My Territorial Seed catalog has sections on 'ultra-early','extra-early', and 'early' tomatoes. They are based in Oregon. I haven't tried any of these tomatoes, because I can't seem to get into the tomato mindset early enough.

As for as finding early tomatoes that like hot summers, I bet you'll have to plan to plant several varieties in case your early cool loving ones expire when it gets really hot.

My Southern Exposure Seed Exchange catalog has some tomatos, like Homestead 24, they say were developed for hot, humid areas. I like Southern Exposure because they are located in Virginia and are more attuned to southern climates than most, plus they have a lot of neat heirloom varieties.

Lilium is absolutely correct. You need to find tomatoes which are day-neutral to provide quickly. I find, however that the tomatoes I've tried (like Oregon Spring) flake out when it gets hot. However, they do better on the other end of the season. I get them started in July and plant in August and by September I am harvesting.
Stupice does well in spring here, however, I have not found them exceptionally early - they are short season and not day neutral...meaning that for say, upstate New York, who gets plenty of light but not heat, they do well and produce early. For us, I have found it's only a matter of days, maybe a week earlier. So for market that could be important but for home use, not so much (unless you just CAN'T WAIT), lol. Brandywine produce early for me every year, always the first large tomato as they set fruit in the cooler weather. They don't however, set fruit in hot weather....so they don't produce well in heat after first flowering. The lessons I've learned are to mix it up a bit.
I did try some Southern Hybrids last year, Floridade and more...not so much on the taste. Clearly bred for southern producers of grocery and not so much good, fresh taste.

I think you are on the right track. My Dad was a big 'First Tomato' kinda guy. He used early varieties, black plastic to warm the ground and some little cage like contraptions about 18" high that he lined with asphalt roofing shingles to absorb heat. He had fun and loved to brag when he was was successful with it. However I find myself in Virgil Adams camp , who said, "The challenge in Georgia isn't to grow the first tomato, it's to grow the last".

GGG said: You need to find tomatoes which are day-neutral to provide quickly.

I thought all tomatoes were day neutral ?

I certainly do not think tomatoes are day neutral. If they were, I'd be able to have large fruiting tomatoes now, without any extra light requirements in a warmed greenhouse.
I have never experienced that.

GGG

Well I'm confused, first you advised mayland to seek out day neutral plants-

You need to find tomatoes which are day-neutral to provide quickly.

Then in response to me you said-

I certainly do not think tomatoes are day neutral.

What gives?

Thanks everyone! Lillium, I will look at those seed catalogs. So far I've been looking on TomatoGrowers and TomatoFest, but neither is very specific for the South.

Sounds like I will need to try a few different varities then and expect the earlier ones to stop producing in summer, that makes sense.

GGG, thanks for the feedback on Stupice -- I did have Brandywine last year but I dont think I got anything ripe before mid-July from them. I had wintersown those seeds and my plants were not very big when I planted out in mid-April, so that might have made them later. How early have you had them produce?

Lrvjim, thanks for the ideas -- I will definitely cover the soil to warm it. I'll also try to start seeds earlier under cover and see if I can get bigger plants to start with.

I'd love to have both early and late tomatoes, so I should also look into late varieties!

Thanks everyone, I'll post how I get on in spring.

Sorry, I meant I certainly DO not think ALL tomatoes are day neutral - excuse me (brainlexia!!).

I get my brandywines by late June, usually - they are greenhouse starts so they produce a bit earlier, not a whole lot. I've been surprised we don't get fruit on tomatoes earlier than we do here.

From Tomato Growers Supply: not heirloom - Jetsetter VFFNTA Hybrid #4519 (30 seeds) $3.25
Short season gardeners especially will be happy for this variety that doesn't sacrifice size or flavor for early maturity. Tomatoes are at least 8 ozs. and often larger with really good, rich flavor. Yields are plentiful on vigorous plants that have lots of disease resistance, offering even those in the South a great new early tomato. Indeterminate. 64 days.

