2011 Tomatoes in Minnesota

joenorwood77 · March 29, 2011

Hello everyone,

I am a newbie to this forum, and this will be my 4th year growing tomatoes. This year I will be sharing space in a family members garden, and we will plant 8 total tomato plants and 4 cherry tomato plants. The main purposes for tomatoes are for salsa, as well as for putting on sandwiches. We also enjoy eating tomatoes by themselves.

Being fairly new to tomato growing, along with the unlimited varieties of tomato plants out there, what resources are available to help narrow down which plants to try? I eventually want to identify about 4 reliable and tasty plants to grow every year while alternating about 4 new ones every year.

I have done some researching and the best links I found so far were on mother earth news where they listed survey results of the top 30 tomatoes nationwide, as well as links for specific regions. Using their lists, I came up with the following for my 2011 plants. Please comment on these as far as what makes sense and what I might want to do differently.

I have limited experience with trying different tomato varieties, but hopefully these lists are on the right track for where to begin. Any insight is greatly appreciated!

8 main tomatoes
1. Brandywine
2. Super Fantastic (not on mother nature news list but I really like this one)

3. Cherokee Purple
4. Black Krim
5. Beefsteak
6. Early Girl
7. Better Boy
8. Big Boy

4 Cherry Tomatoes
1. Super Sweet 100
2. Sungold
3. Black Cherry
4. Yellow Pear

4 Alternate tomatoes in case any of first 8 are not available
1. Mortgage Lifter
2. Celebrity
3. Beefmaster
4. Sunray (not on mother nature news list but I really like this one)

barkeater · March 30, 2011

Welcome to the show! You have a lot of excellent tomatoes on your list with the exception of Yellow Pear and maybe Early Girl. I'd replace one of them with Sunray since you really like it.

tam91 · March 30, 2011

I grew tomatoes years ago (just hybrids) and am pretty new to the heirloom / OP tomato growing. But I have found some favorites.

First of all, are you growing from seed, or buying plants from a local nursery? That'll greatly influence your choices - with seeds, the choices are unlimited. At the nurseries, you'd probably have to stick to more common plants.

Brandywine is a classic heirloom tomato. But there are a few different ones - hopefully you're getting the "real" one - a large pink tomato. There is also a Red Brandywine - also good, but not the same.

Another one to consider is the hybrid Brandy Boy - I grew this last year, and it was very good. A similary type to Brandywine, but produced more for me.

Cherokee Purple and Black Krim are both great tomato, I've grown them the past couple years, and are growing them again.

Beefsteak, Better Boy, Big Boy - all common tomatoes. They're fine, I've grown them in the past. But personally, I'd get something more interesting, if I could. Big Beef, for one, is a fairly common tomato, that I've heard a lot of good things about.

Early Girl never impressed me. I had a variety called New Girl that I liked better - not the best tasting, but it was early. Kind of firm, and worked pretty well for salsa. I see many comments about Bloody Butcher as a great early tomato also.

Super Sweet 100 is fine, but not my favorite. They are very sweet, but quite small.
Sungold and Black Cherry - can't beat 'em. They'll be on my list every year.
Yellow Pear - really really cute, but not a very good taste. I've reluctantly dropped this one.

If you're starting from seed, and want heirlooms/OP varieties, then I'm sure you can be quite overwhelmed with suggestions

joenorwood77 · March 30, 2011

Thank you for the two replies so far. The insight is very much appreciated! My plan is to buy plants from a local nursery, so I understand my options will be a little more limited.

2 out of 2 people commenting against both early girl and yellow pear is interesting. I guess early girl does not taste good but people simply buy them because they produce fruit earlier than the rest? I was surprised about the negative comments regarding yellow pear though as this plant ranked high on a few lists I looked at.

I will continue to do some research and I look forward to more comments about which plants on my lists people like and which people dislike, and which I should consider that are currently missing.

This is a fun process so far, learning about new plants and hearing from other people who enjoy tomatoes as much as I do! :-)

tam91 · March 30, 2011

Early girl is good tasting, just not as good as some others I guess. If you don't have a better option for an early tomato, sure, grow it. There is also a newish hybrid that I've seen in nurseries last year, Fourth of July, that's supposed to be very early. I haven't tried it, but it might be a good option to try also.

