This Years Winners?

[Vince]

I just started harvesting toms, which many are first time cultivars for me. So anyways, what new varieties are outstanding that you are growing this year? My list is below and will be updated as I pick new ones. If you would like to mention dissapointments feel free.

Grub's Mystery Green- This is my first time growing a green tomato and I think I picked a good one. No other word describes it better than simply wow. When I tasted the first fruit it was just amazing how delicious it was, definately a winner.

Cherokee Purple- This one is as expected absolutley delicious, I am glad I planted 6 of these. The first few fruits have been very good exept that near the green core where the stem is attacked has been a little mealy, but the rest of the fruit has no problem. A winner with no hesitation.

Black Krim- Many times the first fruits off a plant are not so shaby, but the first fruit off this one has been extraordinary. No salty or smokey taste like some folks report,but a complex desirable flavor. Can't wait for the next fruit, I wish I would have planted more than one. BTW are the fruits usually on the small side, because most of mine are kind of a super stupice size.

Brandywine Sudduth- Very good strong flavor, nearly the same as my BW unknown plants.

Earl's Faux- Very good strong flavor, nearly the same as my BW unknown plants.

Vince

[johno]

None of mine are ripe yet, but so far Black Krim has the most/biggest fruits. This was a surprise for me.

[dcarch]

Originally Posted by johno

None of mine are ripe yet, but so far Black Krim has the most/biggest fruits. This was a surprise for me.

Same for me. Black Krim is loaded with big ones. Nothing on Sophie's Choice. Go figure!

dcarch

[feldon30]

The Winners
Cherokee Purple -- What can I say that hasn't already been said? Incredible flavor (11 out of 10). Incredibly productive for me (I realize this is rare) at ~30 fruit on 1 plant.

Paul Robeson -- I didn't think it possible, but this may have unseated Cherokee Purple from its "best tasting" throne. It has quite possibly a sweeter, stronger flavor than CP at least in my garden. Alas I only got 7-8 of them.

Black Cherry -- Measures up to all the hype. Late to the party compared to Sungold and even Kimberly, but the flavor pays off -- YUM! I'm almost burnt out on Sungold at this point (say it ain't so!!) but Black Cherry has held my attention. Too many to count.

Gregori's Altai -- This has a well-earned reputation as a predictable variety in Houston. Medium to large pink beefsteak and productive as heck. ~25 on 1 plant. I was not hugely impressed with the flavor, but I think it will be back next year for its other desirable traits.

Jet Star -- Great all around tomato. Hard to believe it's a "market hybrid". 25+ on 1 plant.

Arkansas Traveler -- Went outside this morning and 10 were coloring up. Ate one today at dead ripe and it was surprisingly sweet and flavorful. I give it the edge over Jet Star. Either way, both are coming back! 30+ on 1 plant.

Sungold -- Huge, out-of-control plant. Sharp, citrusy, fruity flavor that some love (me) and others find funky. Ridiculously productive. In other words: nothing new to report!


Runners Up:
Brandy Boy -- Good flavor. I give it 70% of Brandywine in the flavor department. But it didn't hit the productivity stride for which it is known. Grand total is about 8-10 undersized (in my opinion) pink beefsteaks. The first fruit were also heavily ruffled which greatly cut down on usable slices.

Gary O'Sena -- One of my two plants got battered and bruised a bit in the process of removing the clear plastic sheeting that kept out the frost in early April. Still, it pulled thru and gave a few fruit. The two plants combined gave about a dozen excellent medium beefsteaks. Very close to the flavor of Cherokee Purple, so it will be a tough decision next year. Other blacks to try: Noir de Crimee, Carbon.

Brad's Black Heart -- I don't think I've gotten to properly taste one yet. That should happen tomorrow. The plant spent a huge amount of energy on a 1 1/2 pound fruit that split due to rain so I never got to taste it. Will update this post when I get a chance. I think 6-8 fruit if I recall correctly.


