Help me narrow down my varieties

15 years ago

I've managed to narrow down my choices to 10 varieties, but that's still a bit much for the space I have. Last year I grew 23 plants, but a few would have done better if less crowded, so I'd like to grow 16-18 this year. Actually I decided on 14 last summer, but there's just too many varieties I want to try.

Hopefully growers with experience in my climate zone could make a few suggestions? I'm open to trying tomatoes not on my list, with a few caveats; the varieties must do well in soil with poor drainage and in a zone 5 climate. The drainage problem results from a clay soil that will take a few more years to fully improve. It doesn't help that in my area of Michigan early August tends to be dry, and late August tends towards monsoon season. I've had the worst cracking with purple/black tomatoes, and based on reports from other growers this trait seems common to many purple/black varieties, so I'll stay away from those unless convinced otherwise (although I found the few Cherokee Purple's I got last summer delicious).

Fixed varieties:

5 Brandywine (Sudduth's) - pink beefsteak, very late season

2 Stupice - red, very early season

7 confirmed.

New varieties (9-11 plants total)

Brandywine OTV - pink beefsteak, very late season

Kosovo - pink oxheart, mid-season

Rostova - red beefsteak, late season

Aunt Ginny's Purple - pink beefsteak, mid-season

Stump of The World - pink beefsteak, late season

Neves Azorean Red - red beefsteak, late season

Marianna's Peace - pink beefsteak, late season

Soldacki - pink beefsteak, early/mid-season

I'd like to grow at least 2 plants of any new variety, but I also want at least a few heavy producers for sauces and canning. Thus my dilema.

I'm not sure about Rostova, since I haven't found any suppliers that actually seem to carry the true Rostova. TGS has it listed as a pink oxheart? Same goes for Stump of The World; Tatian's database lists it as regular leaf, but all I've seen is suppliers listing it as a potato leaved variety.

Thanks for any suggestions. If you could, please note your growing region. "I get plenty of variety X in June" doesn't mean much to this Michigander if you're from Texas. :)

Finally, I'm planning to order via phone from Tomato Growers Supply, since there's been a few reports of delayed online orders because they've got to "enter them into the computer." Yes, it's a bit late but I plant the last frost, which is sometime in May. It works for me - last year was an awful growing season, but even after planting on June 3rd, I still got lots of Brandywines, and that was after starting the seeds really late (May 1st). So if I get my seeds started in the next week or so I'll be well ahead of last year.

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Comments (5)

cleo88
15 years ago
Hi,
re: your new varieties list - I believe Brandywine OTV is not very late season - Carolyn's book lists it as late midseason, and I bought it from Southern Exposure which lists its DTM as 72 days. Tomatofest has the same DTM. (I have not grown this yet, so no personal experience.)

Stump Of The World, on the other hand, Tomatofest lists that as DTM 105 days! I would be concerned in your Zone that you might never see one.

People seem to have mixed reviews about Stupice - the early that seems to have the most votes here is Sophie's Choice, which is also Dr. Carolyn Male's favorite early in her book. I haven't read anything negative about it. It's determinate and very short - don't know if that is appealing to you.

The one that I am anticipating will be most satisfying in my Zone 6 garden is Anna Russian - 70 DTM and said to be very tasty. It's also a pink oxheart, so I don't know how it would stack up against Kosovo.

Marianna's Peace also has very positive reviews here, which convinced me to try it this year.

From what I've read, I would definitely keep these on your new list for this year:

Brandywine OTV
Aunt Ginny's Purple
NAR
Marianna's Peace

I haven't heard anything about the others.

Good luck! (Isn't it hard to narrow it down?)
dirt_poet
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks!

I've read similar reports on Stump' being very late, although some reports indicate it's a bit earlier than Brandywine, so maybe it's particularly weather-sensitive. Probably a good one to try some other season.

Being indeterminate, Stupice was a real workhorse for me last year, switching over to canning duty after the main season 'maters kicked in. But I can definitely find space for a couple determinate plants, so I'm game for trying Sophie's Choice.

I didn't know that about Brandywine OTV being midseason - TGS lists both OTV and Sudduth's as being "85 days". lol, they are a bit optimistic on DTM - maybe since they're from Florida. It would be interesting to hear more reports on it's flavor, since I've found some reviews finding no difference from Brandywine (Sudduth), and others saying it falls short. Maybe it would be better to skip OTV to get more variety? Brandywine (Sudduth) is my favorite so far (favorite, as in "SWEET JESUS I didn't know tomatoes were this good, maybe there is a God after all!), but I haven't tried many heirlooms...
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rwk_nova
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"New varieties (9-11 plants total)
Brandywine OTV - pink beefsteak, very late season"

Just an FYI but the Brandywine OTV I grew (seeds from TGS) was a Red Beefsteak with Yellowish shoulders. Nevertheless It was an excellent tomato and seemed to do better in heat than
Brandywine Sudduth Strain (also excellent.
remy_gw
15 years ago
Stump is not late. It is around 80 days here(It is listed at Tomato Grower's Supply as 80.)and very productive. It is potato leaf and produces small deep pink juicy beefsteaks. It is my favorite.
Remy
dirt_poet
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks everyone, here's my "improved" list for tonight:

Brandywine (Sudduth)
Stump of The World
Neves Azorean Red
Soldacki
Aunt Ginny's Purple
Rose
Kosovo
Stupice

With 4 Brandywines and 2 of each of the others, that puts me at 18, my absolute upper limit. These also achieve a nice spread in maturity times (at least by DTM, I know, not very reliable). I can cheat and squeeze in a couple cherry 'maters outside my tomato garden - probably Jaune Flamme.

If I don't stop looking at tomatoes now I'll be revising the list all night long...so I'm setting a deadline of 12 noon tomorrow for ordering. That gives me all morning tomorrow to perseverate over all the varieties that may do better in my garden than my current choices.

Help me narrow down my varieties

Comments (5)

cleo88

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Help me narrow down my varieties

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