SHOP PRODUCTS
Houzz Logo Print
anthony_toronto

To simplify or not to simplify...

anthony_toronto
15 years ago

Really need to reduce plants from 40 to 30 this year, spacing just did not work last year (actually nothing worked last year). Have averaged about 20 varieties each year for last 3 years, usually eliminating 10 and adding 10 new ones the following year. Well, have had so many disappointments, 2008 summer in particular, that I think I want to reduce to 10 varieties, 3 plants each for this year. I am thinking of the following 10, with others that I have grown (and for which I have seeds) listed below that. I know there are a lot of similar varieties on my keeper list, hope it does not end up boring me. Cherry and currant plants were just out of control last year so have taken all off of the list (might have to throw in 1 black cherry though...I think I would miss it too much). Anyway, here is the tenative list and the runners up. I have noted my experiences with each variety which explains why they have been kept/eliminated...only noted if I had the same experience for multiple plants and/or multiple years. I suspect that some varieties simply don't do well with my weather/watering techniques/care techniques/the particular sun exposure of my yard. Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated.

**********

KEEPERS

**********

Black Krim (smoky purply fruit flavour, I cant be without it)

"Brown Krim" (unknown egg sized/shaped brown skinned purple fleshed goodie that was a stray seed in a packet of black krims, hence the name)

"Red Krim" (unknown round blemish-free non-splitting tennis ball sized early and late producing pinkish red super sweet tomato, that was also a stray seed in that same packet of black krims)

Cherokee Purple (wow 2008 was truly horrible...except for CP plants. One plant had more fruits than several plants have had in total over the last several years. Perfect shape, excellent rich sweet complex flavour)

Paul Robeson (still think it tasted weird, but trying it one more time)

Indian Striped (these ones got pretty smashed up by hail last year, only had a few fruits, jury out on whether it compares with CP)

Brandywine Sudduth's (I agree with those that rank this near the top...and with those that complain about productivity)

Green Giant (pretty fruit, great texture and flavour, but ripen in a sneaky fashion and have a short eating window before they get a bit too soft in my experience)

Cherokee Green (well I really think I had mixed up seeds last year given uncanny similarities to appearance and flavour of emerald evergreen...so will order from another supplier this year)

Dr. Wyches Yellow (only back because I really like a yellow tomato every now and then).

**********

AND THE LOSERS (SOME MORE LOSERISH THAN OTHERS)

**********

Black Cherry (might have to move it up a notch)

Marianna's Peace (very good, but one dimensional flavour, inconsistent producer)

Cherokee Chocolate (did not seem to do as well as CP for me...odd)

Black From Tula (very good but softish tomatoes that mostly rotted on the vine)

SunSugar (delicious but a pain to manage)

Peacevine Cherry (also good...but cherries be damned this year)

Emerald Evergreen (good but want something better)

Homer Fike's Yellow Oxheart (big, pretty, but oxhearts just dont seem to fully mature in my garden)

Purple Russian (really like the flavour, but BER BER BER)

Green Zebra (love it, but BER BER BER)

Wapsipinicon peach (like it a lot, but BER BER BER)

Stump of the World (looked nice, but just not as flavourful as my keepers)

Aunt Gertie's Gold (just did not taste good to me)

Aunt Ginny's Purple (same as above...weird unpleasant flavours)

Big Zac (big, lots of them, mediocre at best)

Carbon (ok but inferior to others)

Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red (bland, slow to ripen, store-bought texture)

Earl's Faux (like stump, this one just did not do it for me)

Kellogs Breakfast (3 plants this year...one was a stray seed from something else that was awful...2 were yellow beefsteaks but did not look nice, did not grow large, were stringy like the inside of a pumpkin, and did not have much flavour)

Sunset's Red Horizon (mine were oxhearts...none matured fully)

**********

Several others did not even make it to the 'losers' list...like the horrid, good-for-nothing yellow pear. Anyway, if anyone thinks I really need to give some of the losers another try, or has any suggestions for varieties that would fit well with my keepers, I would love to hear it.

Comments (2)