First ripe tomatoes! - Page 2

greggf · July 29, 2006

Hi Cecil!

Just got our first ones here, too. Sungold (for my wife), SuperSweet 100, and 4th of July.

The 4th of July taste okay, but have leathery skin. Awful. The Sungolds are cracking*cracking*cracking, and taste watery. The SuperSweet 100s taste better, but not much, and are also cracking, but not as much.

I'm growing two big, beautiful Big Girls, I think (but can't remember) because you thought they were pretty good last season? The plants and fruits look great, but they'll be awhile.

Gregg Fedchak

DonnaMarieNJ · July 29, 2006

Cecil, I purchased my Black Cherry seed from TGS. I'm hoping they will get better. But then, again, I'm not sure if my tomatoes lack flavor due to my soil conditions or something else I'm doing wrong. Someone told me to wait until they fall from the vine and that is when they would be fully ripe (so long as they don't split first!) I really wanted to like Black Cherry, just for the color, but I'm very happy with Sungold and Sweet Million. I've only had one Riesentraube so far. My Green Grapes are still not ripe. Pink Ping Pong, which a neighbor took and planted in her garden, is barren.

Tomatovator · August 4, 2006

Hi Cecil,
I'm new to this site. I am also in SW PA. What do you think of First Lady? I'm considering it for next year. By the way, my Better Boys are short and whimpy as well.

cecilsgarden1958 · August 4, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomatovator

What do you think of First Lady? I'm considering it for next year. By the way, my Better Boys are short and whimpy as well.

I just love First Lady. It has a big tomato taste, unlike most of the earlies. It's not so dense of a plant, but puts out a lot. Did well in the heat this year and did well last year.

Strange about Better Boy. My Julbilees did the same thing, odd.

I got my first Lemon Boy tonight and my first Better Boy (Big Plant I bought)

Looks like Rose, Bucks Co and German Queen are all setting in the heat. My Bucks County act completely differant then the Red Brandywine I grew before.

CECIL

Tomatovator · August 5, 2006

Cecil, Thanks for the reply on First Lady. I'm considering First Lady II from Johnny's Selected Seeds or Moskvich for my early next year. I also want to try Rose and Buck's County. I only put in 6 plants this year. So far I've picked 7 Early Girls and 4 Big Beefs. I will pick a Big Beef today or tomorrow that looks to be well over a pound. The biggest ripe one so far being 14 oz. By the way how does Big Girl do around here. As I mentioned earlier I'm not impresses so far with Better Boy.

GreenThumbGal_07 · August 5, 2006

Hello from Oakland, CA!

Here's what I've been picking, so far:

1. Early Girl (of course). Reliable and good flavor.

2. Sugar Lump (cherry). This is the one from the (now defunct) Northrup King Lawn & Garden, the "consumer" arm of the old Northrup King (NK was bought out by Sygenta in the 1990s, 1993 or 1996, I think). Long trussses of beautiful red cherries, fruit may have more than two seed locules (I counted four on one) so this is the real one I remember. Wonderful sweet full-bodied flavor.

3. Sweet Quartz Hybrid. Very pretty elongated large pink cherries with a bland, watery sweet taste that does not improve with continued holding on the vine.

4. Sun Gold Hybrid. Nice orange cherries, fruity and sweet, but I like SunSugar Hybrid better.

5. Visitacion Valley. Fruit is red, small-to-medium, about 2 to 2.5 oz. in size, OK fresh but fantastic flavor when cooked. Very reliable producer. Thanks, Carolyn, for the seeds.

6. Stupice. Nice round red fruit, great "big tomato" flavor, productive as always.

Coming up next: Momotaro Hybrid and Del Mar, almost ripe.

Many more to come, and I hope to be able to bring these and others to the NORCATT tasting on August 26.

GTG

July 29, 2006	#16
greggf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Boonville, NY Posts: 419	Hi Cecil! Just got our first ones here, too. Sungold (for my wife), SuperSweet 100, and 4th of July. The 4th of July taste okay, but have leathery skin. Awful. The Sungolds are crackingcrackingcracking, and taste watery. The SuperSweet 100s taste better, but not much, and are also cracking, but not as much. I'm growing two big, beautiful Big Girls, I think (but can't remember) because you thought they were pretty good last season? The plants and fruits look great, but they'll be awhile. Gregg Fedchak

July 29, 2006	#17
DonnaMarieNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northeast New Jersey Posts: 726	Cecil, I purchased my Black Cherry seed from TGS. I'm hoping they will get better. But then, again, I'm not sure if my tomatoes lack flavor due to my soil conditions or something else I'm doing wrong. Someone told me to wait until they fall from the vine and that is when they would be fully ripe (so long as they don't split first!) I really wanted to like Black Cherry, just for the color, but I'm very happy with Sungold and Sweet Million. I've only had one Riesentraube so far. My Green Grapes are still not ripe. Pink Ping Pong, which a neighbor took and planted in her garden, is barren.

August 4, 2006	#18
Tomatovator Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Zone 6 Posts: 461	Hi Cecil, I'm new to this site. I am also in SW PA. What do you think of First Lady? I'm considering it for next year. By the way, my Better Boys are short and whimpy as well.

August 5, 2006	#20
Tomatovator Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Zone 6 Posts: 461	Cecil, Thanks for the reply on First Lady. I'm considering First Lady II from Johnny's Selected Seeds or Moskvich for my early next year. I also want to try Rose and Buck's County. I only put in 6 plants this year. So far I've picked 7 Early Girls and 4 Big Beefs. I will pick a Big Beef today or tomorrow that looks to be well over a pound. The biggest ripe one so far being 14 oz. By the way how does Big Girl do around here. As I mentioned earlier I'm not impresses so far with Better Boy.

August 5, 2006	#21
GreenThumbGal_07 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northern California Posts: 300	Hello from Oakland, CA! Here's what I've been picking, so far: 1. Early Girl (of course). Reliable and good flavor. 2. Sugar Lump (cherry). This is the one from the (now defunct) Northrup King Lawn & Garden, the "consumer" arm of the old Northrup King (NK was bought out by Sygenta in the 1990s, 1993 or 1996, I think). Long trussses of beautiful red cherries, fruit may have more than two seed locules (I counted four on one) so this is the real one I remember. Wonderful sweet full-bodied flavor. 3. Sweet Quartz Hybrid. Very pretty elongated large pink cherries with a bland, watery sweet taste that does not improve with continued holding on the vine. 4. Sun Gold Hybrid. Nice orange cherries, fruity and sweet, but I like SunSugar Hybrid better. 5. Visitacion Valley. Fruit is red, small-to-medium, about 2 to 2.5 oz. in size, OK fresh but fantastic flavor when cooked. Very reliable producer. Thanks, Carolyn, for the seeds. 6. Stupice. Nice round red fruit, great "big tomato" flavor, productive as always. Coming up next: Momotaro Hybrid and Del Mar, almost ripe. Many more to come, and I hope to be able to bring these and others to the NORCATT tasting on August 26. GTG