2009 tomato rankings
 

This was a very unusual year. my favorite varieties didn't fair as well as the later planted "new to me" varieties. Still, in order by taste:

Dana's Dusky Rose
Amazon Chocolate
JD's Special C-tex
Sandul Moldovan
Lillian Maciejewski's Poland Pink
Barlow Jap
Black Master
Mrs Benson
Cowlick Brandywine
Tarasenko6
Preacher Joe
Swisher Sweet
Shannon's South African Mystery Black
Brandywine-Glick's
Lancaster County Pink
Gigantesque
Golden Queen
Wessel's Purple Pride (Cherokee Sausage)
Limbaugh's Legacy Potato top
Black Krim
Indian Stripe
Dora
Spudakee
Giant Belgium
Cherokee Green
Russian Rose
Brandywine-Stumps (not to be confused with Stump o' the world)
Pink Sweet
Royal Hillbilly
Earl's Faux
Chianti Rose
Richardson
Gary O'Sena
Rose
Olena Ukrainian
Caspian Pink
Goatbag
Kellogg's Breakfast
Brandywine-Sudduth's
Heaven's Joy
German Johnson- Dana's
Porkchop
Daniels
Cherokee Purple
Black Brandywine x Sun-Gold cross
Burpee Sweet Seedless (hybrid)
Opalka
Summer Cider
Hege German Pink
Hazelfield Farm Red
Golden Cherokee
Persimmon
Lucky cross
Spudatula
Large Pink Bulgarian
Chris Ukrainian
Black Brandywine
KBX
Amy Goldman's Italian American
Dr Wyche's Yellow
Mr Underwood's Pink German Giant

....Unharvested....
Red Brandywine
Boxcar Willie
Tiffen Mennonite
Aunt Ginny's Purple

....Crop Failure's....
German Pink
NAR
Redwolf
German Head
Oregon Spring
Costalut Geneves
Marianna's Peace
Amish Rose
German Queen
Jumbo Jim Orange
Wild Bills Big Red
Bear Creek
Bearclaw

That's a lot of maters Camo. How many did you plant?

Camo

Thanks for the thoughtful update!! The season was one to remember and hopefully won't be repeated next year :) Sure did like Cherokee Green and Indian Stripes this year and NAR for a red. Hope you AGP is a Stand out this year.

George

Thanks Camo for posting your Top 30. I see you rate Tarasenko6 right below Cowlicks. Can you tell me a liitle about this tomato. I have seed for it and Tarasenko2 but havn't got around to growing it yet. Ami

Camo,
I wish you the best on cutting back. Every year I say that and then a few gotta try it's sneak in there and I'm either back up to what I grew last year or, a few more ;)
Daggone addictive, I tell ya!

Numerous posts which were off-topic have been moved to this thread:

[url]http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=12511[/url]

Because of this years extreme conditions, my 2009 tomato rankings are best used for those who are looking for reliability in short season northern areas that occasionally experience cool/cold and cloudy/wet seasons.

The total package of production(8), taste(6), earliness(4) and resistance to catfacing/cracking(2), for a maximum possible 20 points determine this years' ranking. I added catfacing/cracking because some varieties were so affected. Also, taste is relative to the others as cool, cloudy weather muted the flavors.

19 Ramapo 8,6,3,2
19 Bloody Butcher 8,5,4,2
18 Orange-1 7,5,4,2
17 Early Wonder 7,5,3,2
16 Black Giant 7,4,4,1
15 Black Cherry 6,6,2,1
15 Moskvich 5,5,4,1
12 Momotaro 4,5,1,2
11 Berkely TieDye Pink 5,3,3,0
9 Big Zac 4,4,1,0
5 Uncle Charlie's Italian Plum 3,?,1,1
4 Old Brooks 2,?,0,2
3 Beefsteak Plum 2,?,0,1
1 Aunt Ginny's Purple 1,?,0,0
1 Brandywine 1,?,0,0
0 Winsall PL 0,0,0,0

? = picked on blush, still not ripe.

Barkeater,
I was curious if you knew what variety of Brandywine you had. Seemed to do so poorly. This year, Cowlick Brandywine was my first to ripen. (actually, tied with Lancaster County Pink as the first). and usually produces much more than any other variety.
Camo

Camo,

This year I don't think it would have mattered. All the large beefsteak types grew large and green and catfaced and still won't ripen. Even an earlier beefsteak type like Aunt Ginny's Purple. It's the weather here this year. Even some of the semi-determinate types that are midseason, like Momotaro and Old Brooks, are barely starting to ripen. But, at least I didn't get late blight like most nearby, so I can't really complain (but I do anyway! ;-)

BTW, Brandywine, Cowlick's Brandywine, Brandywine Sudduth, and the other pink Brandywines with made up first names are ALL the same variety. Some are strains, and some not even that in many cases.

