Why I grow Better Boy!

[tedln]

I have grown Better Boy hybrid tomatoes for many, many years. It consistently gives me healthy plants (high disease resistance), early blooms, high production, and excellent taste. I rarely have problems with blossom end rot, tomato horn worms, or anything else. I like the fact that the Better Boy tomato plant doesn't die in the high heat of summer. It simply becomes dormant while waiting for some cool weather and starts producing again until the first frost.

I have been reading a lot of the reviews on heirloom tomatoes and intend planting some next spring. I will probably plant Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, Zebra Stripe, Belgium Giant, Kelloggs Breakfast, and Celebrity. I have read some amazing reviews on all of those listed.

I'm not a fan of horse racing, but I imagine those who are. place some bets on a horse based on a hunch. I think they should also place a bet on the horse that won 9 of the last ten races it competed in. That's why I will also continue to grow my Better Boys.

Ted

[rainbowgardener]

I'm with you. I'm thinking about growing an heirloom tomato next year along with my regular ones (I can't do a lot, very limited space). My regular ones are Better Boy and Early Girl. I grow Early Girl to be the first person in the neighborhood with ripe tomatoes and it works. I had ripe tomatoes in mid June... (Started the plants from seed indoors under lights mid Feb).

I'm a little nervous about the heirlooms though because of the disease resistance issue. I would hate to introduce disease into my garden through the vulnerable plant and then have it spread to other things. It's why I've never grown them so far....

[tedln]

Hey rainbowgardener,

I had some really early tomatoes as well on the Better Boys. Of course my Juliet cherry tomatoes were a couple of weeks ahead of the Better Boys. I don't know why, but my Better Boys also produced this year, the largest and prettiest tomatoes I've ever grown. I wish I had weighed some of them, but I didn't.

We have a local farm and ranch supply that sponsers a contest every year for tomatoes. They have prizes for largest, most unusual, best tasting, prettiest; and a few other categories (see the link below). I know some of my Better Boys were larger than the winner and they were perfectly shaped and blemish free. I should have entered the contest. Oh well, maybe next year.

http://www.dandlfarmandhome.com/pages/events.html

Ted

[stella1751]

I generally go with whatever hybrid looks the best. When buying tomato plants this year, I ran to Home Depot, getting there when it opened. The nursery truck had made a delivery the night before, and I think I got first pickings. I didn't look at tags while I wandered through all the tomatoes; I decided to purchase the best-looking plants.

The Lemon Boys, which I think must be a Better Boy relative, had the most beautiful stems I'd ever seen on a retail store tomato: thick and sturdy. They were considerably wider than they were tall, with bunches of new growth all over the top and not a blossom to be seen. Perfect. I found eight plants I really liked; it was tough to decide which five to buy.

They've been fun to grow, but what I like most about them is what Tedlin said, that they

consistently gives me healthy plants (high disease resistance), early blooms, high production, and excellent taste. I rarely have problems with blossom end rot, tomato horn worms, or anything else. I like the fact that the Better Boy tomato plant doesn't die in the high heat of summer. It simply becomes dormant while waiting for some cool weather and starts producing again until the first frost.

They are covered with tomatoes from top to bottom, maybe more than 60 per plant, counting the marble-sized babies. In places, I am getting four or five vines producing together, with 12 to 15 tomatoes vying for the same space. I've decided to count my yield, well, try anyway, just to see how much they wind up with. So far, they're short, not much taller than 4' right now, if that, but they're packing a lot of tomatoes in a very compact area

I'm not sure what I'll plant next year. In 2007, I had an excellent experience with some Huskies. As a procrastinator, though, I'm betting I'll do what I did this year, with a twist: I'm thinking about calling the manager of Home Depot and asking when the next delivery is scheduled. What a rush to get first pick!

[petalfuzz]

I grew lemon boys last year and they were excellent plants: very healthy, no disease and tons of yellow tomatoes. I'm excited for you to get tomatoes to eat-yum yum!

[stella1751]

Thanks, Carolyn! They are so close to ripening that I check them three or four times a day. They're still green, drat it all!