Thinking over this list, any input on earliness and your taste experience welcome.
I need to narrow it down!
Amana Orange
Besser Cherry
Black from Tula
Black Krim
Caspian Pink
Costoluto Genovese
Dr. Wyche's Yellow
Giant Belguim
Pruden's Purple
Tigerella
Rose
Purple Russian
Iris Candy
German Johnson
Black Sea Man
I think (and have heard a LOT of other people say as well) the Kellogg's Breakfast tomato is better than the amana orange. KB comes in a regular leaf and potato leaf.
Black Krimm was a definite favorite of mine last year, so flavorful! I have heard though that Black from Tula is better, so I'm trying it this year.
I got a few Tigerellas from a market vendor last year. I am KICKING myself over being such a pig and eating them all instead of saving seeds. They were fantastic and I would be glad to add them to my garden.
Don't know about the rest but multiple forums and garden sites have given the giant Belgium rave reviews.
Black Krimm was a definite favorite of mine last year, so flavorful! I have heard though that Black from Tula is better, so I'm trying it this year.
I got a few Tigerellas from a market vendor last year. I am KICKING myself over being such a pig and eating them all instead of saving seeds. They were fantastic and I would be glad to add them to my garden.
Don't know about the rest but multiple forums and garden sites have given the giant Belgium rave reviews.
Amana Orange
Besser Cherry
Black from Tula --very good, beefstak = meatier than black krim
Black Krim --favorite w/ earthy black taste. Usually first large tomato to ripen for me.
Caspian Pink
Costoluto Genovese --Makes really good tasting sauce, not very good fresh
Dr. Wyche's Yellow
Giant Belguim
Pruden's Purple -- Very good, early for its large size
Tigerella --Good, early, pretty
Rose -- Excellent, but has low early season production
Purple Russian
Iris Candy
German Johnson
Black Sea Man
Prudens Purple and Rose would give you a good 1-2 punch for early/late production.
If you really want early tomatos plant Tigrella now and grow it in a container, moving in and out of the house as weather permits. Otherwise early tomatoes only give you a handfull of fruit for a week or two before the first of the mid season varieties ripen.
Besser Cherry
Black from Tula --very good, beefstak = meatier than black krim
Black Krim --favorite w/ earthy black taste. Usually first large tomato to ripen for me.
Caspian Pink
Costoluto Genovese --Makes really good tasting sauce, not very good fresh
Dr. Wyche's Yellow
Giant Belguim
Pruden's Purple -- Very good, early for its large size
Tigerella --Good, early, pretty
Rose -- Excellent, but has low early season production
Purple Russian
Iris Candy
German Johnson
Black Sea Man
Prudens Purple and Rose would give you a good 1-2 punch for early/late production.
If you really want early tomatos plant Tigrella now and grow it in a container, moving in and out of the house as weather permits. Otherwise early tomatoes only give you a handfull of fruit for a week or two before the first of the mid season varieties ripen.
Thank you kindly for your reviews! I really appreciate it.
TZ, Last year I went with many of the early/cool weather adapted varieties due to the previous seasons cold/wet/fickle weather. The funny thing was last year was the warmest I'd ever seen in my 20 years of gardening! I had my maters outside in a cold frame/low tunnel (days only) starting on March first! These plants were outside all but a few days from that point forward until planting them April 19 using the double coverage method! Lets just say I cheated Mother Nature last year. I was picking fruit before the normal frost-freeplanting date. Not bad for Zone 5. I'm so proud of myself! LOL
This year I just can't see starting any earlier but I'd like to pick some ripe fruit before the end of May again. It's a lot of work shuffling all the plants in and out of the garage everyday but its a labor of love. Maybe this season I'll figure out a cheap heating source for the low tunnel and keep the plants in them at night.
So many tomatoes so little time!
TZ, Last year I went with many of the early/cool weather adapted varieties due to the previous seasons cold/wet/fickle weather. The funny thing was last year was the warmest I'd ever seen in my 20 years of gardening! I had my maters outside in a cold frame/low tunnel (days only) starting on March first! These plants were outside all but a few days from that point forward until planting them April 19 using the double coverage method! Lets just say I cheated Mother Nature last year. I was picking fruit before the normal frost-freeplanting date. Not bad for Zone 5. I'm so proud of myself! LOL
This year I just can't see starting any earlier but I'd like to pick some ripe fruit before the end of May again. It's a lot of work shuffling all the plants in and out of the garage everyday but its a labor of love. Maybe this season I'll figure out a cheap heating source for the low tunnel and keep the plants in them at night.