[quote=barkeater;145638]Camo,

This year I don't think it would have mattered. All the large beefsteak types grew large and green and catfaced and still won't ripen. Even an earlier beefsteak type like Aunt Ginny's Purple. It's the weather here this year. Even some of the semi-determinate types that are midseason, like Momotaro and Old Brooks, are barely starting to ripen. But, at least I didn't get late blight like most nearby, so I can't really complain (but I do anyway! ;-)

BTW, Brandywine, Cowlick's Brandywine, Brandywine Sudduth, and the other pink Brandywines with made up first names are ALL the same variety. Some are strains, and some not even that in many cases.[/quote]

Barkeater,
Sorry to hear that you had such a bad season. Maybe next year will be better.
I've grown every variety/ strain of Brandywine for quite a few years now. And this year many of their crosses like Dora, Gary O'sena, Rose, Earl's Faux and others. You would have a hard time convincing me that they are all the same. I plant seedlings on the same day for Cowlick's Brandywine, Brandywine-Glick's, Brandywine-Sudduth's, Brandywine-Stumps, Brandywine Pink, Black Brandywine and transplant them to larger pots at the same time, and again into the gardens at the same time and Cowlicks always produces ripe tomatoes about two-three weeks earlier than any other. They continue to out produce all other Brandywines including Red Brandywine which doesn't even come close to being in the same category. And are usually producing weeks after the others quit! If you enter in Yellow Brandywine you can increase their ripening time even longer.
Then if you cut each "strain" at the equater and simply compare, you'll see that they aren't alike at all. I've had many that say Cowlick's also have much smaller seeds than say Glick's or Sudduths, but They never complain once they've grown the tomato to maturity, as it produces nice large, tasty tomatoes, and on most years it's the first to ripen in my gardens (as it was this year) and one of the last if not the very last to still be producing when the first killing frost forces me to pull the plant.
These are just observations as I have no formal training in plant biology or anything else, I just like growing tasty tomatoes and have been growing them for a number of years now. Cowlick Brandywine is still my #1 favorite year after year, although this year it dropped to #9 as the cooler and wetter weather effected my early planted tomatoes more then they did those planted much later. Still, out of 238 tomato plants this year, 77 0r 78 varieties, #9 isnt that bad a position. You can imagine how good the other 8 that beat it were! Good Luck with yours this coming year.

[QUOTE=camochef;145515]This was a very unusual year. my favorite varieties didn't fair as well as the later planted "new to me" varieties. Still, in order by taste:

Dana's Dusky Rose
Amazon Chocolate
JD's Special C-tex
Sandul Moldovan
Lillian Maciejewski's Poland Pink
Barlow Jap
Black Master
Mrs Benson
Cowlick Brandywine
Tarasenko6
Preacher Joe
Swisher Sweet
Shannon's South African Mystery Black
Brandywine-Glick's
Lancaster County Pink
Gigantesque
Golden Queen
Wessel's Purple Pride (Cherokee Sausage)
Limbaugh's Legacy Potato top
Black Krim
Indian Stripe
Dora
Spudakee
Giant Belgium
Cherokee Green
Russian Rose
Brandywine-Stumps (not to be confused with Stump o' the world)
Pink Sweet
Royal Hillbilly
Earl's Faux
Chianti Rose
Richardson
Gary O'Sena
Rose
Olena Ukrainian
Caspian Pink
Goatbag
Kellogg's Breakfast
Brandywine-Sudduth's
Heaven's Joy
German Johnson- Dana's
Porkchop
Daniels
Cherokee Purple
Black Brandywine x Sun-Gold cross
Burpee Sweet Seedless (hybrid)
Opalka
Summer Cider
Hege German Pink
Hazelfield Farm Red
Golden Cherokee
Persimmon
Lucky cross
Spudatula
Large Pink Bulgarian
Chris Ukrainian
Black Brandywine
KBX
Amy Goldman's Italian American
Dr Wyche's Yellow
Mr Underwood's Pink German Giant

....Unharvested....
Red Brandywine
Boxcar Willie
Tiffen Mennonite
Aunt Ginny's Purple

....Crop Failure's....
German Pink
NAR
Redwolf
German Head
Oregon Spring
Costalut Geneves
Marianna's Peace
Amish Rose
German Queen
Jumbo Jim Orange
Wild Bills Big Red
Bear Creek
Bearclaw[/QUOTE]

Camo, I can't believe you can keep up with so many different varieties. I have trouble keeping up with a dozen or so but am going to try many more this next year and see what happens. Bill

"if you cut each "strain" at the equater and simply compare, you'll see that they aren't alike at all. I've had many that say Cowlick's also have much smaller seeds than say Glick's or Sudduths"

Camo,

If they are that much different, then maybe Cowlick's somewhere back crossed with another variety and has now stabilized into the tomato you like so much. It does sound like a good one.

Camo, Can you tell me about Shannon's South African Mystery Black?

Thanks,

Greg

[quote=gssgarden;146570]Camo, Can you tell me about Shannon's South African Mystery Black?

Thanks,

Greg[/quote]

Greg,
I received seed from Shannon in South Africa. She had posted pictures in her album at idig of a young boy holding this gigantic black tomato that was grown from a "Green Zebra" packet of seeds. I just had to try this tomato and I requested some seed from her and offered her some Cowlick seed in return.
I grew about a half dozen plants of this mystery black, and at first wasn't sure any would make it as they were fairly thin and wispy plants, but they eventually took off and produced fairly large tomatoes that went through some strange color variations before they finally got that dark maroon color that we've come to know.
Most of mine ranged from 10 1/2 oz. to 18 oz. with the average being around 14 1/4-15oz. They had a somewhat thicker skin than I prefer and a larger core than many of my favorites. The seeds were much larger than many tomatoes. They have a very meaty center with an almost winey taste. A very tasty tomato with dense meat yet juicy. A great slicer...good sandwich tomato.
Upon checking my notes, I see I have some listed with thick skin and a few with thin skin, yet they all peel well. Ranked it at #13 out of 77 varieties grown this year, coming in just ahead of Brandywine -Glicks, which was a great tomato but not as plentiful. I liked them and will grow them again in the future.
Camo

Equater
 

Isn't that a long way to go to cut your tomatoes? LOL
I really enjoy looking at your list, it is coool!