And yellow pear - it's just sooooo pretty. And thus popular for that. If I had enough room, I'd still grow it, just for the looks, especially in a bowl with the other cherries. I wish I liked the taste, but I really really didn't. But that's just me.

brog · March 30, 2011

I agree with Tam 91 and most on T`villa will because it about covers every thing for your needs IMO. You should check with someone in the Great Lakes reigon to see what they have success with. I`d substitute Better boy and big boy with big beef. you will need to consider growing from seed if you want some choices in Heirlooms. Good luck Bill

ddsack · March 30, 2011

I think your choices are fine, you will be able to tell after your first year which kinds of flavors and colors you will prefer. I'm assuming you live close to the Twin Cities and plan to buy plants at the garden centers down there. Since I live up north, I really can't speak to the availability of non-hybrid plants at most nurseries, but since the ones you have listed do turn up more often, hopefully you will be able to find plants.

I was going to recommend a wonderful place between New Prague and Belle Plain called Brewery Creek Farm that had hundreds of varieties of tomatoes and peppers to choose from, but the owner passed away a couple of years ago, and since I find their website no longer exists, I assume they may be out of business.

Hopefully, some other Minnesota T-ville members may be able to recommend places to shop for a larger choice of heirloom tomato plants. Keep hanging out here, and when you pick out a few more varieties to try next year, I'm sure we can come up with some seeds so you can start your own next year.

Gobig_or_Gohome_toms · March 31, 2011

I agree with No on early girl and yellow pear I have grown both and did not like them. As for where to buy plants depending on where you live if it is in the metro area I could probably reccomend a few places, gerton's on the east side, and Oten brothers on the west side, Bachmans also has a decent number of varities depending on which one you go to.

Craig

beefyboy · March 31, 2011

If you grow Early Girl Improved it may just beat out many of these heirlooms you will be trying. It in no way tastes like the soft early girl that you are used too!!! and is very firm with nice sweetness, and produces like crazy. Here in muggy Florida it is always in my top 5 for flavor and that is coming from all my taster friends and family, not just my opinion!!

beefyboy · March 31, 2011

P.S Have never seen it sold as a plant here, but I always start it from seed from Pinetree seed Co.

barkeater · March 31, 2011

Sounds like Early Girl might be better the further south it is grown.

recruiterg · March 31, 2011

Welcome. I'm live in Edina, currently vacationing in Scottsdale, AZ. I grow a wide variety of heirlooms and I like having different shapes, colors, etc... I like Mother Earth Gardens in Minneapolis. They have a good heirloom selection usually and a vast array of organic gardening materials to choose from. Good luck with your garden this year. Where do you live?

dustdevil · March 31, 2011

One of our T'ville members in the Twin Cities area sells nice varietal transplants from his driveway and has mentioned it here. If you don't grow from seed, most nursery selections are usually boring commercial hybrid varieties. If you grow from seed, you should be sowing now.

beefyboy · March 31, 2011

make sure it is early girl Improved! DO NOT call it Early Girl, they are not the same tomato!, much improved and different Improved is a potato leaf variety, and if you start from seed, some will be regular leaf and these are similar to reg. E.G and will be a big dissapointment so better off destroying the seedling or else get some average at best tasting tomatoes.

joenorwood77 · March 31, 2011

I appreciate the continued ideas from everyone. Thank you!

I currently live in Eden Prairie, Minnesota but the garden will likely be in Osceola, Wisconsin, which is near the boarder of MN and WI.

If there are more suggestions of good places to buy plants near either Eden Prairie or Osceola, please let me know.

I also look forward to any additional feedback on tomato varieties to consider.

March 29, 2011	#1
joenorwood77 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Eden Prairie, Minnesota Posts: 12	2011 Tomatoes in Minnesota Hello everyone, I am a newbie to this forum, and this will be my 4th year growing tomatoes. This year I will be sharing space in a family members garden, and we will plant 8 total tomato plants and 4 cherry tomato plants. The main purposes for tomatoes are for salsa, as well as for putting on sandwiches. We also enjoy eating tomatoes by themselves. Being fairly new to tomato growing, along with the unlimited varieties of tomato plants out there, what resources are available to help narrow down which plants to try? I eventually want to identify about 4 reliable and tasty plants to grow every year while alternating about 4 new ones every year. I have done some researching and the best links I found so far were on mother earth news where they listed survey results of the top 30 tomatoes nationwide, as well as links for specific regions. Using their lists, I came up with the following for my 2011 plants. Please comment on these as far as what makes sense and what I might want to do differently. I have limited experience with trying different tomato varieties, but hopefully these lists are on the right track for where to begin. Any insight is greatly appreciated! 8 main tomatoes 1. Brandywine 2. Super Fantastic (not on mother nature news list but I really like this one) 3. Cherokee Purple 4. Black Krim 5. Beefsteak 6. Early Girl 7. Better Boy 8. Big Boy 4 Cherry Tomatoes 1. Super Sweet 100 2. Sungold 3. Black Cherry 4. Yellow Pear 4 Alternate tomatoes in case any of first 8 are not available 1. Mortgage Lifter 2. Celebrity 3. Beefmaster 4. Sunray (not on mother nature news list but I really like this one)

