Varieties of tomato that sell well

[FarmerCathy]

I'm planning on selling tomato plants next year. What are the best selling hierloom tomatoes? Preferably sweet tomatoes. I'm planning on so far. Sungold (not heirloom, but I love them), Isis Candy, Pineapple, Kentucky Beefsteak,
Giant Belgium
green zebra
Aunt Ruby's German Green
Wapsipinicon Peach
Hillbilly
Joya de Oaxaca (Jewel of Oaxaca.)

These are ones I want to try or already want for myself anyway, but wanted to know if any others are reccommended for selling.

Thanks!

[Rena]

In your part of the world they would know Cherokee Purple, Hillbilly, Green Zebra, Brandywine, Mortgage lifter, Red Zebra (those more well known) Maybe Black Cherry... I would skip Isis, it struggles as a plant and does not live long..... here in Georgia. Then I would add a hybrid popular in your area. Here it is Big Boy or Celebrity. Good luck!

[tomatoaddict]

I hear they love Momotaro in Ca.

[FarmerCathy]

Thanks for the suggestions. Then I will just start a couple Isis Candy for me. I planted them this year and they did well for me. Any other suggestions are welcome.

[carolyn137]

Cathy, what varieties you sell as plants is going to be dependent on the area where you are and how much they know about heirloom tomatoes.

If they aren't that familiar with them then it's best to start out with just some good red and pink varieties and get them accustomed to being weaned away from store bought ones which are mostly reds.

So once you tell me about your area and the degree of expertise/knowledge about heirloom tomatoes in your area I'd be glad to make some suggestions.

You say you want sweet ones. But is that what your customers might want? I think those are some of the things you have to think about as you develop your list of possible varieties.

And I do think if you're going to sell plants you need at least 10-15 different varieties so there's adequate choice involved.

[Lomatia]

I've just had a tomato plant sale in Oz and have made some observations:

1. Had >60 varieties which has too many without some gimmick.
e.g. group the varieties into Italians, Russians or some selection that obviates the need for the buyer to make the decision. Sell and group them in 10's so they get a black, cherry, early etc.

2. Greens, yellows are not popular even though these may be sensational tasters. Everyone wants a red tomato!!

3. Have plenty of cherries!!

4. Provide as much info as possible and a pic.

5. Certainly look at the season length and match the varieties to suit.

6. Keep them cheap. Mine are AU$1. There is more chance to move all stock.

7. Grow varieties that you think will sell, not what YOU like. (Very hard to do!!)

8. People know some varieties viz. Green Z, BRussian etc so try to re-educate towards the "newer" ones.

[FarmerCathy]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Cathy, what varieties you sell as plants is going to be dependent on the area where you are and how much they know about heirloom tomatoes.

If they aren't that familiar with them then it's best to start out with just some good red and pink varieties and get them accustomed to being weaned away from store bought ones which are mostly reds.

So once you tell me about your area and the degree of expertise/knowledge about heirloom tomatoes in your area I'd be glad to make some suggestions.

You say you want sweet ones. But is that what your customers might want? I think those are some of the things you have to think about as you develop your list of possible varieties.

And I do think if you're going to sell plants you need at least 10-15 different varieties so there's adequate choice involved.

My area is the valley of CA. 95-105 degree weather from June to September. Long growing season. First frost the middle of November.
I was just thinking if I can't sell them then atleast they would be ones I liked.
Both of the farmer's markets I go to they sell heirloom tomatoes.
10 to 15 varieties seem reasonable.

[dice]

Pay attention to the names, too.

Black Cherry: sounds sweet
Sunsugar: ditto, although not as cool a name
Sungold: sounds golden
Box Car Willie: "Hobos know what to pinch."
Brandywine: what does that sound like to you?
Cherokee Purple: sounds interestingly rustic
Pineapple: sounds sweet and gigantic
Aunt Ginny's Purple: sounds like rural wisdom preserved
across the generations
Redfield Beauty: sounds like it produces "perfect tomatoes"
Pale Perfect Purple: ditto

And so on.

You have to balance this, of course, against the actual
tomato and how it will grow in your climate. No good
seducing someone once with a fancy cultivar name
only to have it produce very few or extremely bland
tomatoes that make them wonder why they bothered.

The fact that "purple" anything is usually pink
may put some people off that aren't expecting it.
It may help to put the purples in either a "pink" or
"dark-fruited" section (Aunt Ginny's vs Cherokee
Purple, for example), so it isn't quite as much
of a surprise what color the ripe fruit are.