So many tomatoes so little time!
Just to add to the few TZ and Dixana notes on varieties you've listed:
Dr. Wyche's Yellow - Very good taste (on the mild side), very good producer last year, strong vines, can crack during the wet weather.
Purple Russian - started as average taste for me, but improved grammatically after couple of weeks to a very good taste. Loads up abundantly with fruit, but, the most susceptible to cracking variety I've ever grown - every fruit cracked at the first sign and any smallest drizzle every time.
Regards,
D
Dr. Wyche's Yellow - Very good taste (on the mild side), very good producer last year, strong vines, can crack during the wet weather.
Purple Russian - started as average taste for me, but improved grammatically after couple of weeks to a very good taste. Loads up abundantly with fruit, but, the most susceptible to cracking variety I've ever grown - every fruit cracked at the first sign and any smallest drizzle every time.
Regards,
D
I ended up going with...
Black from Tula, Black Krim, Black Moor, Prudens Purple, Chocolate Cherry, German Johnson, Livingstons Gold Ball, Omars Lebonese, Aurum Cherry, Tigerella, Costoluto Genovese, Giant Belgium, Besser Cherry, Black Cherry and Purple Russian.
Edit... Also added Fox Cherry, Golden Egg, Snow White, Tangella, Akers West Virginia and had Novosadski Jabucar late in trade from last year.
Thanks for the information. Its hard to put a price on good info.
Now if I can just find the cure for my two diseases, cancer and gardening, specifically the tomatoe part anyway!
Hoping all of you the best season ever!
Black from Tula, Black Krim, Black Moor, Prudens Purple, Chocolate Cherry, German Johnson, Livingstons Gold Ball, Omars Lebonese, Aurum Cherry, Tigerella, Costoluto Genovese, Giant Belgium, Besser Cherry, Black Cherry and Purple Russian.
Edit... Also added Fox Cherry, Golden Egg, Snow White, Tangella, Akers West Virginia and had Novosadski Jabucar late in trade from last year.
Thanks for the information. Its hard to put a price on good info.
Now if I can just find the cure for my two diseases, cancer and gardening, specifically the tomatoe part anyway!
Hoping all of you the best season ever!
Last edited by erlyberd on Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 6113
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
erlyberd, if you can fit in Kellogg's Breakfast, you will have no regrets. We grew Kellogg's and Amana last year - Kellogg's was definitely richer in flavor.
I've grown chocolate cherry for several years and it is quite tasty. It can get to be very tall - as much as 12 feet - but it won't mind sprawling a bit over the rest of the plant.
I've grown chocolate cherry for several years and it is quite tasty. It can get to be very tall - as much as 12 feet - but it won't mind sprawling a bit over the rest of the plant.
DDF, Well, I'm happy to share that the treatments are showing some hope anyway and that there is some progress. Its a long battle, physically its like a washing machine stuck on various cycles but then again there is a cerntain mental toughness that you need to deploy or it will eat you alive.
Thanks again for the comments.
GarVT, Thanks for the input but I'm done! That is it, you can twist my arm all you want but I'm not adding another tomatoe until next year! Heck, you can even give me the seed and I promise it won't get sown this year! lol
Next year I'll try the Kellogg's for sure. Glad to here you liked the Chocolate Cherry as I've heard mixed reviews on it. Sounds like I'll have to get the ladder out by summers end for this little monster. Great!
Hope your all enjoying the snow as much as me, not one bit!
Thanks again for the comments.
GarVT, Thanks for the input but I'm done! That is it, you can twist my arm all you want but I'm not adding another tomatoe until next year! Heck, you can even give me the seed and I promise it won't get sown this year! lol
Next year I'll try the Kellogg's for sure. Glad to here you liked the Chocolate Cherry as I've heard mixed reviews on it. Sounds like I'll have to get the ladder out by summers end for this little monster. Great!
Hope your all enjoying the snow as much as me, not one bit!