March 30, 2011	#6
brog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Lilburn GA Posts: 278	I agree with Tam 91 and most on T`villa will because it about covers every thing for your needs IMO. You should check with someone in the Great Lakes reigon to see what they have success with. I`d substitute Better boy and big boy with big beef. you will need to consider growing from seed if you want some choices in Heirlooms. Good luck Bill __________________ Bill

March 30, 2011	#7
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,221	I think your choices are fine, you will be able to tell after your first year which kinds of flavors and colors you will prefer. I'm assuming you live close to the Twin Cities and plan to buy plants at the garden centers down there. Since I live up north, I really can't speak to the availability of non-hybrid plants at most nurseries, but since the ones you have listed do turn up more often, hopefully you will be able to find plants. I was going to recommend a wonderful place between New Prague and Belle Plain called Brewery Creek Farm that had hundreds of varieties of tomatoes and peppers to choose from, but the owner passed away a couple of years ago, and since I find their website no longer exists, I assume they may be out of business. Hopefully, some other Minnesota T-ville members may be able to recommend places to shop for a larger choice of heirloom tomato plants. Keep hanging out here, and when you pick out a few more varieties to try next year, I'm sure we can come up with some seeds so you can start your own next year. __________________ Dee **************

March 31, 2011	#8
Gobig_or_Gohome_toms Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Zone 4 Lake Minnetonka, MN Posts: 967	I agree with No on early girl and yellow pear I have grown both and did not like them. As for where to buy plants depending on where you live if it is in the metro area I could probably reccomend a few places, gerton's on the east side, and Oten brothers on the west side, Bachmans also has a decent number of varities depending on which one you go to. Craig Last edited by Gobig_or_Gohome_toms; March 31, 2011 at 10:17 AM.

March 31, 2011	#11
barkeater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b Posts: 1,439	Sounds like Early Girl might be better the further south it is grown. __________________ barkeater

March 30, 2011	#3
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	I grew tomatoes years ago (just hybrids) and am pretty new to the heirloom / OP tomato growing. But I have found some favorites. First of all, are you growing from seed, or buying plants from a local nursery? That'll greatly influence your choices - with seeds, the choices are unlimited. At the nurseries, you'd probably have to stick to more common plants. Brandywine is a classic heirloom tomato. But there are a few different ones - hopefully you're getting the "real" one - a large pink tomato. There is also a Red Brandywine - also good, but not the same. Another one to consider is the hybrid Brandy Boy - I grew this last year, and it was very good. A similary type to Brandywine, but produced more for me. Cherokee Purple and Black Krim are both great tomato, I've grown them the past couple years, and are growing them again. Beefsteak, Better Boy, Big Boy - all common tomatoes. They're fine, I've grown them in the past. But personally, I'd get something more interesting, if I could. Big Beef, for one, is a fairly common tomato, that I've heard a lot of good things about. Early Girl never impressed me. I had a variety called New Girl that I liked better - not the best tasting, but it was early. Kind of firm, and worked pretty well for salsa. I see many comments about Bloody Butcher as a great early tomato also. Super Sweet 100 is fine, but not my favorite. They are very sweet, but quite small. Sungold and Black Cherry - can't beat 'em. They'll be on my list every year. Yellow Pear - really really cute, but not a very good taste. I've reluctantly dropped this one. If you're starting from seed, and want heirlooms/OP varieties, then I'm sure you can be quite overwhelmed with suggestions

March 31, 2011	#9
beefyboy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pt. Charlotte fl Posts: 329	If you grow Early Girl Improved it may just beat out many of these heirlooms you will be trying. It in no way tastes like the soft early girl that you are used too!!! and is very firm with nice sweetness, and produces like crazy. Here in muggy Florida it is always in my top 5 for flavor and that is coming from all my taster friends and family, not just my opinion!!

March 31, 2011	#12
recruiterg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Edina, MN (Zone 4) Posts: 945	Welcome. I'm live in Edina, currently vacationing in Scottsdale, AZ. I grow a wide variety of heirlooms and I like having different shapes, colors, etc... I like Mother Earth Gardens in Minneapolis. They have a good heirloom selection usually and a vast array of organic gardening materials to choose from. Good luck with your garden this year. Where do you live?

March 31, 2011	#13
dustdevil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: WI, USA Zone4 Posts: 1,887	One of our T'ville members in the Twin Cities area sells nice varietal transplants from his driveway and has mentioned it here. If you don't grow from seed, most nursery selections are usually boring commercial hybrid varieties. If you grow from seed, you should be sowing now.