I started my tomato seeds (Brandywine Pink, Early Girl, Better Boy, Everlast, and a few more I can't remember) on Jan. 26th last year. I used grow lights & then when temps warmed up a little would move the trays outside in the daytime, then back in at night. (A lot of trouble, yes, but I think it made the plants hardier.) Kept a fan blowing on the seedlings indoors, as well.

I gave away around 60 of the plants; as for the others we planted half of them last week in March; the others the weekend after Good Friday. We did have to cover them several nights & also had to do some "doctoring" as the rains came & nearly drowned some of them out.

First week in June we were eating ripe tomatoes. The Brandywines & Early Girls ripened first. I won't plant Everlast again; every one of them produced knotty little tomatoes.

I started Roma seeds in July; we picked the last Romas about the 1st week in December. The original plants that were put out in March produced up till Thanksgiving. I did trim/prune these plants beginning in July & kept it up on a regular basis.

I have a small cold frame to start limited amount of seeds.
So, I will only start just one or two packs of the following in it: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and basils.
Later on I will just direct sow some more of those.

Your tomato talk is making me sad. I'm going to come and beg some of yours. After the great Squirrel Tomato Heist last year, I think I'm going to skip tomatoes. (Sigh.....)
:)

Bagsmom, I'm trying not to jinx it. I fear after planting fruit trees, we're going to have squirrel haven and I'm gonna be SoRRY!!!

I too am trying to find tomatoes that weather our hot summers and blights. I ran across this info that may help in finding that tomato:

Tomatoes for the South
(from TanagerÂs Song Heirloom Seeds)

ARKANSAS TRAVELER - Indeterminate - 90 days  Pink - Regular Leaf. This is a wonderfully flavored six ounce tomato. It is beautiful and blemish free and just glowed on the vine. Southern Heirloom from the Ozark Mountains known for its ability to produce in hot weather.

EVA PURPLE BALL - Indeterminate - 83 days  Pink. Uniformly round, medium size, pinkish-purple fruit. Very productive, takes heat and humidity well, very sweet. 6-7 oz.

MEXICAN (not Mexico)- Indeterminate - 85 days  Pink  Potato Leaf. It set a huge number of 8 oz. pink tomatoes that did very well in our heat and drought. Origin from Mexico (Seed Packet 10 Seeds)

CREOLE - Indeterminate - 78 days - Red. Great for warm, humid climates. Smooth, medium-large, firm, juicy. From Louisiana.

HOMESTEAD 24 - Determinate - 80 days - Red. Highly adaptable especially in hot conditions. Smooth, dark red, meaty, 8 oz.

MANALUCIE - Indeterminate - 82 days - Red. Perfect for the heat of the south because of its ability to do well despite drought, humidity and all the other problems in the south. Large, deep globes, very smooth, firm, meaty, thick walled.

MARION F - Determinate - 71 days, - Red. Smooth, slightly deep, 6 oz. Good especially for the southeast. VERY RED!

MARMANDE - BEEFSTEAK - Determinate - 67 days -Red. Large, firm, round, lobed, high-ribbed shoulders. Bears well even in cool weather. 8 oz, meaty. Did wonderful in the drought and heat. French Heirloom.

MULE TEAM - Indeterminate - 80-90 days - Red - Regular Leaf. Large plant, with excellent set of 8-12 oz red-orange globes, excellent taste, long season. Tolerates heat well. Great disease resistance.

WAYAHEAD - Determinate- 76 days - Red. Flattened shape, 3.5" x 1.75" , above average yield. Wonderful producer despite the heat and the drought here in the south.

Sungold cherry tomatoes are alway my first to ripen. I have been gardening in Loganville, GA for over 20 years. I usually plant about 14 different varieties and start them all from seed indoors. I change some each year. I plant this one every year and it is always first no matter if I plant the 1st of April or later. I have yet to plant in March but some do. I put them out 6 to 7 weeks from seed.