Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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October 5, 2009 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Posts: 707
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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 Last edited by camochef; October 7, 2009 at 10:00 AM. Reason: spelling |
October 5, 2009 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 1,818
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That's a lot of maters Camo. How many did you plant?
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Barbee |
October 5, 2009 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Fairfax, VA Z7
Posts: 524
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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 |
October 6, 2009 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E
Posts: 5,041
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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
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Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!' |
October 6, 2009 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 1,818
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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!
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Barbee |
October 6, 2009 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,027
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Numerous posts which were off-topic have been moved to this thread:
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=12511 |
October 6, 2009 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b
Posts: 1,439
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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. |
October 7, 2009 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Posts: 707
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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 |
October 7, 2009 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b
Posts: 1,439
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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. |
October 24, 2009 | #10 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Posts: 707
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Quote:
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. |
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October 27, 2009 | #11 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
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Quote:
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October 27, 2009 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b
Posts: 1,439
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"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. |
October 28, 2009 | #13 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Posts: 707
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Quote:
Anything is possible, I've been growing them for three or four years now and they were so much greater from day one. I had gone back to the nursury from where I had purchased it initially and the owner had no idea of strain or variety, just that he had purchased seed from a pa. company and grew out about three flats. The dozen or so plants that he had when I bought mine were all the same size ( about 2 1/2 ft tall) and really nice! I had them between two 5 ft. high fences that first year and tried to train them to the fences. They consumed the entire corner, and probably were 10-12 ft. high if staked up. They remained lush and productive right up to 31 Oct of that year, when I finally pulled the plant as we were getting a freeze that evening,, and I wanted to till the garden. (it was the last plant out there!) It was still full of nice sized greenies too. I had picked the first three ripe tomatoes off it on June 29th and the heaviest of the three was 1 3/8 lbs. Had three more ripe on July 1st and it continueed steadily from there. It's been one super plant! I'm not sure if its offspring has been as impressive as the weather hasn't been as good as that year. This season they gave me first ripe ones on July 1st but then dropped off in production until August when it got a little warmer. July was very cold and wet here this year. Still it produces more tomatoes than anything else in the gardens. If I could only grow one tomato, it would be between Cowlick Brandywine and Sandul Moldovan! Great taste and great production on both! I don't care what you call them they are fantastic tomatoes. I think DS said she sent you some seed in an e-mail I got earlier today. Enjoy! Camo |
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October 28, 2009 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: N.C.
Posts: 1,822
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Camo, Can you tell me about Shannon's South African Mystery Black?
Thanks, Greg |
October 28, 2009 | #15 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Posts: 707
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Quote:
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 |
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