tomato varieties.

[jardinlady]

Hi I am just curious of what you think of these tomato varieties, flavor and productivity wise in all past experiences, I have some seeds that I purchased and some that were given to me by other tomato growers, I have not tried them yet.
prudens purple, hillbilly, cherokee purple, eva purple ball,costoluto genovese,beam's yellow pear,matt's wild cherry, black krim,matina,isis candy,snow white,kellogs breakfast, green grape, hawaiian(small type I think), lumpy red.
I have planted PP, hillbilly, CP, Kellogs breakfast but no maters just yet.
Any imput will be much appreciated, it will also help me decide what to plant for the next season since my space is limited.

God bless

[coronabarb]

carminator,

From your list, the ones I like that I've grown or tasted are;

Prudens Purple (was outstanding for me)
Cherokee Purple
Eva Purple Ball
Black Krim
Snow White
Kellogg's Breakfast

I really didn't care for Costo. Geno. or Yellow Pear and would never grow them again.

[jardinlady]

Thank you Corona Barb for your info, you are not the only person that told me about yellow pear tomato, many say that it is a good producer but just not good tomato flavor. That's too bad about cosoluto genovese, it is such a pretty tomato. This really helps me a lot, since I have limited space in my garden I have to be picky about what I grow.
Is there any other tomato not listed here that I should try?
Thank you so, so much!

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by carminator

prudens purple, hillbilly, cherokee purple, eva purple ball,costoluto genovese,beam's yellow pear,matt's wild cherry, black krim,matina,isis candy,snow white,kellogs breakfast, green grape, hawaiian(small type I think), lumpy red.

I've been repeatedly told not to comment on tomato varieties unless I have eaten them myself. Out of that batch, I've had Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, and Matt's Wild Cherry.

Cherokee Purple is the king of black/purple tomatoes for a reason.
Black Krim is not too shabby either, but side-by-side it's an easy choice between it and CP. Confusingly, there is another variety called Noir de Crimee which translates to English as "Black Krim" but is assuredly a different variety, a far superior one at that. There are dozens of blacks/purples and you're growing 2 good ones.

Matt's Wild Cherry, I think people don't realize that this is really a wild tomato variety, no bigger than a marble and discovered in Western Mexico by a fellow named Matt. In Texas, it has been adopted (with no recognition of the original source of course) as "Texas Wild Cherry" but they are identical. It has a very intense, nice flavor, almost as if it were a concentrated beefsteak flavor. Productive as all get out. Will easily produce branches 5 feet long and the plant will easily reach 8 feet tall, producing hundreds of tomatoes. Exhibit caution when picking. If you don't take a bit of the stem with it when you remove each tomato, the paper-thin skin will almost always tear. I have adopted an upward bending motion that takes the tomato AND stem up to the "knuckle".

[jardinlady]

I completely understand, taste is a personal thing, for example I have 2 brandywines that I purchased from Lowes, I have eaten 3 tomatoes thus far( my first OP tomatoes ever), however I am not very impresed at all, they produce poorly in my weather conditions and the taste was too tangy for my, one of the reasons I think is because it tends to overipen on the bottom part but the shoulders stay green. I don't think I'll try this one again.
However it is nice to know what all of you think, since my space is limited and there are thousands of tomato varieties to choose from well it does help to know which ones to buy etc... I have purchased seeds from stores such as Prudens purple, green grape,Cherokee purple, etc... mainly because many tomato lovers have had good reviews on this varieties. I guess it just helps to narrow things. When I buy my dream house on at least 5 acre lot well then I'll definetely try all the varieties I can.
Thank you so much for your imputs.
I have started from seed 2 wild matt's cherry for fall growing, I have a lot of people that are expecting some maters from me, friend who helped take care of plants while I was away on vacation, neighbor lady, people from church etc...

[feldon30]

With Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, and indeed most tomatoes, I go by feel, not color. I've not seen a pink Brandywine without green shoulders. Part of the tomato's charm I guess. I cut it open when the bottom just starts to yield to pressure.

[jardinlady]

That is interesting. One question though, if you want to for example save seed from this Brandywine tomato or any other tomato with the same characteristics, can you actually do it even though the tomato does not ripe evenly. As I understand tomatoes have to be overipe to collect the seeds, Is this right?

[feldon30]

As long as the tomato is sufficiently ripe you can save seeds.


This tomato is COMPLETELY ripe and will not get any pinker. Flavor/texture will not improve and will in fact deteriorate if I waited. How'd it taste? Absolutely magnificent. I think the neighbors heard me giggling with excitement and probably wonder if I've lost it. Didn't know a tomato could taste this good.


Not to upstage that Brandywine pink, but Cherokee Purple also has green shoulders when fully ripe. You would not want to wait any longer than this to eat it:


It tasted as mind-blowingly good as it looks. Complete, even ripening is a gene that many heirloom tomato varieties do NOT possess.

[jardinlady]

Wow your tomatoes look absolutely delicious. I can't wait to try my CP.
I shouldn't comment so soon about the brandywine, I had a friend watering it while I was gone on vacation when I came back the tomatoes were craked I think she probably overwatered them, not that I am not grateful that she took care of them. I had to pick them a little early I think because otherwise they would have spoiled in the branch. I have more tomatoes on the plant so hopefully I can let them rippen fully. I just don't like the fact that it produces so few tomatoes, I have read many comments regarding this and even read it on Carolyns's book, I think that she recommeds red brandywine because the production is higher.
Hopefully I'll have some pictures to share with all of you very soon.

[feldon30]

You just have to clear every square inch of your yard to grow extra Brandywine pinks to make up for low production. Grass and walking space is highly overrated.

Or grow a few other blockbusters like Mortgage Lifter (yes, I've tasted it!) or Earl's Faux (gets mentioned every 5 minutes here ).

[jardinlady]

Hi Feldom, I have heard of Earl Faux in one of the forums, is this a tomato that is available commercially? It looks like a very nice tomato.
I have several more brandies on the vine but they are still green, the bad part is that 2 of my green maters have blossom end rot, my question is should I let them grow fully even though they have BER or should I just cut them out of the plant?

Thanks

[jerseyjohn61]

Hi Carmin,
and sorry for cutting in Feldon as the question
was adressed to you.

Earl's Faux is a myster variety that showed
up in the garden of our beloved member EARL
back in the summer of 2000. May have been
a spontanious mutation and has quicky taken
on a cult follwing. I don't think it is being offered
commercially yet, but there maybe folks at
this site who could help you. Go to the WANTED
FORUM at this site. I'd help you myself, but I'm
down to only four seeds remaining and lost my
sole EF to leaf curl. Major Bummer.

I would cut off the BER fruit as they will sap the
plant of energy while ripening. The fruits will
probably not be worth eating and you would
not want to save seeds from those maters....JJ61

[jardinlady]

Thank you Jersey, I'll definetely do that. I was thinking about asking for Earl's Faux seeds, but I thought maybe I could wait until I had some of my own seeds to offer that way maybe I could do an exchange, I have gotten some seeds from generous tomato growers and I just don't want to overdoit withouth giving something in return. I just got my copy of (seed to seed) a wonderful book about saving your own seeds not only from tomatoes but from any kind of vegetables, it has great reviews and I am hoping to save my own seeds from now on, and to grow only heirlooms.
I have some tomato plants now in the garden and I am hoping to offer the seeds in the future.
Thank you so much for your advice, it is much appreciated.

Carmen