annual tomato review
Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2019 3:41 pm
Even with the 2 week slow start to the season, tomatoes in my garden produced not only a large crop but a very tasty one as well.
Total weight of harvested tomatoes was at 351 pounds. For eighteen plants that comes to about 19 1/2 pounds per plant. We had a total of 658 tomatoes for an average per plant of 36.6/plant.
Top producers were: Heatherington Pink, almost 41 pounds; Joe's Pink Oxheart at almost 36 lbs. and Canadian Heart at just over 31 lbs.
A Big Beef plant gave 91 tomatoes but other growers say this was not a real BB with the average size only 3 ounces. So it was a large salad sized and I don't count or weigh cherries or salads. Heatherington Pink grew 79 fruits, Joe's Pink Oxheart 60 and G's Yellow Belgian (aka No Name Belgian) 47 tomatoes on a single plant.
The largest single tomato winnow was Homer's German at 27.1 ounces harvested on the last day before frost. There were many large tomatoes on the vines late in the year which for me is unusual. Next largest was a Canadian Heart at 26.8 oz. and Rebel Yell at 23.9 ounces.
As for average size tomatoes, Rebel Yell came in at 14.8 oz. average, Canadian Heart, 12.3 and Homer's German, 11.7 ounces. Maybe you can tell I like large tomatoes rather than small and hearts.
The most important metric for me is flavor. This was the most outstanding year for me ever so far as flavor is concerned. Of the 18 varieties grown (not counting the four cherries and salads for my wife) sixteen varieties were in the 5/5 category. Not making the 5/5 rating was the Big Beef at 3/5, (I am told to get the real not fake news BB next year) and Homer's German goes to 4/5 only because the last several tomatoes of the year were 4/5. The early HG was a 5/5.
The varieties rated exceptional by the judges, me and my wife, were Willow's Bulgarian (aka Unknown Bulgarian from the USDA purchased many years ago and renamed by me for my granddaughter for growing in my garden only), G's Yellow Belgian (similar story ), Heatherington Pink, Joe's Pink Oxheart, Marianna's Peace (smooth skinned) and Canadian Heart.
Too many reds, pinks and hearts this year. More blacks and bi-colors next. Peppers did better than ever now that I have been planting early and mid season sweet peppers so maybe next year I will do my completely anal counting and measuring like I have for the past 20 years on tomatoes. At least I don't weigh and measure the green beans. By the way, pumpkins are a success: two orange beauties on several hills...that is a first.
Total weight of harvested tomatoes was at 351 pounds. For eighteen plants that comes to about 19 1/2 pounds per plant. We had a total of 658 tomatoes for an average per plant of 36.6/plant.
Top producers were: Heatherington Pink, almost 41 pounds; Joe's Pink Oxheart at almost 36 lbs. and Canadian Heart at just over 31 lbs.
A Big Beef plant gave 91 tomatoes but other growers say this was not a real BB with the average size only 3 ounces. So it was a large salad sized and I don't count or weigh cherries or salads. Heatherington Pink grew 79 fruits, Joe's Pink Oxheart 60 and G's Yellow Belgian (aka No Name Belgian) 47 tomatoes on a single plant.
The largest single tomato winnow was Homer's German at 27.1 ounces harvested on the last day before frost. There were many large tomatoes on the vines late in the year which for me is unusual. Next largest was a Canadian Heart at 26.8 oz. and Rebel Yell at 23.9 ounces.
As for average size tomatoes, Rebel Yell came in at 14.8 oz. average, Canadian Heart, 12.3 and Homer's German, 11.7 ounces. Maybe you can tell I like large tomatoes rather than small and hearts.
The most important metric for me is flavor. This was the most outstanding year for me ever so far as flavor is concerned. Of the 18 varieties grown (not counting the four cherries and salads for my wife) sixteen varieties were in the 5/5 category. Not making the 5/5 rating was the Big Beef at 3/5, (I am told to get the real not fake news BB next year) and Homer's German goes to 4/5 only because the last several tomatoes of the year were 4/5. The early HG was a 5/5.
The varieties rated exceptional by the judges, me and my wife, were Willow's Bulgarian (aka Unknown Bulgarian from the USDA purchased many years ago and renamed by me for my granddaughter for growing in my garden only), G's Yellow Belgian (similar story ), Heatherington Pink, Joe's Pink Oxheart, Marianna's Peace (smooth skinned) and Canadian Heart.
Too many reds, pinks and hearts this year. More blacks and bi-colors next. Peppers did better than ever now that I have been planting early and mid season sweet peppers so maybe next year I will do my completely anal counting and measuring like I have for the past 20 years on tomatoes. At least I don't weigh and measure the green beans. By the way, pumpkins are a success: two orange beauties on several hills...that is a first.