Few and Far Between:
Red Penna -- A fantastic red. Now I know what a "blockbuster" red beefsteak can taste like and it's quite distinct from the wonders of purples and pinks at least to my palate. Alas I got to eat ONE and there are 2 more fruit which have not grown in size in a month.

Anna Russian -- Apparently Houston is not Russia! I got ONE, and it was outright bland! There's a golfball sized heart-shaped fruit that's hanging on, but with 95/95 (95 degrees, 95% humidity), I am not expecting miracles.

Tidwell German -- One fruit on an enormous plant and it has no hint of color yet. And the plant was huge at transplant so there's really no excuse.

Tom's Yellow Wonder -- I really wanted this one to succeed. But the weather conspired against it. If I have learned something it is to not leave fused blossoms in split-prone climates like Houston. I will not get to taste my first one (since the huge 2 lb and 1 lb next to it both split from rain) until sometime this week.

Burracker's Favorite -- Not sure what happened. I got one huge fruit and a couple of stragglers. The huge fruit was mealy and bland. Thinking about KBX, Big Rainbow, or Lucky Cross (or all 3 ).

New Big Dwarf -- Big flavor. Small plant. It certainly delivered on that promise. It's also late (not a surprise) and not all that productive at least for me. Due to the clustering of the fruit, I would recommend staking or a cage that can be accessed from all sides.



Wait and See:
I have 2 Cherokee Green plants. One has 0 fruit. The other has 6-7. So far no signs of ripeness, but they have slowed down in gaining size, so I'm checking them more closely now. Aunt Ruby's German Green and Green Giant PL will hopefully both get slots next year.

I have picked 2 Wes fruits but have yet to taste any. Almost crazily ruffled. Distinctive heart shape. Curious to see if I will finally be blown away by the meatiness of an oxheart this year or not (maybe at SETTFest!).

My first Earl's Faux was underwhelming, but I have 1 that's almost ripe and more on the vine. A bit more reporting on this one is in order. Need to try Brandywine Sudduth's just to say I've grown it a full season.


Oh Well:
NOT Brandywine OTV -- Well, not really. And it wasn't a Kimberly either. It was a small-fruited (think Kimberly sized large golf balls, but with pointed ends) flavorless pink variety. I saved seeds, but I'm not sure why.

Husky Red Cherry -- Tough, chewy, and bland. All the traits you hope NOT to see in a cherry tomato. Productive as heck but 1,000 times squat = squat. Will try Mexico Midget, Reisentraube, or Sweet 100 next year.

Kimberly -- Productive? Yes. Tasty? Not so much[TM]. Maybe it never had a chance. It came down very early with bacterial speck or Septoria leaf spot so I had to whack off 2/3 of the foliage. Maybe I need to give it another try. Bloody Butcher is another candidate for this tomato class.

[Grub]

Glad to read you are enjoying GMG, Vince, and that the seed saving, postage, and so on, has helped share the joy around. If I can say one thing: it tastes like no other. I mean that in an entirely positive way.
Best wishes to everyone giving GMG a go this season, Grub

[duajones]

Cherokee Purple-- not my first time growing it but definitely the most success I have had with this variety. Outstanding flavor and the fruit have been absolutely gorgeous with hardly any cracking problems. Harvested 17 so far with 7 or 8 still on the plant. Wish I had planted more than one.

Azoychka-- First yellow for me, it was fairly early and very good tasting. Some picked it as their favorite of what I am growing.25 so far with 5 or so still on the plant.

Jet Star-- I agree that its a good all around tomato and productive for me as well. 30+ per plant, 4 plants

New Big Dwarf-- I was dissapointed with it early on, almost all of the fruit was fused or mishappen, but the 3 plants are still loaded with fruit and they are more consistent in shape and size. This one has big flavor and is the favorite of several friends.

