Tomato varieties for the deep south Heat??

[Timbotide]

Hey Bill,

With all those carrots to eat sounds like you'll be making lots of cole slaw.
I would love to help you eat some if I was down there.

[organichris]

I don't live in the South per se, but I think I can safely add Royal Hillbilly to the list of varieties that produce well in the humid heat. We've had a heat wave here. We skipped May and June weather and went straight to July.

I'm growing Sioux and Royal Hillbilly right next to each other. Both are producing, though not at optimal levels, but I think Royal Hillbilly is beating Sioux.

[chalstonsc]

Organichris,
How big a plant is Royal Hillbilly....as I recall it is a semi-determinate and on the compact side?

[b54red]

I grew two Royal Hillbillies last year and they were fairly productive and not too large a plant. I would say they are rather compact for an indeterminate plant and the fruit is fairly large. My problem was the taste was so bland or mild that I will not be replanting it.

[Mojo]

I can tell you what is producing now, in 100 degree heat and little rain.
ATKINSON is going strong in the tail-end of its first wave. I am getting second-wave tomatoes from Goose Creek, BHN44, Clear Pink Early, Marmande, Kosovo and (!) Aunt Ginnie's Purple. My hybrid yellows are in distress, and my beloved Black Krims and Spudakees are coloring up very small, almost a saladette. Water water water --and make sure before the season starts that your calcium levels are proper, or you're going to have serious BER problems (a plague on my beds this year, alas).

Originally Posted by Mojo

I can tell you what is producing now, in 100 degree heat and little rain.
ATKINSON is going strong in the tail-end of its first wave. I am getting second-wave tomatoes from Goose Creek, BHN44, Clear Pink Early, Marmande, Kosovo and (!) Aunt Ginnie's Purple. My hybrid yellows are in distress, and my beloved Black Krims and Spudakees are coloring up very small, almost a saladette. Water water water --and make sure before the season starts that your calcium levels are proper, or you're going to have serious BER problems (a plague on my beds this year, alas).

Mojo,

When did you plant out in the Houston area? I planted on March 7 and had to protect them during a couple of late frosts. I'm asking because my first Black Krims ripened in about sixty days at baseball size. They were very productive. I still have a few fruit on the vines. I was fortunate to find some large seedlings at a nursery when my "grown from seed" plants were killed in a frost the first week of March. I'm about sixty miles north of Dallas. I'm sure planting early and planting large made a tremendous difference in total production and fruit size before the real heat got here.

Thanks

Ted

[organichris]

Originally Posted by chalstonsc

Organichris,
How big a plant is Royal Hillbilly....as I recall it is a semi-determinate and on the compact side?

Sorry I missed this. Yeah, I agree with what was said. Pretty compact comparitive to the other plants. Great production potential.

[chalstonsc]

Organichris & B54,
Thanks very much, although the "bland" doesn't sound very good

[organichris]

Originally Posted by chalstonsc

Organichris & B54,
Thanks very much, although the "bland" doesn't sound very good

Yeah, I haven't tasted it yet so I can't comment for sure, but I've read good things about the flavor from others.

Another one that's producing for me in the heat is Mortgage Lifter. Folks say that one is bland too. I'll be the judge!

[b54red]

Originally Posted by organichris

Yeah, I haven't tasted it yet so I can't comment for sure, but I've read good things about the flavor from others.

Another one that's producing for me in the heat is Mortgage Lifter. Folks say that one is bland too. I'll be the judge!

I's bland too; but not quite as bland as Royal Hillbilly. A lot of folks like tomatoes with the milder flavor and they are both big producers of good sized tomatoes.

[dipchip2000]

I grew the Royal Hillbilly that I bought from the late Darrell Merrill in Tulsa who was the father of this variety. This was one of the best flavored and in no way bland tomato that I have ever eaten. I would be growing it this year except for a hail storm that destroyed many of my plants. I do understand that different growing conditions can change the flavor but cant understand this one ever being described as bland. I do intend to buy 2more plants when TomatoMansDaughter opens for her fall plant sale. I have no seeds currently but hope to grow a plant to maturity and be able to save some seeds for next season, If I am able to do that I would like to send B54 some seed to try and grow again. I hope that he might have had a seed mixup or something because it is a wonderful variety with sweet and acid balance and always will be one of my favorites. While she does not sell seeds you may google Tomatomansdaughter and go to her website and read more about this variety. No I am not affiliated in any way and have no connection to this website I just find it informative.

JMHO
ron

[attml]

We have had a very warm and humid spring for the Maryland region this year. Already a couple of days with the heat index around 105 degrees. So far my varieties that have beat the heat and done very well in the way of more than 4 fruit set have been:

Matina
Paul Robeson
Costuluto Genovese
Black Prince
Stupice
Multiple Cherries (Black Cherry, Snow White, Sungold, Gardner's Delight)
Anna Russian
Chesapeake

My slow varities have been:

Mexico
1884
Dagma's Perfection
Kellogg's Breakfast

Mark

[creister]

I know marianna's seeds carrys RH seed. They are in the list of vendors here at TV.

[chalstonsc]

Ron,
Thanks for chiming in....I seem to remember hearing/reading Royal Hillbilly was good flavored and had it on my mental list to try and track down some seeds, as it is also smaller, more compact which I'm trying to limit my containers to.
Tom

[jdmfish]

I'm not necessarily familiar with all the varieties listed/discussed in this thread -

Any that are smaller plants - like 5' and under?