Decisions, decisions...

[PunkRotten]

Well I have gotten crazy this year and did a whole bunch of seed trading. As a result I got tons of different tomato and peppers seeds. So now I am trying to decide what to grow next year. I want to grow 3 variety of Tomatoes in Spring and 3 others in Fall. I will try to choose earlier maturing varieties for the fall and start some indoors a few weeks before setting them out. I think they will grow fine if I do this. I am on Zone 9 BTW.

My main uses for the tomatoes are making salsa, salads, slicing, and juicing. Making Salsa and using in salads are my main uses though. So I want to try some varieties that will be a good choice for that. Here is my whole tomato seed list. Help me pick (6) total; 3 for Spring and 3 for Fall. I'd like to have 2 of the choices be for a Slicer variety at least. The rest for salsa and salads.


Tomatoes:


Roma
German Johnson
Yellow pear
Grape (mostly gold, some reds)
Green Zebra
Micro-Tom
Black Krim
Red Cherry
Red Pear
Black Cherry
Virginia Sweets
Black Plum
Black Brandy
Box Car Willie
San Francisco Fog
Carbon
Cherokee Purple
Aunt Rubys German Green
Mortgage Lifter
Prudens Purple
Jubilee
Abe Lincoln
Black Zebra
White Queen
Brandywine
Marvel Stripe
Persimmon
Costoluto
Super sweet 100 (hybrid, commercial seeds)
Ailsa Craig
Paul Robeson
Jersey Devil
White Wonder
Kelloggs Breakfast
Rose de Berne
Great White
Black Prince
Jaune Flamme
Rutgers
Tiny Tim
Red Robin
Black & Red Boar
Absinthe
Dwarf Beryl Beauty
Hillbilly




Thx

[ruggr10]

I grew of few of those last year.
I'm more into slicing tomatoes and my all time new favorite, though the color was different, was the aunt ruby's german green. Best tasting I've ever had and amazing in sandwiches. My 2nd fav was the Kellogg's breakfast. My wife was quite upset with me since I only grew 1 plant of each last year.

I was not impressed with the mortgage lifter when it came to taste. I got a ton of them but the flavor was so-so.

[GardenRN]

Those super sweet 100s always do fantastic for me. Granted they're cherries so you couldn't really slice em or juice em. But I think they're worth a spot. And one plant gives you so many you really don't need multiples anyways.

As for a slicer, I'd say Brandywine. I got some seeds from a random tomato plant I got seeds for in a trade. The plants grew huge tomatoes, but the person didn't know what variety they were. I think they're brandywine based on the color and size. Very good slicer and sandwich maker!

Never tried the Aunt Ruby's...they sound good. Maybe I'll try to order some this year based on you guys' recommendations!

[PunkRotten]

Thanks for the info guys. As for the slicers I was thinking one of the white tomatoes, Cherokee purple, or Virginia sweets. I may do Tiny Tim or Red Robin in pots since they require only a small pot. I only got space for 3 plants in-ground. But I can use pots for dwarf tomatoes. So they will be a separate thing from my main garden.


Other tomatoes I wanted to try are green zebra, black zebra, black krim, box car willie, rutgers, black prince etc. Depends which is best for salsa and salads.

[carolyn137]

Of the ones you posted I would suggest the following to conside for a Spring crop:

Kellogg's Breakfast
Box Car Willie, not an heirloom
Cherokee Purple
Prudens Purple

Brandywine can be fincky and doesn't do all that well where it's hot as some of my S CA friends have said. White Queen is, I think, about the best tasting large so called white, but that isn't saying much.

I've grown almost all the ones you list and I'd be hard pressed to suggest varieties for a Fall planting which works OK for some in S CA, but not for others.

I now have both cherry varieties I promised you as well as your address. Since I didn't see too many cherries on your list do you still want me to send them to you?

Carolyn

[gixxerific]

Here are my picks, and these would all be spring, I'm not in tuned with fall toamto planting with my climate.

Cherokee Purple (Productive good slicer)
Box Car Willie
Black & Red Boar (somewhat early)
German Johnson (good slicer or for sauce)

There are a lot of good ones it is hard. I know I am trying ot narrow my picks down as well. If it were me I would forgo tiny tim and go with Black Cherry in a pot or one of the other cherry's.

Hope this helps.

[PunkRotten]

Of the ones you posted I would suggest the following to conside for a Spring crop:

Kellogg's Breakfast
Box Car Willie, not an heirloom
Cherokee Purple
Prudens Purple

Brandywine can be fincky and doesn't do all that well where it's hot as some of my S CA friends have said. White Queen is, I think, about the best tasting large so called white, but that isn't saying much.

I've grown almost all the ones you list and I'd be hard pressed to suggest varieties for a Fall planting which works OK for some in S CA, but not for others.

I now have both cherry varieties I promised you as well as your address. Since I didn't see too many cherries on your list do you still want me to send them to you?

Carolyn

Sure, if you are ready to send them I can still use them. Thx

[PunkRotten]

Here are my picks, and these would all be spring, I'm not in tuned with fall toamto planting with my climate.

Cherokee Purple (Productive good slicer)
Box Car Willie
Black & Red Boar (somewhat early)
German Johnson (good slicer or for sauce)

There are a lot of good ones it is hard. I know I am trying ot narrow my picks down as well. If it were me I would forgo tiny tim and go with Black Cherry in a pot or one of the other cherry's.

Hope this helps.

I don't know if I have a pot big enough for black cherry. The only pots available are 1-2 gallons and some smaller. So for the Tiny Tim and Red Robin I think it is ok. I have some Black Cherry growing now, my only tomatoes growing at the moment, and it seems to have slowed down. It has a few tomatoes on it and some open blossoms but has not changed much for a few weeks. It may be dormant right now. Problem is, I started it from seed 2nd week of September. So it got off to a late start. Next year I would start seeds indoors maybe around last week of July or beginning August then plant them out in the garden in September. If they are earlier maturing varieties that would be another good thing going for them.

[ruggr10]

For larger pots of cherry tomatoes I use 5 gallon buckets. I got a bunch free from a local corner store since he gets tons of pickle buckets. If that doesn't work for you, for $2.49 at HD or Lowes you can get a one. My cherries tomatoes grow great in them.

[PunkRotten]

Containers is not a big problem its moreso filling it with potting mix. Potting mix can get expensive especially filling large pots. And I don't really have lots of materials to make my own.

[Stella Blue]

Black Krim totally ruined me. It is so good, I can't bear to eat tomatoes from the supermarket during this long, cold winter. Black Cherries are my favorite for salads. But I can't say they are the best of your choices since I haven't tried many of them. Good luck with whatever you choose.

[DeborahL]

A client gave me a packet of Ace 55 seeds. I hope they'll be good.
I bought ONE Roma the other day, and it was so awful I could hardly believe it.
Could hardly believe it was 44 cents either ! You gotta be kidding me !