What would you grow?

[Labradors2]

As a thank-you to a contractor who did some great work for us at a reasonable price, I will grow some tomato seedlings for him in the spring.

These are all for fresh eating/cooking, but not for canning. He usually grows 6 plants, 2 of which are cherries.

What variety does he grow? Roma!!!!!

I asked if they would eat pink ones and he said yes. Didn't dare ask if they would try a black variety.

I have seeds for Amish Paste which I hear is tasty, and will grow a Sungold (which they haven't tried yet!)

Little Lucky? Russian Rose?

What else would be great and productive for NC ????

Linda

[KarenO]

I would stay away from wispy varieties for gifts as inexperienced folks always think they look sickly even when very healthy.
so many kinds to choose from! I know people who are very intrigued by my intersting heirlooms and folks who turn up their noses at anything that is not the traditional red. For cooking, most likely he will prefer reds, so how about a great red beefsteak, a non wispy heart, a couple of productive red pasteslike Opalka, your sungold, a black everyone loves like Margaret Curtain or a reliable stripe like berkeley tye dye pink or indian stripe for some excitement and to expand his tomato horizons
KarenO

[dustdevil]

Since he grows cherries and a paste, I think he needs a couple slicers.

[AlittleSalt]

After reading a lot of reviews and countless comments. Big Beef sounds like a sure thing.

[JLJ_]

FWIW I think Indian Stripe PL -- or any of the Indian Stripes -- is a better choice than other dark tomatoes.

Possibly useful tip: people not familiar with or interested in tomato varieties sometimes respond better to describing tomatoes like IS as "such a dark red that some refer to them as black . . . very dark red -- and nearly everyone loves their flavor"

[Jimbotomateo]

Don't have tomato answer, just wanted to say wonderful of you to reward the man for job well done and he'll get warm fuzzy feeling thru the years when he thinks back on it. My best days are when I remember something thoughtful homeowners said to me . One gentleman, who was in his 80s, created beautiful oak and glass hurricane lamps with rod in center to pull candle up to lite. The five sides have glass. Unbeknownst to me he was making mine as I was remodeling his kitchen! It sits on my fireplace mantel. Funny thing is , he was always barefooted! Lol. He said he liked to feel connected to Mother Earth! Lol. Jimbo.

[ddsack]

Funny thing is , he was always barefooted! Lol. He said he liked to feel connected to Mother Earth! Lol. Jimbo.

Reminds me of an old Swede in our neighborhood. He lived on a lake, and in the winter time would keep a large tub of sand in his basement which was heated by a wood stove. He would cover the sand with a couple of inches of water and go wiggle his toes in it. He said he felt like he was wading in his lake.

[gorbelly]

Is the Roma he grows OP or a F1? I ask because a lot of gardeners who are used to growing disease resistant hybrids may not appreciate the extra work involved in warding off disease from the less resistant OPs. Maintenance requirements would definitely figure into my calculations on this.

[MuddyToes]

Originally Posted by ddsack

Reminds me of an old Swede in our neighborhood. He lived on a lake, and in the winter time would keep a large tub of sand in his basement which was heated by a wood stove. He would cover the sand with a couple of inches of water and go wiggle his toes in it. He said he felt like he was wading in his lake.

I totally get that. I chose the handle "MuddyToes" because when it gets above 60 degrees F, mine usually are.

[MuddyToes]

Amish Paste and Sunsugar were my two favorite tomatoes last season wrt taste. I am going to try Principe Borghese per recommendations here on TV. Hoping it's got a little more punch than Roma and I like that it's determinate.

[Labradors2]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Karen, what's a good non-wispy heart? I didn't know there was such a thing.

Gorbelly you have a point that he could be growing Roma VF, and I have another thought which is that he might appreciate it's shortness! He doesn't have a lot of time to tend to his plants.

I think I'd better get some Roma VF seeds and limit myself to compact plants.

Linda

[KarenO]

Tatiana's site differentiates varieties that have regular or wispy foliage although many of the better known hearts do have this trait. One idea might be the dwarf project hearts. very pretty and not wispy.
soon I hope there will be 4 or 5 new potato leaf hearts from my true north project. they all have the good leafy fruit cover and stronger stems that comes along with PL foliage. I consider that a plus in them. F5 this year so getting close to stable.
KO
KarenO

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Karen, what's a good non-wispy heart? I didn't know there was such a thing.

Gorbelly you have a point that he could be growing Roma VF, and I have another thought which is that he might appreciate it's shortness! He doesn't have a lot of time to tend to his plants.

I think I'd better get some Roma VF seeds and limit myself to compact plants.

Linda

Linda,there are far more non wispy hearts than wispy ones, says heart lover Carolyn, but since you asked Karen,I'll let her answer.

Carolyn

[Labradors2]

Well Carolyn, of all people, should know . Any recommendations for great-tasting non wispies Carolyn?

I did see that Tania lists whether the leaves are wispy or not, but couldn't remember very many heart shaped varieties to really test it out because all the ones that I know of are wispies!

Linda

[KarenO]

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/H...atoes_by_Color.

Most of the well know varieties are wispy and/or droopy to some extent but some much more than others.
even my PL ones are droopy in form even with heavy Potato leaves but they are not sparse. Perhaps what I meant was avoid a heart with sparse and truly wispy foliage that tends to look sickly to folks who have not grown that type of tomato before and most of the well known and commercially available hearts such as Anna Russian are in that category as you mention.
KO