Comments or Experience With These Welcom

marc_groleau · February 17, 2014

My 2014 Grow List.

Probably going to lease a piece of land and try a farmer's market stand.
Any experience or input appreciated.

New varieties for my me:

Porter's Pride
Aker's W. Virginia
Sainte Lucie
St. Teresa
Sioux
Siltez
Beaver Lodge
Greek Domata
Rutgers
Prudens Purple

Jersey Devil
Opalka

Repeats:

Dr. Lyle
Omar's Lebanese
Cuostralee (my favorite)
Neave's Azorean
Cherokee Purple
Black from Tula
Brad's Black Heart

Russian Big Roma
Viva Italia Hybrid (Paste)

Some of my own Ch.Purple X Pineapple crosses and
dehybridized cherries

Patihum · February 17, 2014

Sioux does well in the heat and keeps pumping them out. Not my favorite for a slicer but a great canner.

I definitely agree on the Cuostralee - always one of the biggest tomatoes in the garden, produces a lot and the flavor is outstanding.

joseph · February 17, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc_groleau

My 2014 Grow List.
Any experience or input appreciated.

Rutgers

Rutgers is one of the most popular varieties around here (Northern Utah). Another highly favored variety is Celebrity.

shelleybean · February 17, 2014

From your list, I've grown:

Porter's Pride-this will produce well in heat and it's a pretty tomato with little cracking, too bland for me though.

Aker's West Va.-pretty tomato, not as productive as I'd like but tastes good.

Ste. Lucie-I did not get to taste this one because I lost the plant to TSWV, but until then I was impressed with how robust it was before it got sick. Wish I had been able to try it. Might try it again one day.

Sioux-Productive, heat tolerant with a lot of flavor. A good choice.

Dr. Lyle-Nice, big fruit at the beginning of the season with excellent flavor, shut down for summer and came back in fall with fruit tennis ball sized or smaller.

Neves Azorean Red-This is my favorite from your list. An excellent tomato. Good production, superb flavor, a real winner.

Best to you this season! Please return with updates and your own opinions.

linzelu100 · February 17, 2014

Not a market grower, but Jersey devil is late and not productive. My personal taste is that they are good, and very unique looking, but as a market grower I might consider something that produces the whole season and is a more productive paste. Since it is about making money...

bughunter99 · February 17, 2014

From your list I have grown:

Siltez: Great tasting, very early very successful for me in zone 5
Cherokee Purple: Great tasting, about 8 tomatoes per plant of decent size.
Black from Tula: this one was sickly for me the year I tried it. One tomato-mealy.
Brad's Black Heart: This one was a very late yielder for me last year and lost to frost.

Stacy

spacetogrow · February 18, 2014

Sioux - I like the more assertive flavor. Wasn't very productive but I only grew it in 2012 when the amazing heat slowed down all of the tomatoes except Porter (which may be about the same as Porter's Pride - prolific even in heat but bland).

ginger2778 · February 18, 2014

My 3 faves on your list are: Pruden's Purple, prolific dark pink fruits 12-18 oz, indescribably delicious Brandywine like taste, vigorous grower.
Neves Azorean Red, delicious high acid and sweet balanced perfect round unblemished 4-10 oz( most at 6-8) very productive. Been 4 months now and still has about 15 fruits on it. Wish I planted even more.
Cherokee Purple - everybody's favorite or in the top 5. Spudakee is great too, and more productive than CP. Still, for a BLT- OMG!

Porters was a little bland- needed the salt shaker.

Marsha

bower · February 18, 2014

I grew Siletz last year, nice production for the tiny size of plant and quite tasty, but for market purpose be forewarned, there were a lot of split fruit on this one - maybe over 50% split.

Also grew one of the BeaverLodge last year - it was Beaverlodge Plum, not Slicer. This was a tiny plant too, a precocious flowering and setting determinate with nice looking fruit but unfortunately really tasteless. Maybe the BL Slicer is better, so check which one you have.

Best of luck with the enterprise.