Counterexamples:

Earl's Faux: terrible name for marketing. The "Earl's"
part is ok, the "Faux" is too obscure sounding.
Only cognoscenti who have heard of it will
buy these (so don't sprout very many of them
at first, until word gets around, since you might
end up growing them all yourself or donating
them to a 4-H group or something).

Something like "Earl's Hot Pink", now that would sell
anywhere.

PS:

Although the name is not very flashy,
Stupice does well in your area (according
to Carla, who posts on GW). It is early, and
it survives the heat of mid-summer, producing
small, tasty tomatoes over a very long season.
Eva Purple Ball is more interesting sounding,
and it is rumored to do very well in the heat, too.

Edit:

"Sungold: sounds golden" (imagine what you
thought the first time you saw golden figs or
golden raisins for sale somewhere).

[rnewste]

Cathy,

I am in Zip Code 95008, so not too far from you climate-wise. Here is my list of recommendations that should grow well in our area, and my personal rankings of 10 heirlooms that should sell well:

JD’s Special C Tex (1)

Purple Haze (2)

Earl’s Faux (3)

Ed’s Millennium (4)

Cherokee Purple (5)

Stump of the World (6)

Cherokee Chocolate (7)

Paul Robeson 8

Brandywine Sudduth (9)

Coustralee (10)


Also, not too far from you on I-80 is Brad's Wild Boar Farms. It would be well worth your time to visit his operation. Trying to make money in selling tomatoes commercially is a challenging proposition, but if you are really committed, you should talk with Brad about the metrics of your plan. (Some photos below of NORCATT 2007 at Brad's)

Ray (in Campbell, CA)

[FarmerCathy]

Originally Posted by rnewste

Cathy,

I am in Zip Code 95008, so not too far from you climate-wise. Here is my list of recommendations that should grow well in our area, and my personal rankings of 10 heirlooms that should sell well:

JD’s Special C Tex (1)

Purple Haze (2)

Earl’s Faux (3)

Ed’s Millennium (4)

Cherokee Purple (5)

Stump of the World (6)

Cherokee Chocolate (7)

Paul Robeson 8

Brandywine Sudduth (9)

Coustralee (10)


Also, not too far from you on I-80 is Brad's Wild Boar Farms. It would be well worth your time to visit his operation. Trying to make money in selling tomatoes commercially is a challenging proposition, but if you are really committed, you should talk with Brad about the metrics of your plan. (Some photos below of NORCATT 2007 at Brad's)

Ray (in Campbell, CA)

Where do you find all these varieties? Thanks, Cathy

[dwoodard]

Originally Posted by dice

PS:

Although the name is not very flashy,
Stupice does well in your area (according
to Carla, who posts on GW). It is early, and
it survives the heat of mid-summer, producing
small, tasty tomatoes over a very long season.
Eva Purple Ball is more interesting sounding,
and it is rumored to do very well in the heat, too.

About Stupice (from the former Czechoslovakia):

Some years ago I got a package of Stupice seed from Territorial Seeds if I recall rightly, divided it up and distributed small packets of it to members of our Niagara chapter of the Canadian Organic Growers.

The members on sandy loam soil thought it was a good plant that produced mediocre tomatoes.

The members on clay or clay loam soil raved about it; thought it was superb; the best they had grown of its season.

Doug Woodard
Agriculture Canada zone 7a (old map)
~3300 corn heat units
(Detroit/Windsor 3400, Toronto rural 3000, Kingston 2900, Ottawa 2550)

[Ruth_10]

What are you going to tell them about supporting the plants when they are mature? Are you going to tell people that the plants get BIG and the flimsy conical wire cages commonly sold at stores won't do the job? The support issue seems to me to be one of those hidden issues that will discourage newcomers if they don't plan ahead of time.

[FarmerCathy]

That's why I have two determinate varieties. Then atleast they can grow those if they don't want indeterminates. What I want to do is make a facts sheet to help them out.

[dice]

"Stump of the World (6)"

That is another great name for a tomato.
It arouses instant curiousity and somehow
has connotations of "hugeness".

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by dice

"Stump of the World (6)"

That is another great name for a tomato.
It arouses instant curiousity and somehow
has connotations of "hugeness".

Actually it was named after a bible reference.

Ben Quisenberry, who named it, was a very religious man and the stump being referred to is the stump or root of Jesse in the bible. Where I live there are many small churches that are called stump churches, also from the same bible reference.