Bush Early Girl-- I have to mention this one as it is early, productive and compact. For those that have space limitations and want to grow a small plant that produces loads of tomatoes that are better than store bought, its worth trying. 200+ on 4 plants

[FlipTX]

I am very impressed with Traveler. The fruit were larger than I was expecting (8-12 oz instead of the 5-8 oz catalogues had me anticipating) and very tasty, with an excellent texture. I will be planting this again next year.

Another winner for me was Creole. A good-tasting basic tomato that did well in a container and is still setting fruit. I'll probably plant this one again.

Production-wise, Top Gun is a winner, but the fruit is just average-tasting to me and the texture has been a bit on the mushy side.

Anna Russian was a disappointment. Delicious fruit, but very few of them, and it was the last to ripen for me.

[Suze]

I still have a lot of mid-late to late ones that haven't ripened yet, so keep that in mind. Of the varieties I've had a chance to taste so far, here are a few 'new (or newish) to me' ones I like:

Grub's Mystery Green - Wow! Grub, you have a real winner with this one. Just wish I had a ripe CG to compare it to (very soon now). Grew GMG last year, but I started it so late, it really didn't get a fair trial (got one small, cracked fruit).

Black and Brown Boar - I was pleasantly surprised. Flavor is good to very good. Tastes more like a dark than a striped variety. Fruits are just beautiful, and fairly uniform.

bb boar1.jpg

Big Sungold - this one has really grown on me. Flavor is in the realm of what I would imagine a Tangella x Jaune Flammee cross might taste like. Super productive.

(Not) Galinas - last year, one of my Galinas plants was not true to type. Instead, I got a plant that threw 2-2.5 oz, early to early-mid bright yellow mini beefsteaks with an attractive red-orange starburst at blossom end. Flavor is very good for the size and DTM. Grew it out from saved seed this year, and it's still doing the same thing. Seems to be one that gets favorable mention when I give away smaller fruited and cherry type tomatoes.

Tasmanian Blushing Yellow - great bold taste for a yellow.

Perito Italian - Luscious red, meaty. Fruits are attractive; pleasing/striking shape and color.

Mexico Midget - Why, it's perfectly seasoned tomato sauce in a itty bitty package! Obscenely productive.

Vodar - fairly early, nice medium red.

Monomakh's Hat - Nice med pink heart, productive, earlier than some.

Dora - I grew it and loved it last year, but got a late start with it and didn't get to see its full potential. Huge plants, very productive. Great taste.

[feldon30]

Had another Arkansas Traveler and my first proper Earl's Faux. The Ark Traveler is surprisingly sweet and will probably get two slots next year. It does tend to ripen all its fruit at the same time like a variety bred for market. I picked 14 in 3 days off 1 plant.

The Earl's Faux was heavy for its size and produced very nice, meaty slices. The flavor was good but did not bowl me over.

[Grub]

Suze,
Did you get a few full-sized GMGs? Gee, I really hope so.
Glad to hear you liked them

[mathfed]

None of the tomatoes in my garden are ripe yet, but there are already some nice big green ones that should be great. As far as plant vigor and fruitset go, I already have a few types that I am happy with. Unless these taste like complete garbage, they will be making comebacks in the future in my garden. This is the first year I've grown any heirlooms, and am glad I took the risk.

Winners so far:

Cherokee Purple: This is a seedling from the only CP seed I got to germinate from the entire pack of seeds. I'm happy so say it is putting the fruit on like crazy. The plant seems to have a bit of a determinate habit, but it is really loading up. Can't wait to taste these.

Paul Robeson: Nice tall, lush plant with lots of greenies. I'm glad I planted two of these.

Mortgage Lifter: This plant got really big really fast without setting any fruit. Within the last week or so, little greenies have popped out all over on this thing.

Pink Beauty (hybrid from Johnnie's): These were my fallback plants in case the heirlooms didn't produce much. These are loaded up with greenies. I really like the taste, shape, and production on these and they have a permanent spot in my garden. I am growing two of these this year since I was nervous about relying entirely on heirlooms for my tomato production.

Black Cherry: Nice big plant loaded with little cherries. I can't wait for these to get ripe.

