in containers. I spent a lot of years as a container gardener and I'm not sure I want to go back to it.

This list provides the varieties, typical growth, production, climate, and other information for each variety. It also includes information specific to where I obtained the seed. My late additions were trades. I don't believe any of the traits I list, with the exception of being determinate or indeterminate, are scientific fact. Even that trait is sometimes questionable. The Early Wonder variety is commonly described as semi determinate. All the other traits can be influenced, as Carolyn and others pointed out; by climate, geogrophy, available moisture, nutrition, and many other factors. For me, they are simply guidelines to assist me in plant selection for an early season, mid season, and late season tomato crop. The information also helps me determine where to plant some varieties in specific beds in my garden. I want to prevent really tall plants from shading lower growing plants which may be planted behind the taller plants. I am pretty sure I will be making corrections to the traits in my list as my garden grows through the summer. Those observations will only be applicable to the plants in my garden. They may not even be applicable in my garden year after year. They may not be applicable to any other gardener in his or her garden.

BARLOW JAP (4-5ft)PL type. Pink to rose globe, average producer, some disease resistance, 75 to 80 day, very good taste (trade from AnotherEarl)
BERKELEY TIE-DYE (6-8ft)Mid-late to late, 75-90 days. indet. regular leaf plants. 8-16 oz. Fair to good production. green fruit with yellow and red stripes. Some heat tolerance (from Wild Boar Farms)
BERKELEY TIE-DYE PINK(4-6ft) (HT) Early to mid-early, 65-75 days. indet. regular leaf. 8-12 oz. average. Some report low heat tolerance (from Wild Boar Farms)
BLACK & BROWN BOAR (6-8ft) 75 days, indet., regular leaf, high yield of brownish green fruit, good flavor, long season production (from Wild Boar Farms)
BLACK CHERRY (8ft+) cherry type tomato, indeterminate, grows and produces all summer with a good black tomato flavor (Pinetree Seeds)
BLACK KRIM (HT) (4-6ft) 80 days, indet., regular leaf plant with high yields of large slightly flattened beefsteak, 4" in diameter, black-brown color, outstanding flavor (Gary Ibsens TomatoFest)
COWLICKS BRANDYWINE(8ft+) PL, Red, Meaty, Good production, Large plant, Large fruit, Late matureing(trade from kath)
CUOSTRALEE (6-8ft)98 days, indet., regular leaf plant with high yield of red beefsteak type fruits, 8-19 oz, excellent flavor (Pinetree Seeds & Gary Ibsens TomatoFest)
EARLY WONDER (3-4ft) deter, OP, 55 days, full flavor, heavy yield, 6 oz, compact plant (From Tomato Growers Supply)
GIANT BELGIUM HEIRLOOM(6-8ft) 88 days. Open pollinated Heirloom. Indeterm. Pink, sweet/ tart, very tasty fruits average 2 lbs, but can get even larger.(Glecklers Seedmen)
GREGORI’S ALTAI (4-6ft) (HT) indet, OP, heat resistant, large pink, productive beefsteak, early, excellent flavor (trade from Karla)
INDIAN STRIPE (6-8ft) (HT) 80 days, indet., regular leaf, high yield of dusky dark pink/purple fruits, slight green shoulders, 6-10 oz, irregular fruit shape (Glecklers Seedmen)
JD’S SPECIAL C TEX (6-8ft) (HT) 80 days, indet., regular leaf, pink black beefsteak fruit, 12-20 oz, outstanding flavor, high yield. (Glecklers Seedmen)
KBX (6-8ft) Late maturing, indet., potato leaf, bright orange fruits, medium-large beefsteak type, some ribbing, 8-16 oz, outstanding flavor, medium to high yield (Glecklers Seedmen)
NEVES AZOREAN RED (8ft+) indet, beefsteak, large (over 1 lb), OP, 80 days, red (Tomato Growers Supply)
PINK BOAR(4-6ft)Early to mid-season. 70-80 days. indet. regular leaf. 2-4 oz. with good to great production. . (From Wild Boar Farms)
SPUDAKEE PURPLE (6-8ft) Potato-leafed, indeterminate with fruit that averages 12 ounces. Smooth maroon color. 70 days. (Glecklers Seedmen)
STUMP OF THE WORLD (4-6ft) (HT)indet., potato leaf, medium to high yield of large pink beefsteaks, 10-20 oz, very good to excellent sweet flavor, small core (Tomato Growers Supply)
WES(6-8ft)80-85 days, indet., regular wispy foliage, red heart, (Glecklers Seedmen)

(HT)=heat tolerant
Red=early to mid early producer
Green= indicates plants with reported shorter stature

[b54red]

That's a great list Ted. One thing I think is incorrect is BTD Pink having low heat tolerance. I planted 4 of them at different times. It was one of the best producers during our extremely hot summer this year. It was my best producer of the tomatoes I set out in June and I am still getting a few small ones off of that plant while the one I set out in mid August is getting a very heavy fruitset. My plants also got much larger than the size described. One other thing is Neves Azorean Red becomes a monstrous plant.

Originally Posted by b54red

That's a great list Ted. One thing I think is incorrect is BTD Pink having low heat tolerance. I planted 4 of them at different times. It was one of the best producers during our extremely hot summer this year. It was my best producer of the tomatoes I set out in June and I am still getting a few small ones off of that plant while the one I set out in mid August is getting a very heavy fruitset. My plants also got much larger than the size described. One other thing is Neves Azorean Red becomes a monstrous plant.

The only reason I designated the BTD Pink as having low heat tolerance is in my survey of Wild Boar Farm varieties at http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...t=16157&page=2. Bama Mater said "it does not survive extreme heat". I understood his comment to mean some of his other varieties did survive extreme heat, but the BTD Pink didn't. I remember your earlier report that it did well in high heat in your garden. I guess I will know how well it accepts high heat at the end of next years garden or maybe in the middle of the season. I don't know how to quantify "monstrous", so I will leave Neves Azorean Red at 6-8 feet tall and keep an eye on it just it case it starts to attack the other plants.



Thank you for your comments!

Ted

[cecilsgarden1958]

Where's your hybrids???
If I only planted those, I'd only get about 30 tomatoes, not counting cherry type. I wish I lived in an area with full sun all day, but don't. Has to be the differance.
I grew Early Wonder once, it got sick and gave it to my whole garden like Typhoid Mary I nick named it "It's a Wonder" (as in...it's a wonder it has survived this long) I could see the path the disease took from the EW plant back through the garden.
I have my list done and seeds on hand but have to go to another user account for the info, but will post it, so you all can critique it. (Think Hybrids) Maybe I posted it already, maybe not. I have been off a while, as the server I was on failed, so I can't remember.

CECIL

I figured some of my heirloom tomatoes would die either from disease or extreme heat fairly early. I will have some Big Beef F1 and Goliath indeterminate and Goliath Bush plants ready to take their place. That should take care of the Hybrids. Last year, I planted the Goliath Bush plants in the hottest part of the summer. They took off and grew and blossomed and set fruit the rest of the summer. They produced large tomatoes and they were good tasting.

Ted