Zone 4- orange banana, oroma, saucy, salsa?

GardeningGreta · August 28, 2019

Hi, has anyone in zone 4 grown orange banana, oroma, saucy, or salsa tomatoes? They're listed in Victory seeds. If you have, were they very productive? Have you grown them more than once?

Thanks. Just trying to narrow down my seed list for next year.
Kat

GardeningGreta · August 28, 2019

Also, coyote tomato in zone 4?
I grew Mexico Midget this year and was very impressed with both yield and taste. Thanks again.

bower · August 28, 2019

I grew Coyote outdoors here in a very cold summer and it did produce some fruit. Not sure how US zone system compares with CAD, but I would say, give it a try. It actually didn't do as well inside the greenhouse where it was warmer but didn't get as much light (too crowded!). I would rate it as decently cold tolerant.

August 29, 2019

I'm not in zone 4, quite, but I've grown Oroma a number of times in a number of conditions. It was never prolific for me, however, but I'm in a dry climate with hot and sunny summers, and maybe it needed soil amendments (such as calcium and potassium).

In 2016, I grew a plant in the ground with full sun that was overwatered, in compact soil (no mulch or such). It got a few small fruit. I also grew one in a raised bed that year with moderate watering and shade. It did better than the one in the ground, and got larger more well-formed fruit, and more of them, but not so many as for me to say it was prolific.

In 2017, I grew a plant with very little water in the ground with a little shade from a currant bush. It got a lot of BER, but did better than the one in full sun the previous year, and worse than the one in the raised bed in 2016.

In 2018, I grew it in an area with full sun with black plastic and very little water. It got BER just like in 2017 and did similarly.

I used new saved seeds each subsequent year.

By 2019, I didn't want to grow it. I preferred Sausage on all accounts. I'd rather grow regular Roma, too.

Oroma could probably do decently in Wisconsin as well as in western Oregon, Washington and such areas, but that's just a guess. It's parthenocarpic; so, it's probably designed for cool areas. We get very hot, dry and sunny summers where I live, though. It was bred in western Oregon, I believe, where I believe they have long, but cool, wet, and not-so-sunny seasons.

Coyote should do really nicely in a cold area. The early part of our season is pretty cool, and Coyote grew noticeably faster than anything else, this year (and fruited well then, too). Coyote does have a lot of leaves, though (and it doesn't have an open habit that makes it easy to see the fruit when caged). The fruit is also not ripe when it first looks ripe. It needs to stay on the vine a long time after that in my garden.

I have Orange Banana seeds (never grown it).

FarmerShawn · August 29, 2019

I've grown Orange Banana for years; it's one of our favorites. Zone 4, northern Vermont.
I've grown Coyote, but didn't much like the flavor. If you like sweet, try Russian Mini Yellow. It's like candy, and very prolific.

Father'sDaughter · August 29, 2019

I've grown Oroma a few times and have one plant going this year to re-fresh the seed stock. As stated, it doesn't seem to like hot weather. Every year I've grown it, the pattern has been the same:

It'll set a number of fruit clusters (5-6 tomatoes in each) early in the spring which will all ripen around the same time. Then once the really hot weather arrives, the plants start looking pretty pathetic and they don't set any additional fruit. As soon as the cooler temps arrive, it takes off again. After seeing this the first year I grew it, I know not to pull them early!

The tomatoes are very dense and meaty and the plants are fairly compact.

GardeningGreta · August 30, 2019

Thank you bower, shule1, FarmerShawn, and Father'sDaughter for responding. Now I'm really looking forward to trying coyote and orange banana, and FarmerShawn Russian Mini Yellow also looks good. Maybe for another year. I have 7 cherry tomatoes on my list for 2020 already. Maybe 2021?

Thanks shule1 and Farmer'sDaughter for the details on oroma. I think I'll skip that one for now.

I do love planning the next year's garden while I'm harvesting. Next year I'll be focusing on more paste/salsa types.

Thanks again and happy gardening.

