I'm curious if one of the reasons a tomatoe's skin gets tough is due to a harsh sunlight as opposed to being a characteristic of a tomato variety? In other words, does it help protect the skin and keep it from thickening up some to use shade cloth when the sun gets intense?

I planted a Juliet as well but they aren't ripe yet. Will report back after I've tasted a few. On the positive side, with a Juliet you'll never starve to death...hehehe.

Since I live in FL, I plant all my tomatoes on the east side of the house where they get afternoon shade. That being said, I may need to move it further back so it gets more shade.

My plant really hasn't been very vigorous. It's in a 5 gallon pot, and to be honest, I'm thinking of trimming it to be it to be bushier. My neighbor's, on the other hand, is taking over her entire garden! LOL Funny, because hers is in the ground. I bought the plants, got two in a pot at Wally World, so we planted at the same time.

I loved my Juliet last year, so much that I'm growing one again this year instead of putting in another new variety I wanted to try. The skins are thicker than most, but they don't crack, so that's a bonus. My other plant last year, a Jet Star, was killed by septoria in no time, but the Juliet right next to it brushed off the septoria and produced like mad. Made me a believer! Tasty little tomatoes, lots of them, and disease- and crack-resistent to boot. Definitely a favorite of mine.

They are excellent for batting practice for my son and his friends. Extremely productive giant grape sized that curve all sorts of ways when thrown. A real challenge to hit. Tough skins that never crack are a huge plus. I have found a few hundred other tomato varieties I'd rather eat but for batting practice Juliet can't be beat IMO...;-)

I think I'll probably keep Juliet in my arsenal for some time, but next year I won't be so foolish as to plant it anywhere near my veggie bed because it has just overwhelmed everything else. Mine is five feet tall and 3' wide so far, full of ripening green tomatoes and doesn't seem to have any plans to slow down. I call her my 'wild child'.

I think if you know someone just starting out with a veggie garden this might be a good suggestion for a first cherry tomato plant because there is just no way to kill it!
As a newbie, it's always nice to have at least one success under your belt. Can't wait to taste them!

I grew Juliet last year and it was probably the most vigorous tomato I have ever grown. dragonfly_wings is absolutely right about its size and the need to properly contain it. We harvested fruits for almost 4 solid months almost daily from one plant. It certainly is not the sweetest small size tomato you will find but the taste is good especially when the weather gets hot. It never cracks and I did use some of them in sauce. Toward the end of the season, they are about the same size as my smaller sized romas.

I love Juliet for the productivity and blemish free fruit. Broiled Juliet tomatoes are delicious. This variety is a must have in my garden every year.

Thanks for the review bigdaddyj. Now know which one to grow for
batting practice.

Well if you want to practice softball and at the same time enjoy a "Tomato Juice Shower" try a "Delicious"

Gary

I have couple of juliets, for the first time this year. They are growing fast
and have lots of fruits and flowers. I also have jet star, plus some grape-shaped from store bought. NO CHERRIES.
It wont be too long before I'll be the judge and announce the winner.

Delicious is anything but IMO! ;-)

Im in florida and Juliet is the only one that keeps producing during hot summer time. the number of tomatoes on the plant is amazing! it's so much joy to see many clusters with 7-9 tomatoes. Hard skin I am getting from all tomatoes I planted: big beef, patio, better bush. So I blame it on our hot weather.

I have grown Juliet for a few years, even before I had a regular veggie garden. Ihey are prolific and I think they are quite tasty. I've tried many different types of stakes and last year in the veggie garden I pruned to one stem, but somehow another one got going. They grew up a nylon trellis and didn't stop at the 8' top. My Brandywine didn't produce more than a couple tomatoes.
Keski

I have grown them - prolific but not very wonderful tasting. The last time I had a Juliet plant I gave almost all the fruits to my neighbor who thought they were great. In the space that plant occupied I would have been happier with another Cherokee Purple.

I have four Juliet growing in a raised bed. I let them sprawl while I was working on other things. Yesterday I built them a trellis. The leaves have been on the ground through rain and waterings since late February. There is no yellowing, spotting or discoloration of any kind. Nothing but green healthy growth. Johnny's says these are the most disease resistant variety they sell based on their Trials and for good reason. This would be a great variety for a new gardener. I can't wait to roast some on the grill.

