Started the seeds tonight in wet papertowels.
14 Varieties not including sun gold which I'll pick up from the local nursery and any other weird and unique varieties I run into at farmers markets. Last year I have 5 different varieties. This will be a fun summer
Aunt Ruby's German Green is my favorite name and I'm most excited for the Red Currant.
Black Trifele
Johnstown Yellow
Black Prince
Pink Accordian
Tigerella
Prudens Purple
Stupice
Tip Top
Aunt Ruby's German Green
Coustralee
Black Krim
Mortgage Lifter
Kellogg's Breakfast
Red Currant
Nice list. The Black Princes I ate last year were delicious. I didn't realize I had 19 tomato plants. I might have to put a few up for adoption. My favorite so far is the Seattle's Woolly Blue Mammoth, its so fuzzy. Have a look
[img]https://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr235/binchnunker/Garden%20Pics/DSC_0256.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr235/binchnunker/Garden%20Pics/DSC_0256.jpg[/img]
Hey Digits,
I grew none of those 14 last year. Last year I bought nursery seedlings exclusively. This is my first year trying from seed. I went to pinetree seeds and ordered the ones I thought I would have fun growing. But I know as summer hits I will add more. The sun gold I could only find at the local nursery and it is my current favorite. I will probably grow 3 of those.
I started 7 seeds of each type with the goal of having 2 or 3 of each make it to the garden. I will probably grow the ones I like again next year and replace the ones I don't with new ones.
I also have 2 types of ground cherries (eva's and horning's) and some giant cape gooseberries. I have never had them before but I guess I grow them like tomatoes.
There are only 3 of us in the house (myself, my wife, and my toddler) so it looks like we will be swamped with tomatoes. I don't mind that. I love them and we can share.
My time used to be spent as a rugby player and since my wife (I say it was her but my back and my head injuries are the real cause) has nixed that, gardening is my new obsession!
I grew none of those 14 last year. Last year I bought nursery seedlings exclusively. This is my first year trying from seed. I went to pinetree seeds and ordered the ones I thought I would have fun growing. But I know as summer hits I will add more. The sun gold I could only find at the local nursery and it is my current favorite. I will probably grow 3 of those.
I started 7 seeds of each type with the goal of having 2 or 3 of each make it to the garden. I will probably grow the ones I like again next year and replace the ones I don't with new ones.
I also have 2 types of ground cherries (eva's and horning's) and some giant cape gooseberries. I have never had them before but I guess I grow them like tomatoes.
There are only 3 of us in the house (myself, my wife, and my toddler) so it looks like we will be swamped with tomatoes. I don't mind that. I love them and we can share.
My time used to be spent as a rugby player and since my wife (I say it was her but my back and my head injuries are the real cause) has nixed that, gardening is my new obsession!
Ruggr, I'm kind of in the same boat with tomatoes. A disadvantage is that my climate isn't very suitable for a lot of the heirlooms. But, I've come a long way from thinking I should have ONLY the very best slicer I could find and ONE variety of cherry each year.
My experience with your list is right there in the middle: Tigerella, Prudens Purple, and Stupice. None will be in my garden this year (I shoulda, coulda, woulda found room for them . . . but there were too many other choices!
)
Tigerella is a great little early tomato. I bought it as Mr. Stripey from a guy in Calgary but it isn't the Mr. Stripey that is available thru some US seed companies. Wait for the green stripes to change to yellow - very nice!
Prudens Purple was one of the 1st heirlooms that I grew. I was so impressed! Big, beautiful fruit on a really robust vine. Still, it came right up against the 1st frost for ripening. They didn't have any trouble on my kitchen counter if they had to come into the house because of the cold.
Stupice is another nice early and really my choice has to be between it and Bloody Butcher. DW made up my mind for me by continuing to call Stupice, my "stupid" tomato. I could only nurse my hurt feelings so long -- and still harvest what was invariably slightly deformed fruit. Perhaps a different strain of Stupice would have been more attractive. On a positive note, she really doesn't like the flavor of either Stupice or BB! So, he who laughs last . .
.
I will grow a Kellogg's Breakfast this year but only 1 plant and only because a good gardening friend sent me the seeds and another friend claims it as his absolute favorite! I really don't think that it will ripen here but am willing to be pleasantly surprised!
I had Orange Minsk last year - now there was a tomato DW liked - so I want to phase it out . . . . . . I mean, the darn HUGE plant only had 3 fruits!! Anyway, I've got Woodle's Orange and Dagma's Perfection that are new-to-me and I'm fairly optimistic about! I keep referring to "Perfection" as DW's orange tomato because the name is so inspiring. I figure I've got her fooled for awhile yet - and, if it performs well I might come off looking real good.
Steve
My experience with your list is right there in the middle: Tigerella, Prudens Purple, and Stupice. None will be in my garden this year (I shoulda, coulda, woulda found room for them . . . but there were too many other choices!
)Tigerella is a great little early tomato. I bought it as Mr. Stripey from a guy in Calgary but it isn't the Mr. Stripey that is available thru some US seed companies. Wait for the green stripes to change to yellow - very nice!
