Various Cherry Tomatoes, taste and ease

NarnianGarden · July 7, 2013

To all you folks who have experience with succesfully growing cherry varieties, what would you recommend? (sorry, if there already is a thread somewhere discussing this ..)
Would love to learn from what you have discovered in different parts of the world.

For example, I am thinking of Maskotka / Koralik, two Nothern European cultivars that supposedly have high yield of fruit and also good disease resistance. (I know Maskotka has been grown in Finland in a greenwhouse, but as I have no greenhouse, I am eager to know how these fare in a patio/balcony enviroment..)
Any eperiences and comparisons, with these or other similar varieties?

The taste is the most important factor, of course - I have a bush tomato that I got from a store, but while the fruit tastes ok, it is nothing spectacular that would justify the price of 10 €...

Rather invest the money to different seeds and plant them for variety and fun - I found out that almost any empty box does magnificently as a container, as long as the soil is good.

madddawg · July 7, 2013

I grow a big cherry variety. Not quite golf ball size, red in color. the plant does very well and produces lots of tasty mators.

. The big down size is that it grows like crazy. I use concrete reinforcement wire for cages and after stacking 2 of them on top of each other (10' high') they grow out the top and almost back down to the ground again!

amideutch · July 7, 2013

Check out this list at Tatiana's Tomatobase. It covers the Cherry varieties with information as to taste, growing habit and pictures. Ami

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/C...herry_Tomatoes

NarnianGarden · July 7, 2013

Yes, I am going to see Tatiana's page and others... But first hand experiences from different zones are always the most helpful.

Maddawg, what is the type you're growing?

ChilliJez · July 7, 2013

Check Eirik's search for early varieties, here. He's in Norway so I'm guessing towards your latitude.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...t=27079&page=6

madddawg · July 8, 2013

I wish I knew, I bought the seeds last year and saved some seeds. All I know is the package said Big Cherry. Probably, bought em at Lowes. But I am thinkin it was a hybrid and I am not going to get the quantity that I did last year. They just dont seem to doing as well as last year, I hope I am wrong

discoprincess · July 8, 2013

I would recommend Sweet Million. It's a hybrid. The plant lives up to its name by producing lots of cherry tomatoes. It also has various disease resistance.

Make sure you allow a lot of room for it, especially if you grow it in the ground. It becomes very big very quickly.

NarnianGarden · July 8, 2013

Thanks, will think of Sweet Million (although I dislike hybrids) - and also Ildi for a yellow variety.

All of my plants will be in containers, so far the ones I have now seem happy, so I suppose the same method is ok for cherries too.

ginger2778 · July 8, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

Thanks, will think of Sweet Million (although I dislike hybrids) - and also Ildi for a yellow variety.

All of my plants will be in containers, so far the ones I have now seem happy, so I suppose the same method is ok for cherries too.

Knapps fresh veggies sells an open pollinated sweet million. I grew it this past season, some of the trusses had over 40 tomatoes on each.i grow in earthboxes.

Marsha

habitat_gardener · July 8, 2013

Tommy Toe (red cherry OP tomato) is my favorite. It has a balanced flavor and is good at any stage of ripeness.

I grew Galina's (yellow cherry OP tomato) once or twice. Also good.

Fox Cherry is another productive OP red with a balanced flavor.

I'm trying about a dozen cherry, currant, and grape varieties this year.

(OP= open pollinated)

Hillbillygardner · July 8, 2013

Tumbling Tom yellow and red are my new favorites. They came on early and the kids love the taste, even the seven year old!

NarnianGarden · July 8, 2013

Any experiences with Tiny Tim - worthwhile?

madddawg · July 8, 2013

Are any of the ones mentioned above a big cherry type. pop in the mouth, golf ball size. My customers and us dont care so much for the smaller cherries.

bbjm · July 8, 2013

My limited experience with cherries here in zone 6 Kansas:

Sungold. No way I would have a garden without it. Healthy and very productive. And so good to eat. I have one Sungold in a container that is not as large as the plant growing in the ground.

Matt's Wild Cherry is popping out lots of ripe tomatoes right now but I am having lots of disease issues with it. It is very tasty, but the tiny fruit (about the size of a large pea) are just too small for me. I'm not sure ill grow it again, but I know why some love it.

