Advice? Geez. Buy more seeds?

Brandywine is delicious, but you may only get one or two fruit, and that's at the end of the season.
Jet Star is good, but known as a low acid tomato, so "strong tomato taste" is out.
Rutgers is popular, so it is the closest to fitting your bill.
The other two are hybrids I haven't grown, so I can't really comment, but big box hybrids are rarely known as great tomatoes, so I would be interested to hear if someone thinks they have great tomato taste.

Seriously, are you open to buying different seeds?

Carla in Sac

Thanks Carla! Yes, I can definitely buy different seeds. Which would you recommend for my situation? Thanks again,
Caroline

Brandywine
Rutgers
Better Boy
Big Boy
Jet Star

Of those you list I would suggest JEt Star F1 and either Big Boy F1 or Better Boy F1.

Brandywine might well have production problems where you live and Rutgers isn't that different from Stupice in being an all purpose small red.

I could also suggest other varieties that would expand the color range you now have as well as varieties with stronger tastes, as Carla has suggested doing, but I won't only b'c if many of us start doing that there's no way that there will be consensus and that would then cause problems for you in terms of buying new seed.

So I'll just stick to the varieties you listed.

Carolyn

Also, Greensboro has an outstanding Farmer's Market. Why don't you take some time to visit with the excellent growers there and ask their opinions on good varieties for your area. They will be selling the starts shortly.

i would go with the brandywine / i had excellent results last summer / there deff worth the wait

I'd go with Brandywine and Jet Star. Gotta have at least one Beefsteak variety! Jet Star isn't bad. Tomatoes are on the smallish side, but fairly productive. Taste is nothing remarkable, but aside from Brandywine, nothing on your list really is. There's nothing wrong with any of those varieties, but if you have a chance to pick up another pack or two to choose from, you can probably do a little better. If buying from a popular seed rack locally like Burpee or FM(and I'm assuming you do from the choices you already have), there are several others I would look for. Here's a few I would gladly take over what you listed(with the exception of Brandywine):

Brandyboy
Big Beef
Supersteak
Mortgage Lifter
Buck's County
Celebrity
Cherokee Purple
Roma VF

Again, what you have is fine but I think there are some better tomatoes with regards to taste. But taste is subjective, so....

foose4string

The Brandywine on the list could be replaced with BrandyBoy if Star_stuff is nervous about Brandywine production.

Whatever s/he does, it's getting a bit late to start seeds for zone 7, and I don't think late-season tomatoes are going to produce enough before hot weather sets in. So attention needs to be paid to the DTM -- maybe short ones would be better, or purchased plants this year so they can go out in three or so weeks.

I'm waiting for the soil to warm up about ten more degrees in this area to set out plants that were started in mid-February. It shouldn't take long unless we have another "cold spell". Most of the plants are between 8 and 12 inches tall right now, though I have some surprises that germinated later and may or may not be ready by then.

Agreed, Brandyboy could take place of Brandywine. I wouldn't grow both if space/variety is limited. It's maturity is quite a bit faster than Brandywine too, from my experience. I don't think it's too late to start seed at all. Not ideal(and they'd be smallish plants), but as long as they are in the ground by early-mid May, then they should be fine.

Caroline,

What part of G'boro are you in. I'll be bringing my dad
some plants in a month for his garden, and I could always
bring a couple more that I know would do well in pots in
our area.

Lee

Maybe 2 Rutgers or 2 Better Boy. =)

Thanks so much for all of your kind responses! Brandyboy sounds wonderful, and more productive than Brandywine. Does anyone know of a good source for Brandyboy seed?

Carolyn, I agree that I should expand my color range. I have heard many good things about Black Krim. Another black, Black from Tula, is listed in Seed Savers Exchange as Âgood yields of 3-4 inch fruits on 3-4 foot plants and Ârich full flavor. I like the idea of having a few smaller plants, since I will be growing two massive cherry plants. I am wondering if Black Krim is a similarly smaller plant. Can anyone please share your experiences with Black Krim, Black from Tula, etc.?

A few of the many other varieties that I am interested in are: Mortgage Lifter, Matina, Box Car Willie, Arkansas Traveler, and Neves Azorean Red. Wish I had more space!...maybe some day. How are the above varieties with regard to taste and production? (I would prefer all indeterminates, again with full flavor and heavy yields.)

At this point, is my best bet to look for seeds/starts at a local nursery (versus big box store), rather than ordering from a seed catalog? Lee, I live in the Jamestown area, Southwest Greensboro / North High Point. Does anyone in the Greensboro area know of a nursery with good selection and harder-to-find tomato varieties?

And yes Nandina, the FarmerÂs Marked it outstanding, and huge! I am fortunate to live only about six miles away, and visit often. Last summer, I recall lots and lots of tomato plants, but not much variety (but this was after spring). I did pick up a Patio Totem at the FarmerÂs Market. I will keep my eye out for starts. Anyone else that lives in the Piedmont Triad that has not been to the FarmerÂs Market, must go! I will miss it dearly if I ever move.

Also wanted to mention that I do have a stack of seed catalogs ~ Totally Tomatoes, Tomato Growers, Seed Savers, Sandhill, Territorial, Pinetree, etc, etc. But my concern is delivery time. Last year I waited weeks for my Pinetree order, which I placed in September when I figured it wouldnÂt be so busyÂ

Sorry for SO MANY questions, I love to learn about tomatoes! I just hate being limited to six! Thanks again in advance for your help!
:-)

New Garden Nursery near Guilford College is the only
nursery I can think of that may have starts that the box
stores won't. If you're interested in what I'll have later,
send me an email via the my page link.

Lee

Thanks so much Lee, that sounds great! I will definitely keep in touch, and will try to get over to New Garden Nursery.
Caroline

Plant Jet Star in at least one pot, u shouldn't be sorry. Tula was a very unusal tomatoe for me. Never really did like the shape and didn't like the taste all that much either.
Black Krim is a new start this year and I'm looking forward to see how it grows. Sprouts are doing well!