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Two that make it back on the deck every year are Cherokee Purple and Lemon Boy. Exceptional producers tried and true over and over again - perfectly suited for large containers!
Cherokee's good fruit set, good size:
![Image](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/I-cpFJFRn/0/X2/I-cpFJFRn-X2.jpg)
Lemon Boy in containers - fruit size a little smaller than in ground (comparing as far back as 2010), but much better flavor, more intense, and better fruit set if pruned to 4 main stems, with nice cluster fruit set on every truss. This year, "pointy" and "heart" shapes are more pronounced than year before due to the cold, rainy cold spring
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I now usually grow 2 commercial varieties purchased at the store. This gives me a head start on the early tomatoes - simply don't have the grow room as I used to, hence - no means of starting and carrying for tomatoes in January.
First one Caroline Gold. Very large fruit, moderately sets, but early enough and very sweet, meaty and firm. Very similar to the flesh of the Oxheart varieties... been eating those for 2 weeks now
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The other commercial is Better Bush. While we had our first tomato in the first week of June from this determinate plant (8 large fruits so far), that's about all the positive I can say... Definitely does not like rainy weather, and we had 17 days every day rain in June. So let's just say not going to bother with it again...
Few of the late starters and will report later (still small), Rainhard Kraft's Chocolate Heart, Cherokee Chocolate Heart and Grubbs Mystery Green. These are planted for the "late crop" and just 1-3' tall and just now starting to flower for the first time.
My first attempt to building a raised bed ended up as "partial failure", just not enough light, and oak trees near by grew so much in those 17 days of spring rain - not a good place for tomatoes at all. So that spot will become my perfect garden for Hostas and Lilly's of The Valey. But I did build another, though smaller (8x3'), 5 hours of morning sun will have to do, it's the only sunny spot in my yard and now hosts more plants that I normally will care to stuff to such small area:
Bull's Heart Pink x2,
Spudakee
Grubb's Mystery Green x2
Black Prince
Rainhard Kraft's Purple Heart
Shishito Peppers x4
Purple Basil
Green Basil
Tarragon
Green Onions
Nasturtium (6) to use as natural "mulch"
Will take some pics a little later
Cheers all and happy growing!