The thick skin on Juliette makes them rot-proof. I have found Juliettes that broke off the vine and fell on the ground and laid there for days and not a bit of rot. Also, the thick skin protects them from sun scald. They are also very easy to pick as the break off cleanly and easily, unlike some tomatoes that get a hole ripped in them at the point of entry of the stem.
I use mine to make sun dried tomatoes with. The thick skin makes them hold together better when slicing them in half.

If all I could get in the winter were (fresh-picked) Juliet's, I'd be thrilled. But off-hand I can think of about ninety-nine tastier varieties for summer use.

They are OK for drying; amazingly hardy; and prolific (as has been stated).

But off-hand I can think of about ninety-nine tastier varieties for summer use.

Amen to that but it is more like 999 tastier varieties. They are just a hybridized-tough-for-shipping to market red thing. I honestly have to wonder what those that find them "tasty" are comparing them to? Red rubber balls?

Dave

they are great for sauces salsa and salads and do great in our az heat which is a rarity and they freeze well for future use i got fresh decent tasting tomatoes well into december last year until it froze in new years eve. there might be 999 better tasting tomatoes but if you live in phoenix you'd be hard pressed to find one that'll handle our heat better and the hotter it gets the tastier they get.....

dirtygardener,

If someone told you Juliet was a grape variety, I say ha! It's much bigger, as you say---more like what they might call a "saladette." I've found the skins tough and the taste so-so, like you.

I can see the advantages to tough skins---shippability for market gardeners, rot avoidance for a farmer who lets plants sprawl in a really rainy area, batting practice, and (maybe the key for garden seed vendors) very pretty photos---but for me, it's not worth the space in the garden.

Z

From all I have read Juliet is bland grown in cooler parts of the country and better in hotter parts. None of mine are ripe yet so I can't really comment on the taste. I'm not growing them to eat them raw anyway. I have other tomatoes for that.

In the Arizona Forum I have read many reviews of other paste/Roma type tomatoes failing to produce much of a crop here. On the other hand Juliet will produce all summer till frost.

At Cornell's Site the reviewers say they are amazing roasted for sauces and or pealed after being roasted or boiled and eaten whole. They also say they are a great for making salsa. Others say you can blanch and freeze them or roast or boil them and then freeze them for later use and they are almost as good as fresh. Very hard to tell the difference. Reviewers also say they make good tomato paste. I will be roasting enough for gallon sized freezer bags and pealing them and popping them in the freezer for later use. I will be making and canning my own salsa and sauces and paste. Thats what this tomato is for.

Why would I eat this tomato raw when they are bland when it has so many better uses?

How are they with BER? I have trouble with BER in my other sauce making varieties, if this is better than the standard paste types for this problem, then it might be my huckleberry!

Susan

Susan I knew I forgot another plus. In the 14 reviews I read no one had any BER. Some said all their other tomatoes had some BER but not Juliet. I can also reports that I have not seen any signs of BER with Juliet.

I hope you're not growing too many of them :-) Juliet grows up to 12 feet on trellis. Though they're not any bigger than other varieties I grow such as Sungold, Brandywine, they do need space. Juliet fruits are among the sweetest tomato of its class (many grapes tomato are sweeter yet much smaller) at its prime for fresh eating. In the SF East Bay, that'd be June to October. In my garden, they've been 100% pest free and 100% disease free.

Because they were developed for fresh eating, their fruits are the most perfect tomato I've grown, no crack, no blemish, rain or shine. Juliet fruits keep well and can be stored easily 3-4 weeks in room temperature, maintaining almost the same freshness and sweetness. That for me is a good compliment to Brandywine type of thin skinned fruits for fresh eating. In my openion, Juliet is not the best paste tomato, and is only second in sweetness. But they're easy to harvest (much larger than grape/cherry toms), they transport well, and they keep well. I give away Juliet tomato to coworkers and neighbors, so these qualities are important. It all depends on your needs and preference.

