Jetstar in your garden?

[clkeiper]

What are your reviews of Jetstar? I was under the impression ( I think I had a tag that said it was a determinate) that it was a determinate. ow I read it is an indeterminate... have you grown it and is it indeterminate and how did it taste? low acid sounds to me kind of boring. I also read it has been around since 1969.... I have never heard of it until this year... or at least never noticed it.

[imp]

Never grown it before, but have 2 in for fall tomatoes this year. I'm in the same boat as you, LOL.

[clkeiper]

I have never heard of it and have flats of them out on the bench to sell. I told one of my customers I knew nothing about it but it was low acid and a determinate... oops. I am positive the tag was labeled determinate... it was a mastertag tag. since it came in the packet with the seeds... it could have- I usually order JohnHenry tags... and I have seen one labeled one way and the other totally opposite. I guess I will be putting in a couple of those too. good thing I still have a row left with room for tomatoes. sheesh I am up to 235 tomatoes and still putting in. I think it about 50 varieties now. I need help. I think Spike and I must be related... addictions addictions!

[imp]

LOL, you make me feel like such a lazy bones!!! I will say this, the Jetstars I bought were mostly two in a pot and I was not nice at ripping them apart and plopping them into the ground at all. Our weather has been in the high 80's to high 90's ( next 2 or 3 days, then down to the 80's), and they show no signs of stress or nothing!!

The tomato plants got their first watering this morning, just now, since transplanting 3 days ago. So, so far, they are toughies. Taste, we will see.

[clkeiper]

good to know. I will also decide on taste... when they ripen. maybe a keeper or a rip-er outer.

[imp]

I can't recall, but think either Cole Robbie, AKMark or Big Van Vader may have grown these at some point....my brain is a colander today.

[Cole_Robbie]

Jet Star was my grandparent's market variety throughout the 1980s. That was before Big Beef existed. I've grown both side by side. Taste is identical. They are the only two non-cherry hybrids that I like to eat. Jet Star is indeterminate, but it is a more compact grower than Big Beef, which will yield more, but take up more space and require more pruning and trellising.

Oh, and I have no idea where that "low acid" description comes from. That is not my experience at all. I grew up eating Jet Star. It will burn the corners of your mouth, like any other red tomato.

[seaeagle]

Jet Star is indeterminate about 6 or 7 feet tall, compact, and NOT low acid.

[clkeiper]

thanks, Cole... says it right on the description... marketing marketing! anything to sell another tomato. I keep telling people there is no low acid tomato that tastes like anything. but then again if someone believes it is low acid then they can and will eat it even if it isn't.

[ramapojoe]

jetstar are very good.

I've never grown Jet Star F1, but I've read threads on it, and people seem to like it.

I think extra potassium can make most tomatoes low acid (but definitely not the F2 Lemon Boy I grew once). I agree that it lessens the taste at least some of the time, but I think it depends on the variety, watering and other factors. It's possible that the vendor who wrote the description grew it in high potassium soil, or in cold, cloudy or more shaded conditions.

[greenthumbomaha]

Univ of Neb recommends this as one of their preferred varieties for my area. They also describe it a lower acid, which contradicts other research that pegs most tomatoes as similar in acidity.

I have grown it, typical looking uniform hybrid and no where near 6 feet for me - closer to 4-5. The market grower/neighbor near my partners acreage has hundreds of Jetstar plants, and it is the only variety he grows. He starts them late in his small greenhouse, and I always have earlier varieties. He has customers that come from everywhere for them. To each his own , they are not that awesome that I would go out of my way for his special tomato LOL. It will be a money maker for you, no worries on that.

- Lisa

[carolyn137]

There were three varieties bred by Harris Seeds who are based near Rochester,NY, and those three became very popular, especially here in the East. They are

Jet Star F1
Supersonic F1
Moreton Hybrid ( Moreton Farm was the place where they did their breeding work.

I grew all three many times three, the one I liked the best was Supersonic F1.

I'm not going to go into this but briefly, but Harris was bought out by Moran seeds, Harris lost most of their breeders, finally Harris was able to buy their way out of Moran and be independent again. Part of the deal was also that Harris could sell anything that Moran sold.

This goes way back to when I was a kid on our farm and the man from Harris came to our home and asked if dad needed anymore of this or that since Harris also offered lots of other crops,then told dad about the newest tomatoes and other stuff and asked if he wanted a free trial pack to start with or more than that.

Carolyn, who recently got a catalog from Harris, but it isn't the Harris catalog she used to know .Perhaps they have two now, one for commercial growers and one for homegrowers,still,not the catalog she knew.

[clkeiper]

Interesting information from everyone. Thanks so much.
I put 3 in the garden tonight before I came in. I honestly don't ever recall hearing of it before. Thanks Carolyn for the history of it
Have you trialed the three together to see what the difference between them is? Curious how similar or different they are.

[SteveP]

I have never grown them, but Jetstar and Celebrity seem to be very popular in my area. Lots of people swear by them.