if you could grow only cherry tomatoes...

[Labradors2]

Next year Carbon Copy will definitely be returning, Sungold F1 as well. I will also grow Gaelen's Yellow F6 (still a work-in-progress from the Dwarf Project) which is prolific, doesn't split and has remarkably good taste.

Linda

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Patihum

I grew lots of cherries this year but only two will be returning -

Iva's Red Berry - red, sweet and prolific
Sirja's Love - deep yellow, great flavor and does well in a basket.

Iva's Red Berry.......YES YES, when I said above I didn't give deep thought to my list this one should be on my list.

I have a plant in the backyard now, have SSE listed it, and it's still listed in the 2015 SSE YEarbook and also sent seeds to a few seed vendors I know well for trial.

The background I think is interesting, I had asked Iva for it when I SSE listed it so I'll just copy the background here.

Nickle sized fruits. Stable since 2003, the result of a cross by Iva, of Slovenia, between an F2 or F3 of Sungold and an F2 Supersweet 100.

I offered it in my 2014 annual seed offer here at Tville and I'm sure I have enough seeds to continue offering it in my now very late 2015 seed offer coming up.

I still have not had the time to inventory my seeds, was going to start today when a neighbor appeared here this afternoon after an 8 month absence, long story, and wanted to update me about her and me do the same for her. And here it is 5 PM, and not good light in the backroom where all my seeds are.

So as Scarlett was wont to say, tomorrow is another day.

https://www.goodreads.com/work/quote...-with-the-wind

Carolyn

If you want more tomatoes than a normal human can ever use, plant Juliet hybrid. The taste isn't that great and the skins are a little tough, but the skin removes easily after blanching and they cook well with many dishes. The flavor seems to intensify when cooked. I also freeze a lot in quart sized zip lock bags after blanching for winter cooking.

If you want a very productive cherry tomato that tastes identical to it's larger cousins, plant Risentraube or Husky Red Cherry. I planted Husky Red for the first time this year in early March. The same plants are still producing well and will continue to produce until the first frost in November.

I've never been a fan of most sweet cherry tomatoes, but I have been impressed with the taste, health; and productivity of Sweet Quartz hybrid. It isn't sugary sweet like many varieties, but it is definitely sweet. They rarely make it into my house because I eat most as I pick them.

Black Cherry is one of my favorites. I didn't like it the first couple of years I grew it because it seemed to have an astringent taste. I finally learned to allow them to ripen on the vine until soft and the flavor becomes sweet and unlike any other cherry tomato. The only thing I don't like about Black Cherry is it always seems to die soon after the first high heat of mid summer arrives.

I liked Carbon Copy and Matt's Black Cherry this year, but both succumbed quickly when the real summer heat arrived. Both would probably be excellent cherry tomatoes in cooler climates.

Ted

[Cole_Robbie]

Cherry tomatoes are my money-maker at market. I sell them in a mix.

Fred Hempel's Artisan series are all great.

My mix for next year will be something like:

Purple Bumble Bee
Green Tiger
Chang Li & HH Hung Shi
Green Doctor's Frosted
Sungold F1 (I keep trying to replace it)
Fahrenheit Blues
Sun Peach F1 - I tried all the "sun" cherries this summer. Sun Peach was the clear winner. Sun Chocola was good, but the stink bugs loved them too much.

[MileHighMike]

1 - Green Tiger
2 - Chocolate Cherry (even better than Black Cherry here in Denver, but I still grow both)
3 - A mystery cross of Honeydrop. It is super sweet, but with very rich flavor. The seeds I saved this year are F4.
4 - Nikolayev Yellow Cherry
5 - Koralik
6 - Blush

Mix them all together and you have an absolutely beautiful display that tastes amazing.

[BackyardFarm]

I always plant Black Cherry and Sungold.

I like both for fresh eating and dried. I like Sungold better for tossing together a quick fresh tomato sauce or freezing for later.