Black cherry is my biggest plant and is absolutely loaded. I've picked a few already and thought the taste to be outstanding. The skins are a bit tough on the first few at least, but not overly so. I will certainly grow it along with sungold every year.

I'm also growing Principe Borghese, but no ripe fruit. The plant is not huge but is healthy and has lots of tomatoes on it.

NarnianGarden · July 8, 2013

Would love to try Black Cherry in the future - but it's a bit confusing with so many dark-colored cherry varieties ... How does BC compare with Chocolate Cherry?
*don't laugh at me, please*

July 7, 2013	#1
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Various Cherry Tomatoes, taste and ease To all you folks who have experience with succesfully growing cherry varieties, what would you recommend? (sorry, if there already is a thread somewhere discussing this ..) Would love to learn from what you have discovered in different parts of the world. For example, I am thinking of Maskotka / Koralik, two Nothern European cultivars that supposedly have high yield of fruit and also good disease resistance. (I know Maskotka has been grown in Finland in a greenwhouse, but as I have no greenhouse, I am eager to know how these fare in a patio/balcony enviroment..) Any eperiences and comparisons, with these or other similar varieties? The taste is the most important factor, of course - I have a bush tomato that I got from a store, but while the fruit tastes ok, it is nothing spectacular that would justify the price of 10 €... Rather invest the money to different seeds and plant them for variety and fun - I found out that almost any empty box does magnificently as a container, as long as the soil is good.

July 7, 2013	#2
madddawg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Missouri Posts: 407	Big Cherrys I grow a big cherry variety. Not quite golf ball size, red in color. the plant does very well and produces lots of tasty mators.. The big down size is that it grows like crazy. I use concrete reinforcement wire for cages and after stacking 2 of them on top of each other (10' high') they grow out the top and almost back down to the ground again! __________________ I grow a garden not just for the food I harvest, but for the creation of life itself. Johnny Cash

July 7, 2013	#3
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Check out this list at Tatiana's Tomatobase. It covers the Cherry varieties with information as to taste, growing habit and pictures. Ami http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/C...herry_Tomatoes __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

July 7, 2013	#5
ChilliJez Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: UK Posts: 57	Eirik's thread Check Eirik's search for early varieties, here. He's in Norway so I'm guessing towards your latitude. http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...t=27079&page=6

July 8, 2013	#6
madddawg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Missouri Posts: 407	I wish I knew, I bought the seeds last year and saved some seeds. All I know is the package said Big Cherry. Probably, bought em at Lowes. But I am thinkin it was a hybrid and I am not going to get the quantity that I did last year. They just dont seem to doing as well as last year, I hope I am wrong __________________ I grow a garden not just for the food I harvest, but for the creation of life itself. Johnny Cash

July 8, 2013	#7
discoprincess Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57	I would recommend Sweet Million. It's a hybrid. The plant lives up to its name by producing lots of cherry tomatoes. It also has various disease resistance. Make sure you allow a lot of room for it, especially if you grow it in the ground. It becomes very big very quickly.

July 8, 2013	#10
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	Tommy Toe (red cherry OP tomato) is my favorite. It has a balanced flavor and is good at any stage of ripeness. I grew Galina's (yellow cherry OP tomato) once or twice. Also good. Fox Cherry is another productive OP red with a balanced flavor. I'm trying about a dozen cherry, currant, and grape varieties this year. (OP= open pollinated)

July 8, 2013	#11
Hillbillygardner Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Eagle Rock, MO Posts: 43	Tumbling Tom yellow and red are my new favorites. They came on early and the kids love the taste, even the seven year old!

July 8, 2013	#14
bbjm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 155	My limited experience with cherries here in zone 6 Kansas: Sungold. No way I would have a garden without it. Healthy and very productive. And so good to eat. I have one Sungold in a container that is not as large as the plant growing in the ground. Matt's Wild Cherry is popping out lots of ripe tomatoes right now but I am having lots of disease issues with it. It is very tasty, but the tiny fruit (about the size of a large pea) are just too small for me. I'm not sure ill grow it again, but I know why some love it. Black cherry is my biggest plant and is absolutely loaded. I've picked a few already and thought the taste to be outstanding. The skins are a bit tough on the first few at least, but not overly so. I will certainly grow it along with sungold every year. I'm also growing Principe Borghese, but no ripe fruit. The plant is not huge but is healthy and has lots of tomatoes on it.