**mdvpc** · February 18, 2014

I have grown Porter and Porter's Pride several times. Porters Pride produced well for me, I would use them chopped up and sautéed with olive oil, garlic and basil. The fresh taste will not overwhelm you, but for me, they produced a lot of tomatoes. They certainly aren't any worse than Juliet.

simmran1 · February 18, 2014

Hi Marc,

I haven't seen inputs on Greek Domata yet, and I have grown. Was a fine 8-10 oz. red tomato in 2012 for me, which would be an asset to your market stand. Getting some of these heirlooms to the market will require some extra care that many for-market growers in my neck of the urban woods don't seem to do.

Your Beaverlodge, (I assume 6808) and Sioux can hold up to transport w/o too much TLC, but if you can get them all there w/o bruising I think your clientele will be won over by taste. -Randy

marc_groleau · February 20, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by linzelu100

Not a market grower, but Jersey devil is late and not productive. My personal taste is that they are good, and very unique looking, but as a market grower I might consider something that produces the whole season and is a more productive paste. Since it is about making money...

I've got some San Marzano and Speckled Roman seeds coming. Maybe I'll cut back on the Jersey Devils and just grow enough to satisfy my curiosity.

How's Opalka for production?

Mbrown9510 · February 20, 2014

I grew San Marzano's last year and they did great. Crazy prolific.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

clkeiper · February 20, 2014

Not advice on the varieties, but on the market itself...
be there week in and week out.
Plant more than you think you will need and if you have extras donate them to a soup kitchen (not a food bank- they will more than likely go to waste before they can be distributed).
Plant and have more than tomatoes on your stand. Variety pulls people to your stand, unususal and tasty is always a hit, but make sure you have the tried and true...red round tomatoes.

Find an economical supplier for your boxes and bags, recycling is great, but food safety laws are being drafted and I think they will be going towards new containers as to avoid any inadvertent contamination from elsewhere (a previous consumer). This I learned from a growers convention and the session ( called GAP...good agricultural practices) was geared towards small commercial growers, but I think it is a good safety practice to begin with, if you can afford to start that way. Or use plastic boxes that can be washed and sanitized regularly. If you are selling by the pound you won't need the boxes to to sell by volume.

Check with the county extension service in your area to see if there are any seminars or pamphlets to help you be successful in/on HOW to do a farmers market.

have the FIRST ripe of everything you can at your market. People will be geared to getting to you first everytime they stop at the market to see what is now ready or getting ready.

Have a "coming/ready next week" sign to lure them back next week.

marc_groleau · February 21, 2014

Thanks for the input clkeiper. It all sounds like sensible advice

February 17, 2014	#1
marc_groleau Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 444	Comments or Experience With These Welcom My 2014 Grow List. Probably going to lease a piece of land and try a farmer's market stand. Any experience or input appreciated. New varieties for my me: Porter's Pride Aker's W. Virginia Sainte Lucie St. Teresa Sioux Siltez Beaver Lodge Greek Domata Rutgers Prudens Purple Jersey Devil Opalka Repeats: Dr. Lyle Omar's Lebanese Cuostralee (my favorite) Neave's Azorean Cherokee Purple Black from Tula Brad's Black Heart Russian Big Roma Viva Italia Hybrid (Paste) Some of my own Ch.Purple X Pineapple crosses and dehybridized cherries

February 17, 2014	#4
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	From your list, I've grown: Porter's Pride-this will produce well in heat and it's a pretty tomato with little cracking, too bland for me though. Aker's West Va.-pretty tomato, not as productive as I'd like but tastes good. Ste. Lucie-I did not get to taste this one because I lost the plant to TSWV, but until then I was impressed with how robust it was before it got sick. Wish I had been able to try it. Might try it again one day. Sioux-Productive, heat tolerant with a lot of flavor. A good choice. Dr. Lyle-Nice, big fruit at the beginning of the season with excellent flavor, shut down for summer and came back in fall with fruit tennis ball sized or smaller. Neves Azorean Red-This is my favorite from your list. An excellent tomato. Good production, superb flavor, a real winner. Best to you this season! Please return with updates and your own opinions. __________________ Michele

February 17, 2014	#5
linzelu100 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Virginia Posts: 447	Not a market grower, but Jersey devil is late and not productive. My personal taste is that they are good, and very unique looking, but as a market grower I might consider something that produces the whole season and is a more productive paste. Since it is about making money... __________________ Lindsey

