underrated but easily available?

[greggf]

I'm thinking of growing some of the non-superstars of heirloomdom next season, just for fun, since the superstars so often fail to perform in our climate anyway.

What are some vastly underrated heirloom (or other) varieties that you think that more people should try?

I'm especially interested in varieties that are rather easily available from well-regarded sources.

I'll toss in Reif Red Heart, which did well for us once, but which you hardly hear about.

=gregg=

[shelleybean]

I suggest German Head. Lots of really pretty fruit with classic tomato flavor.

[Tomstrees]

Limbaughs Potato Top ...
One that EVERYONE should get to know !


Tom

[montanamato]

Gregg...I have no idea what your nurseries offer, but here they offer the heirlooms that are typically low producing and hard to get a good harvest from...Old German, Brandywine, Soldacki etc, I think they have probably done much to turn people away from heirlooms in this part of the country...
Rutgers is about the only one offered here that ripens a crop in an average year...Not super exciting, but dependable...Lemon Boy is offered frequently but performs so so and is a hybrid also...Siletz was the first nursery plant I liked in years, and it set in heat and cold...I kept seeds and have grown it for several years. Sioux is good too. If you can talk a nursery into starting seeds for you when they plant their seedlings you could grow a bit more variety...

[carolyn137]

Some to consider are:

Chapman, red beef
Wes, red heart
Red Penna, red beef

....all of which I don't see too many folks mentioning, even tho in my last seed offer I distributed lots of all three. I love all three.

Then I might consider:

Russian Bogatyr, red beef
Milka's Red Bulgarian, red beef

....and I'll think about some othger colors, etc, and post tomorrow....maybe. :wink:

Aha, can't forget Mama Leone and Sara's Galapagos.

Aha again, consider Ashleigh.

[greggf]

Wow. Lots of cool new names. Thanks.

Our major local nursery guy is very, VERY anti-heirloom. (He's also our plumber, so I see way too much of him way too often.)

In fact, he's very anti-variety in general. He's like the fictional shopkeeper Garrison Keillor (sp?) tells stories about, sort of a, "If we don't carry it, you don't need it!" sort of guy, but I think typical for the North Country.

"There are way too many varieties of tomatoes," he said to me this past season, when I brought up heirlooms.

I asked him what I should grow up here, and he said, "Early Girl" and "Park's Whopper, if you have to have a bigger one." He also stocks in his nursery "SuperSweet 100," "Bush Beefsteak," and, some years but not all, "Jet Star."

Another close-by nursery offers those, plus "New Yorker."

I normally start seed and don't buy from him or them..........

=gregg=

[carolyn137]

Gregg, if you want seeds for any that I mentioned just PM me with your address and tell me which varieties you want or let me choose for you. Your choice that way.

Folks, this is not a general seed offer. Only to the man who lives north of me near Boonville, which is a burden not many could cope with. Besides, he and his wife Elaine sent me the most beautiful flower arrangement after the quad muscle repairs on that right leg.

By the way, Tom mentioned Limbaugh's Potato Top but I don't know of anyone who lists it that way as I've mentioned here before. Yes, Limbaugh is the one who is distributing seeds and has for years, but it's not his variety.

Glenn at Sandhill has it listed as Pink Potato Top which is the name it was first listed as many years ago in the SSE Yerbook. I've also grown that one as well.

[greggf]

Carolyn,

PM coming...........thanx!!

=gregg=

[greggf]

Okay, I THINK that I just sent a PM. Not sure how to use the system, , so I sent a regular email as well.

Brain fade at 49 and 11/12ths.

=gregg=

[Tormato]

Redfield Beauty was the best non-superstar for me this year.

Gary

[Tomstrees]

You're absolutley right Carolyn ...

Sorry guys ~ I keep listing it wrong EVERYWHERE !
BUT GROW IT OF YOU CAN !!!

~ Tom

[bully]

ask her for Dr. Lyle and Omars Lebanese..you'll be happy you did.

[greggf]

Mr. Bully!!

Hehhehheh. I did ask for Dr. Lyle from her, by name. 8)

There's a lot of bad Dr. Lyle floating around out there, I guess...........

Tell me all about the "real" Dr. Lyle. Tantalize us. It's November. We need something to smack our lips over.

And if you have any pics............................

=gregg=

[bully]

I couldn't find a pic.

Dr. Lyle is a wonderful tomato, a solid 8.5 in my book.

[greggf]

Thanks!

We have to get folks to grow Dr. Lyle.

There was a real Dr. Lyle next door when I was a kid. He was a professor of German at St. Lawrence University.

=gregg=