Please Help Narrow Down My Grow List!

[pdxwindjammer]

Every year I swear I am going to grow out fewer tomatoes and each year my list gets longer. This year I have been very good about not participating in too many trades because I have too many tomato seeds in my stock that I have never grown!

I am especially interested in hearing from growers in the PNW that have similar weather but all advice is appreciated, especially since it may help people in other areas. Due to limited space I am interested in good to great yield. Along with the ones I decide from the lists below, I am also growing many others, these are just the ones I need help narrowing down.

What is your favorite and least favorite and why? I will only grow 2-3 of each:

Blacks

Vorlon
Carbon
Black Brandywine

Cherokee Purple

Small to Medium Pinks and Reds

Thessaloniki
Druzba
Harbinger
Rutgers
Sunset's Red Horizon
Eva Purple Ball

Large Pinks and Reds

Marianna's Peace
Cuostralee
Belgian Pounder
Giant Belgium
Brandywine Red
Brandywine Red PL
Ispolin

Thanks in advance!

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by pdxwindjammer

Every year I swear I am going to grow out fewer tomatoes and each year my list gets longer. This year I have been very good about not participating in too many trades because I have too many tomato seeds in my stock that I have never grown!

I am especially interested in hearing from growers in the PNW that have similar weather but all advice is appreciated, especially since it may help people in other areas. Due to limited space I am interested in good to great yield. Along with the ones I decide from the lists below, I am also growing many others, these are just the ones I need help narrowing down.

What is your favorite and least favorite and why? I will only grow 2-3 of each:

Blacks

Vorlon
Carbon
Black Brandywine
Eva Purple Ball
Cherokee Purple

Small to Medium Pinks and Reds

Thessaloniki
Druzba
Harbinger
Rutgers
Sunset's Red Horizon

Large Pinks and Reds

Marianna's Peace
Cuostralee
Belgian Pounder
Giant Belgium
Brandywine Red
Brandywine Red PL
Ispolin

Thanks in advance!

OK, south Fl conditions, but here goes:
Vorlon, underwhelmed me, not good disease resistance, medium production, just didn't love it.
Cherokee Purple- cant go wrong for taste, but not as productive.
Druzba - very productive very good high acid flavor. Pretty nice.
Marianna's peace- mid to late season, but very productive once it hot started, and wow what a taste!
Eva purple ball succumbed to disease early but I did get 2 fruits that were small but delicious.
Thats all I am familiar with.
If you want a perfect flawless 8 oz red tomato with over the top production, go with Neves Azorean Red. If you want a bicolor with same qualities, go with Little Lucky.

Marsha

[pdxwindjammer]

Thanks Marsha! I have been leaning towards Marianna's Peace.

I grew Neve's Azorean last year but it didn't do well for me. I had a few large tasty fruits but probably not warm enough or not long enough of a season here in the PNW.

A bi-colored that did really well for me last year was Northern Lights. LOTS of tasty fruit!

We also don't have the problem that the south has with diseases. I rarely have to pull a plant because of a disease. I don't know if I am just lucky or if most folks here in the PNW don't have much problem with disease.

[akgardengirl]

I do have to put in a word for Vorlon. I can see why it didn't do all that well for Marsha in Florida because it seems to really like the cooler weather! It does pretty good up here in Anchorage, AK where the summers are cooler and the season much shorter. Production was better than average here and the taste was good. It is one of the bigger tomatoes I can grow here. Most of the others on your list would be a waste of time and space here but it sounds like you have more growing options in Portland.
Sue B.

[creister]

I have grown a few of those on your list. Eva Purple Ball is a must grow. The one year I grew Vorlon, it was very productive and very tasty. Marianna's Peace always tastes good, but production has varied for me from year to year.

Cherokee Purple - tastes great, but again variable production

Thessoliniki - grew one fall, productive and tastes good

Brandywine Red - productive and good, but late season

[creister]

Eva Purple Ball is a pink tomato. Could I suggest JD's Special C-Tex as another black/purple? Productive, early and tasty.

[pdxwindjammer]

Thanks for the info!

I should have mentioned that I have grown and really loved Thessaloniki, Druzba, Giant Belgium and Belgian Pounder. I am trying to figure out if I should bump these guys out and replace with something else on the list.

[Lee]

Also not PNW, but Carbon and Cuostralee (of course!) has my
votes for ones to try!

Lee

[b54red]

Originally Posted by pdxwindjammer

Thanks for the info!

I should have mentioned that I have grown and really loved Thessaloniki, Druzba, Giant Belgium and Belgian Pounder. I am trying to figure out if I should bump these guys out and replace with something else on the list.

I wouldn't bump Druzba or Giant Belgium and I haven't tried the other two. Carbon, Eva Purple Ball and Cherokee Purple are all good. Marianna's Peace is a terrific tomato most years with both great taste and production.

Bill

[marc_groleau]

None of these are least favorites but You gotta keep Cuostralee. Best tomato ever! Productive too. Eva Purple Ball is a winner in taste and productivity as well.
If you need to cut back, consider that Carbon and Cherokee Purple are similar enough that you could cut one of them.

[pdxwindjammer]

I was hoping for a general consensus but as I suspected, everyone has their favorite ones and it probably largely depends on climate, soils, etc. Sigh! The scale will probably tip soon! Great info from people who live down south but where are all my PNW posters? Hunkered down out of the wind, maybe?

I may cross Cherokee Purple of the list since it doesn't seem to be a favorite.

Marianna's Peace is moving up on the list and may be one of the keepers for my grow out.

Creister, thanks for catching Eva Purple Ball. I will edit that. And I don't want to ADD another tomato, I need to pair it down!

[bughunter99]

Zone 5, plenty of moisure, shorter season

Vorlon : Did pretty well for me, very tasty. On the fence on this one as the year I tried it was "the bad year". Taste was good enough to warrant another try.
Carbon : Does well for me

Cherokee Purple: Taste good, but others more productive for me

Thessaloniki: Taste decent. Productive despite some BER, but kind of seedy and thicker skin.

Marianna's Peace- Only tried once, it was one of many varieties that had disease in "the bad year". Currently in my, maybe I should try it again pile.

Brandywines- Brandywines are too late to be worth the space/time in my area. Heavy crop loss from early fall frosts.


Stacy

[pdxwindjammer]

Thanks Stacy!

Okay, so now I am definitely not going to grow Cherokee Purple this year. And I will take the Brandywine's out as well.

I am tempted to grow Sunset's Red Horizon 9formerly called Rostova) simply because it seems to be one that few people have heard about or grown. From the description, I think it will do well for me.

Anyone grow Harbinger or Ispolin?

[Tormato]

I trialed Ispolin many years ago. A typical pink beefsteak which means very good to excellent flavor. I think it would do well in your cooler climate.

Gary