User avatar
hendi_alex
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3604
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina

My Tomato Planting with early season notes.

My plants were planted at a variety of times and in a variety of locations/soil quality. Also, some are in new location, while others are in locations where tomatoes have been grown for many years. So this is not any kind of absolute test as to how well the plants perform. The comments just relate to this season, with plants compared to others in similar location, or compared to previous experience.

All Juliets were seeded in December. Sweet Cluster and 4th of July were seeded in February. All others were seeded in early march.

This first plant is thriving with lots of fruit. Excellent flavor.
'Sweet Cluster'
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2445/3611265171_bd5c79f96d.jpg[/img]

This 'Juliet' is making a lot of tasty fruit, but the vine is not nearly as vigorous as usual and its color is off, as if stressed. I think that the problem relates to the early December start of the seeds.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3566/3611265843_f8a0db23cc.jpg[/img]

This '4th of July' is growing well. Is a toss up which is best between it and sweet cluster. I think that 'sweet cluster' is a little more vigorous, disease resistant and productive. It also has a more balanced flavor between sweet and tart IMO.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3656/3612078778_db76e01f0c.jpg[/img]

So far only Juliet, sweet cluster, and 4th of July have ripened. So no comments about flavor of this year's other varieties, except from last years experience if the variety was grown then.

'Big Bite' has good size and flavor similar to a 'Better Boy' or 'Whopper' in my opinion. A good choice for a reliable slicer. Fairly vigorous and disease resistant. No problem so far this year.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3586/3612079226_01310b0ee2.jpg[/img]

'Celebrity' gives a reliable crop of slicers. It as well tastes similar to the 'Better Boy' kinds of slicers. Has good disease resistance, vigorous grower and producer. This year both plants have a more consistent size of large slicers.
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2453/3612079686_acbe39d7e6.jpg[/img]

Another 'Sweet Cluster' with its heavy production and disease resistance. Has become one of my favorite tomatoes.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3340/3612080248_cd63871e86.jpg[/img]

Another 'Juliet' with its reliable heavy fruit set. Just isn't as vigorous as most years.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3367/3612080848_d412881b83.jpg[/img]

'Black Krim' a new variety for me this year. Plant looks healthy, but modest fruit set thus far.
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2447/3612081376_e683a255d2.jpg[/img]

'Cherokee Chocolate' another new variety for me. Also modest fruit set, but health vine.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3374/3612081956_3fb2ee4f52.jpg[/img]

Another 'Sweet Cluster' in a different poorer location, over 7 feet tall. I'll let the image speak for itself.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3611270235_b1a5b26e7e.jpg[/img]

'Goliath' healthy plant with large fruit, modest fruit set.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3637/3611270953_2a8f068728.jpg[/img]

'German Johnson' with good fruit set, healthy plant.
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2203/3612083750_53124049fb.jpg[/img]

Another 'Celebrity' with its abundant crop of large uniform tomatoes.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3323/3611271891_2af550b7d9.jpg[/img]

'Cherokee Chocolate' with healthy vine and modest fruit set.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3371/3611272437_65bd663dfa.jpg[/img]

Another '4th of July' and this one is nowhere nearly as productive as the 'Sweet Cluster' in the same row.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3363/3611272785_2edec6e1c9.jpg[/img]

'Sweet Cluster' beside the previous plant.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3392/3611273285_215a9d9256.jpg[/img]

'Juliet' same story as the other 'Juliets'.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3222/3612086234_19cbe661eb.jpg[/img]

'Big Bite' once again with modest fruit set but good sized fruit on a healthy plant growing in very poor soil.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3554/3612087076_92f4e5fb21.jpg[/img]

Another 'Big Bite' similar comment.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3311/3611275401_c441d2505e.jpg[/img]

'Big Beef' large fruit, modest fruit set. Healthy plant growing in poor soil.
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2402/3612088302_c79ae720c3.jpg[/img]

'Cherokee Chocolate' doing similarly to other two plants.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3038/3612088934_d3a67f3b96.jpg[/img]

'Goliath' low fruit set of large fruits.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3387/3612089578_39c96081f7.jpg[/img]

'German Johnson' modest fruit set of large tomatoes.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3310/3612090092_d975c3a419.jpg[/img]

New variety for me 'Believe it or Not' - so far NOT. Low fruit set for a modern 'Better Boy' type of tomato.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3379/3611278073_37336bf968.jpg[/img]

'Believe it or Not' - same story.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3615/3612091186_a179272fae.jpg[/img]

'German Queen' with low fruit set.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3308/3612091796_e97293b352.jpg[/img]

'German Queen' also low fruit set.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3335/3612092372_bb43e7bb24.jpg[/img]

'Brandywine' always has low fruit set for me with no more than three to five fruit to mature on a vine. This one has bloomed like crazy, but on three tomatoes to set so far.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3633/3612092906_8c8306c0ca.jpg[/img]

'Believe it or Not' just like the others, mostly NOT.
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/3611280841_4b7568b05b.jpg[/img]

'German Queen' new for me, but just like 'Brandywine' not much fruit.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3649/3611281357_bec4c6fb63.jpg[/img]

'German Queen' not much fruit.
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2461/3612094564_e0a752b76b.jpg[/img]

'Whopper' a good tasting 'Better Boy' type of tomato. This one has less fruit set than usual. Low fruit set on this plant and some of the others could have been because the were flowering heavily in May when it was colder than usual and bee activity was low.
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2421/3612095086_c91c866f33.jpg[/img]

'Goliath' similar to other 'Goliath' plants.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3597/3611282945_17559fa6b8.jpg[/img]

'Whopper'
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2459/3612096172_21a2157bf8.jpg[/img]

'Celebrity' large, uniform fruit.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3562/3612096872_860f229aa4.jpg[/img]

'Delicious' with its good production of large, good tasting fruits.
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/3612097372_78caccc553.jpg[/img]

User avatar
Rob
Cool Member
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:51 pm
Location: Cottonwood, AZ

Love seeing pics of other people's tomato production.

Apparently I'm not the only one who has problems with the Brandywine...

User avatar
Pebbles
Senior Member
Posts: 142
Joined: Thu Apr 30, 2009 6:44 am
Location: Lancashire UK

Flippin heck Alex - so many tomatoes. No wonder you are going to have to give some away. If you consume all those, you're going to end up looking like one :wink:



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