Wait and see:

Momotaro: I planted two of these, and both plants aren't growing very fast and aren't putting on many fruit. Hopefully, they will pick up soon. If they don't, this may be the only summer I plant them.

Brandywine (Sudduth): A nice big plant that has quite a few blossoms. There aren't many greenies yet, but production looks to be picking up. Until this morning, there was only one tomato on the entire plant. While doing my morning walk this morning, I noticed two more little green guys. I only planted one of these since everyone says they aren't very productive. I wanted to give them a shot at least. So far so good.

Persimmon: I was really excited about these, but am totally disappointed so far. I have two of these, and both are spindly looking weakish plants. Neither has set any fruit yet. If these don't pick up, they won't be back.

Looks like a good tomato season so far. I can't wait to start picking some of these. I took a risk and planted my tomatoes the first week of May. I wrapped their cages with clear plastic for a few weeks to keep them warm, and it seems to have paid off. Nice big plants with lots of big green tomatoes already.

[Tormato]

mathfed,

Persimmon... if it only produced one ripe fruit each year for me, I'd still find space for it. It does have a bit better production than that. But the flavor, to me, is worth it.

Gary

[Lilypon]

LOLOLOL re winners this year! hmmmmmmm lets see mine are all a foot high right now (and are in the ground)...........ah the joys of gardening in a loooooooooooooooow zone. But a few do have blooms already (and on the plant they stay......at least with them I know, for sure, that we'll get a taste ).

n.b. praying for late frost here.

[nctomatoman]

Winners -

Lettuce Magenta and Carmen - both delicious, like a cross between leaf and Romaine types (leafy yet crunchy), with Carmen particularly beautiful with its intense red color.

Snap Pea Sugar Sprint, though you can never have enough sugar snap peas (alas, they are now dead and gone, after 2 hefty servings).

Summer Squash Zephyr, Raven and Sebring - already acting like squash machines!

Swiss Chard Bright Lights...beautiful, tasty, productive.

Only loser so far is a Sneezy F2 potato leaf dwarf in a grow bag that has a bad case of Tomato Spotted Wilt, so is now in quarantine, hoping that at least one fruit goes to maturity (fingers crossed for a green fleshed PL).

Many anticipated winners on the way in the pepper, tomato, eggplant, cuke and melon categories, but a bit too early yet

[materlvr]

Vince,

I am a fellow Riverside County gardener, I live in tomato heaven, Temecula. I only have room for 7 tomato plants, but here is what I'm seeing so far:

Sungold- Still kinda small and just starting to harvest. Very good flavor! Thin skins, too. Hope it's as productive as reported.

Stump of the World- This is my second year growing this variety, and if it doesn't get going soon, it'll be the last!

Red Brandywine- Beautiful plant, some branches a full 1 inch thick. Have high hopes, but no fruit set yet.

Druzba- I've grown this variety for that last 4 years, and it has always been my main crop tomato, but not this year. The plant is scrawny, and no fruit set. It looks like it might have something wrong with it. I've got a bunch of yellow, trashy looking leaves working it's way up the plant, and I may pull it. Big bummer!

Earl's Faux- This is the third year growing it. Last year was horrible, it got so hot so fast and for so long, I only got two tomatoes. They were great, though. Have 6 fruits. Fingers crossed!

Marianna's Peace- Wow, beautiful plant, and really setting fruit. I love this variety, almost always get a great harvest, and this one is almost the best tasting tomato I've ever grown. Probably 3 weeks until harvest.

Kosovo- Wow, wow, wow is all I can say. I stopped counting the maters in my one plant at 38. I grew this last year, and as all my other mater plant sat and simmered in the heat, this plant must have produced 75 huge tomatoes all summer. I had people at work begging me to bring in sliced tomatoes for the department. I have to say, these are tied with MP for fantastic flavor. The maters are huge, but I'm hopping to get a ripe one for July 4th. Ya gotta grow this tomato!!

Thank, Tomato Folk!

Janie