2022 tomato review

PaulF · October 17, 2022

Every year my threatened review is posted. So here is 2022:
This season had its ups and downs, mostly caused by fluctuating weather conditions. There were a couple of plants purchased from a local nursery that threw averages way off since they were NOT what the labels indicated. NOT Brandywine Red and NOT Cherokee Purple were the two most productive tomatoes in the garden. If they had been as tasty as the varieties indicated this may have been a good year. Too bad they were both less than average for flavor.

The year was actually saved by the yellow/gold/orange/bi-color varieties. More than normal of those colors were planted this year and I can't remember why. Since tomato harvest's first indicator is flavor, these are the varieties judged by those of us who actually ate them...myself and my wife. Best flavor on a five star scale: 5/5s, in no special order, were Amana Pink Heart, Tom's Yellow Wonder, Bull's Heart, Orange Oxheart, Kellogg's Breakfast, Delicious. At 4/5 , Church, Hays, Virginia Sweets, Amish Yellow, Akers West Virginia, Hillbilly.

Out of 27 plants the NOT varieties topped the total number of tomatoes harvested followed by Hays and Bull's Heart and Tom's Yellow Wonder.
The weight of tomatoes harvested from a single plant was headed by the NOT varieties followed by Hays, Tom's Yellow Wonder, Kellogg's Breakfast and Bull's Heart.

The largest average tomato from a single plant was Nelson's Golden Giant averaging 11.7 ounces, Orange Oxheart, 11.6, Virginia Sweets at 11.2 ounces.

Since I like to grow large varieties and I weigh each tomato as it is harvested (still anal after all these years) these were the largest single fruits this year: Tom's Yellow Wonder (20.7 oz.), Nelson's Golden Giant (20.2 oz), Bull's Heart (19.5 oz).

At 209 pounds of tomatoes the 27 plants, including the NOT varieties, the average harvest was 7.7 pounds per plant...way lower than the 20 year average of 16.5 pounds per plant. From the journals kept over the years there is no real trend other than lots of up years and down years. Temperatures, rainfall and other weather related history does not indicate any large changes. Last frost and first frost this yer was right at the dead center average dates for my garden. Rainfall is lower by a bit. Disease and pest problems were at a minimum.

My choice of varieties most likely was what caused the fluctuations in harvest numbers.

October 17, 2022	#1
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,284	2022 tomato review Every year my threatened review is posted. So here is 2022: This season had its ups and downs, mostly caused by fluctuating weather conditions. There were a couple of plants purchased from a local nursery that threw averages way off since they were NOT what the labels indicated. NOT Brandywine Red and NOT Cherokee Purple were the two most productive tomatoes in the garden. If they had been as tasty as the varieties indicated this may have been a good year. Too bad they were both less than average for flavor. The year was actually saved by the yellow/gold/orange/bi-color varieties. More than normal of those colors were planted this year and I can't remember why. Since tomato harvest's first indicator is flavor, these are the varieties judged by those of us who actually ate them...myself and my wife. Best flavor on a five star scale: 5/5s, in no special order, were Amana Pink Heart, Tom's Yellow Wonder, Bull's Heart, Orange Oxheart, Kellogg's Breakfast, Delicious. At 4/5 , Church, Hays, Virginia Sweets, Amish Yellow, Akers West Virginia, Hillbilly. Out of 27 plants the NOT varieties topped the total number of tomatoes harvested followed by Hays and Bull's Heart and Tom's Yellow Wonder. The weight of tomatoes harvested from a single plant was headed by the NOT varieties followed by Hays, Tom's Yellow Wonder, Kellogg's Breakfast and Bull's Heart. The largest average tomato from a single plant was Nelson's Golden Giant averaging 11.7 ounces, Orange Oxheart, 11.6, Virginia Sweets at 11.2 ounces. Since I like to grow large varieties and I weigh each tomato as it is harvested (still anal after all these years) these were the largest single fruits this year: Tom's Yellow Wonder (20.7 oz.), Nelson's Golden Giant (20.2 oz), Bull's Heart (19.5 oz). At 209 pounds of tomatoes the 27 plants, including the NOT varieties, the average harvest was 7.7 pounds per plant...way lower than the 20 year average of 16.5 pounds per plant. From the journals kept over the years there is no real trend other than lots of up years and down years. Temperatures, rainfall and other weather related history does not indicate any large changes. Last frost and first frost this yer was right at the dead center average dates for my garden. Rainfall is lower by a bit. Disease and pest problems were at a minimum. My choice of varieties most likely was what caused the fluctuations in harvest numbers. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.