February 18, 2014	#10
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	I have grown Porter and Porter's Pride several times. Porters Pride produced well for me, I would use them chopped up and sautéed with olive oil, garlic and basil. The fresh taste will not overwhelm you, but for me, they produced a lot of tomatoes. They certainly aren't any worse than Juliet. __________________ Michael

February 18, 2014	#11
simmran1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Iowa Zone 5 Posts: 305	Hi Marc, I haven't seen inputs on Greek Domata yet, and I have grown. Was a fine 8-10 oz. red tomato in 2012 for me, which would be an asset to your market stand. Getting some of these heirlooms to the market will require some extra care that many for-market growers in my neck of the urban woods don't seem to do. Your Beaverlodge, (I assume 6808) and Sioux can hold up to transport w/o too much TLC, but if you can get them all there w/o bruising I think your clientele will be won over by taste. -Randy __________________ Tomatovillain

February 17, 2014	#2
Patihum Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Southeast Kansas Posts: 878	Sioux does well in the heat and keeps pumping them out. Not my favorite for a slicer but a great canner. I definitely agree on the Cuostralee - always one of the biggest tomatoes in the garden, produces a lot and the flavor is outstanding.

February 17, 2014	#6
bughunter99 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: zone 5 Posts: 821	From your list I have grown: Siltez: Great tasting, very early very successful for me in zone 5 Cherokee Purple: Great tasting, about 8 tomatoes per plant of decent size. Black from Tula: this one was sickly for me the year I tried it. One tomato-mealy. Brad's Black Heart: This one was a very late yielder for me last year and lost to frost. Stacy

February 18, 2014	#7
spacetogrow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: MN zone 4 Posts: 359	Sioux - I like the more assertive flavor. Wasn't very productive but I only grew it in 2012 when the amazing heat slowed down all of the tomatoes except Porter (which may be about the same as Porter's Pride - prolific even in heat but bland).

February 18, 2014	#8
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	My 3 faves on your list are: Pruden's Purple, prolific dark pink fruits 12-18 oz, indescribably delicious Brandywine like taste, vigorous grower. Neves Azorean Red, delicious high acid and sweet balanced perfect round unblemished 4-10 oz( most at 6-8) very productive. Been 4 months now and still has about 15 fruits on it. Wish I planted even more. Cherokee Purple - everybody's favorite or in the top 5. Spudakee is great too, and more productive than CP. Still, for a BLT- OMG! Porters was a little bland- needed the salt shaker. Marsha

February 18, 2014	#9
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	I grew Siletz last year, nice production for the tiny size of plant and quite tasty, but for market purpose be forewarned, there were a lot of split fruit on this one - maybe over 50% split. Also grew one of the BeaverLodge last year - it was Beaverlodge Plum, not Slicer. This was a tiny plant too, a precocious flowering and setting determinate with nice looking fruit but unfortunately really tasteless. Maybe the BL Slicer is better, so check which one you have. Best of luck with the enterprise.

February 20, 2014	#13
Mbrown9510 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Indiana Posts: 14	I grew San Marzano's last year and they did great. Crazy prolific. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

February 20, 2014	#14
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	Not advice on the varieties, but on the market itself... be there week in and week out. Plant more than you think you will need and if you have extras donate them to a soup kitchen (not a food bank- they will more than likely go to waste before they can be distributed). Plant and have more than tomatoes on your stand. Variety pulls people to your stand, unususal and tasty is always a hit, but make sure you have the tried and true...red round tomatoes. Find an economical supplier for your boxes and bags, recycling is great, but food safety laws are being drafted and I think they will be going towards new containers as to avoid any inadvertent contamination from elsewhere (a previous consumer). This I learned from a growers convention and the session ( called GAP...good agricultural practices) was geared towards small commercial growers, but I think it is a good safety practice to begin with, if you can afford to start that way. Or use plastic boxes that can be washed and sanitized regularly. If you are selling by the pound you won't need the boxes to to sell by volume. Check with the county extension service in your area to see if there are any seminars or pamphlets to help you be successful in/on HOW to do a farmers market. have the FIRST ripe of everything you can at your market. People will be geared to getting to you first everytime they stop at the market to see what is now ready or getting ready. Have a "coming/ready next week" sign to lure them back next week. __________________ carolyn k

February 21, 2014	#15
marc_groleau Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 444	Thanks for the input clkeiper. It all sounds like sensible advice