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applestar
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Re: Applestar's 2017 Tomatoes (and peppers and eggplants)

Dwarf Blazing Beauty - Tatiana's TOMATOBase
https://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Dwarf_Blazing_Beauty

Vigorous potato leaf indeterminate dwarf plants. The fruit are medium size, oblate and a deep orange in and out. 3-8 oz. Delicious flavor with plenty of sweetness and an acidic bite. (15 seeds / packet)
I've heard good things about Dwarf Sweet Sue -- that one is on my wishlist. Maybe Summer Sunrise, too.... and Dwarf Orange Cream was very productive for me and I liked it -- I think Dwarf Blazing Beauty tasted just a tad better/stronger and would pick DBB over DOC if I had to choose one or the other? DOC was earlier though. Go with both if you can. :wink:

Two others I've heard good things and am trying to like ...with difficulty because they have not grown well for me so far... are Dwarf Wherokowahi and Dwarf Brandy Fred. So so can't recommend them but let me know how they do for you in the SIP if you try them.

Remember that genetic dwarfs typically are slower to get growing as seedlings and should be started a week or two earlier than the main tomato seed starts. I start them as soon as I finish getting the peppers started.

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applestar
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Subject: Applestar's 2017 Tomatoes (and peppers and eggplants)
SQWIB wrote:Impressive and since you look like you've grown every tomato known lol. I have a question, what would you recommend to replace a Cherokee purple with, I love the tomato but it splits way before it even starts to ripen, they're way to finicky for me, any ideas on a good replacement. Its a shame because I absolutely love the tomato.

I'm hoping to find a decent slicing tomato, it don't have to be a beefsteak but something decent for slicing.
For next year I plan on Brandywine Reds, Celebrity, Box Car Willie, Sprite, and Matts Wild cherry.

Here are a few that I am interested in.
Pierce's Pride'
Dawson's Black Zebra
Maui Purple
I remember Prudens Purple as being productive but not as productive as Royal Hillbilly.

SQWIB, I gave up on Cherokee Purple as well. These two are good purple alternatives to Cherokee Purple.

Another one I could recommend -- pink though -- is Soldacki. Terhune and Wes are our family faves. Terhune is not very productive though. And Lucky Cross is a gorgeous bicolor with great flavor and production.

These are all indeterminate and have vigorous growth habits.

I have heard that if you are going to grow a red one, Brandywine OTV is superior. I have one fruit ready to taste, but gave away the other two fruits to my Mom. That was all my one plant produced, but it was planted very late as a neglected, stunted seedling.

I haven't tried those last three you mentioned. I'm going to try Big Cheef (correct spelling) next year.

Zebra series typically are later maturing than the Cherokee series. Oh yeah, I liked Cherokee Green. I've heard Cherokee Lime is better. They didn't have the splitting issues, but the Lime wasn't planted in a good place or something and didn't grow well that year. I need to try that one again.

pepperhead212
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When I grew Prudens purple, it was more of a dark pink, for me. This was back when I first saw it in catalogs - in the 90s sometime - before we were really seeing black/purple tomatoes, as a rule. Has it changed, and gotten darker?

I loved green zebras, back when I grew them. As you said, they're a bit late, and the other zebras, which I tried, since I liked the greens so much, didn't do nearly as well, and the reds were aphid magnets! I stopped the greens mainly due to splitting.

Good to know about the dwarfs needing more time as seedlings.

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applestar
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I have an interesting unknown/un-ID’d late volunteer — cherry tomato:

Image

They fruit clusters look multifloral or maybe not quite but segregating into one, the shape is a complete surprise, and it appears to be ripening to a “brown” color.

I tried eating the first ripest one this morning, and it is firm-ish, not crunchy really, sweet front end with I guess fruity overtones — not the TOMATO flavor — what you might call mild without the tangy-ness, and little to no lingering acid, maybe a bit of a tangy sensation finally coming through after mouth is empty except the somewhat thick skin, still retaining that sweet initial flavor.

If anyone recognizes this variety or the description reminds you of one even if not completely the same, please let me know.

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applestar
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Started digging up the pepper plants to be overwintered. Got the Brazilian starfish, Aji Pineapple, Jalapeño, Numex Lemon Spice, Jalamundo, and .. I think .. Giant Marconi out of the SFHX bed. Popped in doubled grocery bags and clustered on the patio for now.



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