August 28, 2019	#1
GardeningGreta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Wisconsin zone 4b Posts: 8	Zone 4- orange banana, oroma, saucy, salsa? Hi, has anyone in zone 4 grown orange banana, oroma, saucy, or salsa tomatoes? They're listed in Victory seeds. If you have, were they very productive? Have you grown them more than once? Thanks. Just trying to narrow down my seed list for next year. Kat

August 29, 2019	#4
shule1 Guest Posts: n/a	I'm not in zone 4, quite, but I've grown Oroma a number of times in a number of conditions. It was never prolific for me, however, but I'm in a dry climate with hot and sunny summers, and maybe it needed soil amendments (such as calcium and potassium). In 2016, I grew a plant in the ground with full sun that was overwatered, in compact soil (no mulch or such). It got a few small fruit. I also grew one in a raised bed that year with moderate watering and shade. It did better than the one in the ground, and got larger more well-formed fruit, and more of them, but not so many as for me to say it was prolific. In 2017, I grew a plant with very little water in the ground with a little shade from a currant bush. It got a lot of BER, but did better than the one in full sun the previous year, and worse than the one in the raised bed in 2016. In 2018, I grew it in an area with full sun with black plastic and very little water. It got BER just like in 2017 and did similarly. I used new saved seeds each subsequent year. By 2019, I didn't want to grow it. I preferred Sausage on all accounts. I'd rather grow regular Roma, too. Oroma could probably do decently in Wisconsin as well as in western Oregon, Washington and such areas, but that's just a guess. It's parthenocarpic; so, it's probably designed for cool areas. We get very hot, dry and sunny summers where I live, though. It was bred in western Oregon, I believe, where I believe they have long, but cool, wet, and not-so-sunny seasons. Coyote should do really nicely in a cold area. The early part of our season is pretty cool, and Coyote grew noticeably faster than anything else, this year (and fruited well then, too). Coyote does have a lot of leaves, though (and it doesn't have an open habit that makes it easy to see the fruit when caged). The fruit is also not ripe when it first looks ripe. It needs to stay on the vine a long time after that in my garden. I have Orange Banana seeds (never grown it). Last edited by shule1; August 29, 2019 at 01:32 AM.

August 29, 2019	#5
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	I've grown Orange Banana for years; it's one of our favorites. Zone 4, northern Vermont. I've grown Coyote, but didn't much like the flavor. If you like sweet, try Russian Mini Yellow. It's like candy, and very prolific. __________________ "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers

August 28, 2019	#3
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	I grew Coyote outdoors here in a very cold summer and it did produce some fruit. Not sure how US zone system compares with CAD, but I would say, give it a try. It actually didn't do as well inside the greenhouse where it was warmer but didn't get as much light (too crowded!). I would rate it as decently cold tolerant.

August 29, 2019	#6
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	I've grown Oroma a few times and have one plant going this year to re-fresh the seed stock. As stated, it doesn't seem to like hot weather. Every year I've grown it, the pattern has been the same: It'll set a number of fruit clusters (5-6 tomatoes in each) early in the spring which will all ripen around the same time. Then once the really hot weather arrives, the plants start looking pretty pathetic and they don't set any additional fruit. As soon as the cooler temps arrive, it takes off again. After seeing this the first year I grew it, I know not to pull them early! The tomatoes are very dense and meaty and the plants are fairly compact.

August 30, 2019	#7
GardeningGreta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Wisconsin zone 4b Posts: 8	Thank you bower, shule1, FarmerShawn, and Father'sDaughter for responding. Now I'm really looking forward to trying coyote and orange banana, and FarmerShawn Russian Mini Yellow also looks good. Maybe for another year. I have 7 cherry tomatoes on my list for 2020 already. Maybe 2021? Thanks shule1 and Farmer'sDaughter for the details on oroma. I think I'll skip that one for now. I do love planning the next year's garden while I'm harvesting. Next year I'll be focusing on more paste/salsa types. Thanks again and happy gardening.