[travis]

I often see these threads where the question is, "If you could only grow one variety ... ???"

Of course I would NEVER grow only one variety, whether it be a cherry or a beefsteak, or a saladette type, whatever. But I take this question to mean, "what variety would you say is the absolute best variety to grow if you are limited to one cherry tomato plant?"

In that case, and with regard to cherry tomatoes, I would go to the big box store and buy one plant of Sweet Millions or Super Sweet 100, etc., because that would be the variety that would provide oodles of cherry tomatoes of the type that the most folks would enjoy eating ... sort of top of the line, run of the mill, so to speak.

However, if the question is what is the one cherry tomato you would grow if you are a seed saver, then I'd say Peace Vine or Gardener's Delight, because they are open pollinated lines very similar to Super Sweet 100, which again is a red cherry tomato that will appeal to the greater number of people with regard to appearance and flavor.

Of course I have not grown any of those four varieties for many, many years now. But then again, I would never just grow one variety of cherry tomatoes in the first place

[Fred Hempel]

I don't see so good. Is the question what 3 striped cherry tomatoes you would grow?

1. Sunrise Bumble Bee
2. Maglia Rosa
3. Lucky Tiger X Orange Bumblebee 2 -- F1

[goodwin]

Iva's Red Berry is a great choice. It was a little later, but I have rarely seen so many cherry tomatoes ripe on a plant. Iva's Sweet White is a fine addition as well. The chefs here liked Fred's striped ones for the flavor and because they hold up so well. And I'm partial to the Ambrosias, of course!
Lee

[MrBig46]

Goldkrone, Sungold, Datlo
Vladimír

[Cole_Robbie]

I just got some seeds of Jaune Flamme. I am going to try to use it to replace Sungold as the orange cherry in my mix. It looks like it varies in size from cherry to saladette. If I get a big plant with a lot of fruit on it, then I am guessing most of mine will be closer to cherry-sized.

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I just got some seeds of Jaune Flamme. I am going to try to use it to replace Sungold as the orange cherry in my mix. It looks like it varies in size from cherry to saladette. If I get a big plant with a lot of fruit on it, then I am guessing most of mine will be closer to cherry-sized.

I've read nothing but good reports on Jaune Flamme. I've grown them three years in a row and simply don't like them. I kept thinking that many people who think they are the best tomato since sliced bread was invented can't be wrong. Low production and below average taste means I won't be growing them again.

Ted

[wxcrawler]

I've had an interesting time with Jaune Flamme. It is one of my favorites, and I've grown it Spring and Fall for 5 years now. Until I built my raised beds last year, I grew in 18 gal containers. Jaune Flamme was huge and a heavy producer every time. But it had BER worse than any other variety I was growing in the containers. Since I've moved to growing in my raised beds, they aren't near as large or productive, but I haven't seen a speck of BER with them.

I will note that I don't consider them cherry tomatoes. Mine have always been a little bigger than a golf ball.

Lee

[Cole_Robbie]

I traded the market vendor next to me a box of green beans for two Jaune Flammes. Hers were a variety of sizes. I picked out two that were cherry-sized. We shall see what I get. I will probably have a saladette color mix as well. If the Juane Flamme are half cherries and half saladettes, that will be fine with me.

[Cole_Robbie]

I should also add that I have Oranje Van Goeijenbier, a gift from a generous person here, and that will also be an orange cherry that I am trying in the effort to replace Sungold. I just want rid of Sungold because it is the last hybrid that I am growing in my cherry mix.

I tried all the "sun" cherries this year. Sunpeach was the best, but I can live without it. Sun Chocola was great, but the stink bugs loved them too much. Sun Lemon was prolific, but the whiteflies liked it too much. Sun Green was the biggest dud of the group. Green Doctor's Frosted was ten times better.


edit: I am also trying Ambrosia Gold and Sweet Orange II as other orange cherries; both were also generous gifts from a tvillers.