ko_ksota
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Glass Balcony Tomato Garden! - Looking 4 Best Tomato Variety

Just finishing my last tomatoes from 2015/April-seedlings. Grew on 7th floor glassed balcony; South and West face unobstructed sun. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Loved the fact of harvesting my tomatoes while looking out at a snowstorm outside!

Varieties used: Black Krim, Purple Cherokee, Brandy Wine, and some cherry tomato ....
Results:
Black Krim- slow leaf - slow during summer, good fall, produced well in winter...
Purple Cherokee - fast leaf- low product both summer, fall, and winter
Brandy Wine - Lots of leaf and fast leaf - lots of product summer and fall, slow product winter.
cherry - it just grew... super easy...
PROBLEMS:
1. Had some tiny insects on most of the plants that also infected some of my other houseplants. Didn't look like they were harming the tomato plants, but they were there and multiplying at one point (summer). Fall they all died on their own. I think they were aphids, but I'm not 100% on that.
2. Winter- once colder and rainy weather came in, started with the Black Krim variety (I think), mildew attacked hard! Had to spray with fungicide :(.

NEED HELP picking best variety for next growing season and my circumstance. Want to plant 3 different indeterminate plants and 2 cherries. I plant in March/April and they go all year! Just cut down, fertilize, and plant the next! Not bad for first time ;)

If you had growing experience in this kind of circumstance, your wisdom would be greatly appreciated! Tips & Tricks like Epson Salt and Egg Shells are very welcomed and recognized! Thank You

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

If glassed in with screened windows, get predatory ladybugs -- I totally recommend it. I'm also sold on using predatory mites, though they are a bit more expensive and have to trust they are working since you can't see them.

For fungal disease prevention, start spraying with dilute milk:water solution 1:8 before they start as soon as problematic climate begins. Gather willow branches during the season and strip barks, branch tips and leaves -- dry and store them. Make "tea" with these -- pour on boiling water, steep overnight -- and spray.

Varieties -- definitely mini-cherries Coyote and Matt's Wild for starters. Large chery Raymondo's Australian Mist is good too if you have the room (it gets HUGE). You might want to try grape-shaped multi-floras like Stormin Norman or Ildi.

Indeterminates -- consider Terhune or Earl's Faux (great flavor but not productive) and Wes (another huge 7-8 footer) for resilience. For productivity, Orange Banana, Prudens Purple and Royal Hillbilly as well as Fishlake Oxheart and Lucky Cross. ...trying to think of a black variety alternative -- I think you are correct that Black Krim can be susceptible to fungal issues (Stormin Norman above is a black)....

Do you have so much room and huge containers to grow these indeterminates? Do you want to grow some short determinates and dwarfs that do well in 5 gal buckets? I have recommendations for those, too, starting with Maglia Rosa.... :wink:

Also, consider growing peppers. Grow to mature size during the season, then they will produce during the fall-(winter)-spring if you were able to get tomatoes to fruit here. Not so much bells - they are more fickle - but I have suggestions for other sweet and hot varieties if you have preference/tolerance.

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I would also recommend to sanitize the area in the off season to prevent overwintering insect eggs or fungal spores from creating problems next year.

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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

there's tons of tomato varieties threads around here. You can use the search box in top left corner to find them.

It does of course depend on what you want to use them for. For example, Cherokee Purple has a wide reputation as being one of the most flavorful varieties. I grew it last year and agreed, it is a wonderful tasting tomato. But I won't grow it this year because production was so poor.

Here's a thread on favorite sauce tomato varieties:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... es#p384876

Here's one on most prolific varieties
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... es#p376482

best tasting raw tomato
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... es#p373707

returning favorite tomato varieties
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... es#p311045

etc



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