Prudens Purple was one of the 1st heirlooms that I grew. I was so impressed! Big, beautiful fruit on a really robust vine. Still, it came right up against the 1st frost for ripening. They didn't have any trouble on my kitchen counter if they had to come into the house because of the cold.
Stupice is another nice early and really my choice has to be between it and Bloody Butcher. DW made up my mind for me by continuing to call Stupice, my "stupid" tomato. I could only nurse my hurt feelings so long -- and still harvest what was invariably slightly deformed fruit. Perhaps a different strain of Stupice would have been more attractive. On a positive note, she really doesn't like the flavor of either Stupice or BB! So, he who laughs last . .
.I will grow a Kellogg's Breakfast this year but only 1 plant and only because a good gardening friend sent me the seeds and another friend claims it as his absolute favorite! I really don't think that it will ripen here but am willing to be pleasantly surprised!
I had Orange Minsk last year - now there was a tomato DW liked - so I want to phase it out . . .
. . . I mean, the darn HUGE plant only had 3 fruits!! Anyway, I've got Woodle's Orange and Dagma's Perfection that are new-to-me and I'm fairly optimistic about! I keep referring to "Perfection" as DW's orange tomato because the name is so inspiring. I figure I've got her fooled for awhile yet - and, if it performs well I might come off looking real good.Steve
Digits,
Thanks for the descriptions. I have no idea how well they will do here on the coast of Maine. I learn by trying... Of course that doesn't mean I won't be disappointed if some don't produce of if I don't like them.
I grew a yellow pear tomato last year from HD that I hated. It produced the most fruit but my wife, my son, and I all refused to eat it. I don't think that even the dog wanted them!
I have never grow heirlooms before so we'll see how it goes.
Thanks for the descriptions. I have no idea how well they will do here on the coast of Maine. I learn by trying... Of course that doesn't mean I won't be disappointed if some don't produce of if I don't like them.
I grew a yellow pear tomato last year from HD that I hated. It produced the most fruit but my wife, my son, and I all refused to eat it. I don't think that even the dog wanted them!
I have never grow heirlooms before so we'll see how it goes.
I got my Woolly Blue seeds from Tom Wagner at New World Seeds and Tubers, I was recently on the website and they are switching the store around so there isn't any tomato seeds available right now. It's an unstable hybrid, f2 or f3, can't remember, it sounded too cool to pass up, and apparently I got lucky, as not all of the seeds will end up furry like that one.
We grew Kellogg's Breakfast and Black Prince last year -both did very well and we enjoyed the flavor of each. We are growing them again this year along with a nice variety of other heirlooms.
Two years ago, we grew 3 Red Currants and my oh my did they grow tall and sprawl and split with every rain.
For early tomatoes, we are growing Stupice and Bloody Butcher to do a taste comparison along with a hybrid - Dafel.
We are growing in Zone 4 so you should be just fine to grow any of the tomatoes you listed. And don't let the term "Heirloom" make you think they are harder to grow. If you have given them a good head start to the season, they should grow just fine for you.
Two years ago, we grew 3 Red Currants and my oh my did they grow tall and sprawl and split with every rain.
For early tomatoes, we are growing Stupice and Bloody Butcher to do a taste comparison along with a hybrid - Dafel.
We are growing in Zone 4 so you should be just fine to grow any of the tomatoes you listed. And don't let the term "Heirloom" make you think they are harder to grow. If you have given them a good head start to the season, they should grow just fine for you.
Well, this is encouraging me to look forward a little more to the Kellogg's Breakfast! I just moved them out of a 4-pack to a 4" pot yesterday. The plants look just fine.gardenvt wrote:We grew Kellogg's Breakfast and Black Prince last year -both did very well and we enjoyed the flavor of each. We are growing them again . . .
I haven't been to that part of New England but we seem to get a fair number of folks here who have lived in Vermont. They have told me that it is very similar to northern Idaho! We have the moderating effect of that big Pacific Ocean a few hundred miles away. Through the winter, that means a zone 5 hardiness for much of the lower elevations here even tho' we are a few degrees farther north than New England.
While potting up, I realized that I'd saved and sown seed from a plant that I hadn't intended. This is embarrassing but I've got a home for those plants (neighbor). It, kind of, frees up another place in the garden. DW would not be happy if I stuck in another black but I will have a choice between Woodle's Orange, Dagma's Perfection, Orange Minsk, and Kellogg's Breakfast.
It won't be an additional Orange Minsk but since I haven't grown any of the others it might come down to a coin toss. Or, I could play it safe and not load up too much with the large orange/yellows.
Ruggr, I neglected to say anything about Sun Gold cherry but you don't really need me to tell you that its pretty wonderful. The variety is deservedly popular. I do have something going into the 3rd year in my garden: A Face-off Between Sun Gold & Sun Sugar!
I think that we should all have these kinds of competitions. I mean, it is fairly brutal research but somebody has got to do it. I've grown SunSugar for nearly 10 years, I suppose. She isn't going without a fight, that's for sure! I figure it will take me at least another decade to sort it all out.
Steve