BrianIllinois
Cool Member
Posts: 65
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:55 am
Location: Southern Illinois

I've gone to the dark side: Hybrids

After struggling last year with some of my heirlooms, I've decided to go with a few hybrids this year. I'm trying Brandy Boy, Porterhouse and Sunny Boy, all from Burpee. Anyone tried those?
Last year, one of my heirlooms produced absolutely zero fruit. One died early due to blight. A couple others had so-so production.
I'll still have heirlooms, including my beloved Brandywine, German Johnson, Belgian Giant and others.
One reason I'm going with a few hybrids is, I don't have the luxury of rotating my tomatoes to a different area, and I'm worried my gardens have become blight-prone. I like having a big harvest, and enjoy giving some away, so I hope the hybrids will help toward that.
Anyone else putting in more hybrids this year?

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rainbowgardener
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Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

I only grow hybrids, for the reasons you mentioned. I have a city lot with trees, so very little sunny spots for tomatoes. I only have room for 6 plants and they have to stay in the same places because there's no where to rotate them to. If one plant conked out it would be a major portion of my harvest and I can't rotate. So I do hybrids all the time. If I had an acre of sunny ground to play with, I would get a lot more experimental.

Bobberman
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Posts: 2437
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:31 pm
Location: Latrobe Pa.

I tried chocolate cherry last year and it turned out good with lots of them! I myself really liked the brandy wine and the hillbilly for the great taste! I am planting pineappl this year and just got in ver 9000 seeds from Shrumway!Trim the bottom leaves on you tomatoes in the summer and don't water the tomatoes in late evening. which helps with blight!

dustyrivergardens
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Posts: 617
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:32 am
Location: Holbrook Az. zone 5b

Lots of kinds of tomatoes. I don't think much can out produce a Chocolate Cherry its not a hybrid or a San Marzano paste tomato both produce as well as any hybrid I have grown ...

sixshooter
Senior Member
Posts: 110
Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 2:00 pm
Location: Davison Mi

No shame here. Id rather have a ton of production.



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