But wouldn't it be great if you can taste these tomato before planting them? :-)

I grew some juliets last year; First, I dont consider it Grape. They are egg shaped and size. The plant is vigorous and productive. But all in all IMO, nothing special about it, as far as test and flavor is concerned.

Picking up two transplants this weekend, these sound perfect for smoking in the Lang, either to make sauce or seasoned well and used to make an olive infusion with other herbs.

I just came accross an online post somewhere stating that Juliet is a hybrid! I was shocked because I received these in a heirloom/OP swap. I agree the taste isnt wonderful but lets put that aside for one second - is this a true F1 hybrid or a stabilized hybrid? Of course I have already saved seeds and fortunately havent given any away yet.

Question:
Is Juliet hybridized from Roma ? The reason I am asking is b/c Bonnie calls it Juliet Roma ....

I am growing a variety (from a store bought) that is more like Roma/ San Marzano. For store bought, it was so tasty that I decided to take a chance on it and grow.

Seysonn

No, not directly at least. It is simply the shape which is being called "Roma", Bonnie is sloppy about that when it comes to marketing. Juliet was released from the Known-You Seed company in Taiwan, from the same program they used for the one they released a few years earlier, Santa. Juliet which I'm now growing yet to fruit, is said to be more acidic than Santa, which I grew and was sweet, but also somewhat acidic though both are excellent to resist mold. These are big plants though.

Both Juliet and Santa have tough pericarps which prevents splitting under Florida conditions and lets them take a lot of abuse and still look pretty.

Juliet, like Santa can be saved fine and get similar grape/plum tomatoes though size can vary which the hybrid controls better. That variation isn't a big deal to me, I kind of like it.

PC

Juliet is a hybrid. I grew it years ago and considered it a spitter! However, I had some Juliet volunteers in my garden the following year, and those were not grape-shaped, but round - and far more palatable!

Linda

I purchased a Juliet tomato plant a week ago from my local nursery. The tag says it is a heirloom, confused.....

Thanks, PC and Linda , for your comment in response to my questions. I shall see how my store bough will turn out.

BTW: I have grown Juliet 5 years ago. All I can remember is that it was prolific.

Seysonn

I was given a Juliet plant last year. I had it in a 5 gallon(approx)pot and it was prolific. Although I didn't consider the flavor fabulous for fresh eating, it was very good roasted. The roasting made them sweeter and richer and I used them on baguettes and made sauce for pasta and pizza. A lot of my main tomatoes had stinkbug damage and the Juliet, about 6' away, was not affected, and did not have any BER that I recall.

When I was growing it 5 years ago, a friend of mine loved it and he ignored my other cherry varieties. So taste can be subjective. Some of us don't like sweet tomatoes and prefer tomatoey taste. Another thing is that we don't just eat tomatoes fresh and plain. Cooking, grilling, saucing with spices can help.

Seysonn

Juliets (F1 hybrid) are a staple in my garden. They are my wife's favorite to can, because she likes to can whole tomatoes, and they skin easily, and pop right into the jar without cutting. They dehydrate and roast wonderfully. For a fresh Pico de Gallo salsa they are the best, due to their almost crispy texture. And they are bullet proof plants, withstanding the usual fungal diseases that hammer my other tomatoes by summer's end. Plus, they are very productive. When I have the time to get back to experimenting with grafting, I plan to use Juliet plants for my root stock.
FarmerShawn

Thanks Shawn.
Good to know that they are also disease resistance.
If I had space, I would've grown one but I have toooo many already. I saw the other day HD selling Bonnie Juliet plants. I was tempted to get one. Plus I am growing a similar thing ( I call it mini Roma) from store bought fruits. Most probably it is Juliet.

Seysonn

I use Juliet for canning whole tomatoes - thanks to their thick skin, they stay whole and don't go mushy in jars. Long-lasting, disease-resistant plants and very productive too.

Thanks for all the comments here. I bought a Juliet on spec for one of the school garden raised beds, and from what I've read it might be better off in a BIG pot. We're planting this week (Zone 4/5) and getting our ducks in a row, so to speak, with the plants & where to put them.

I wanted to grow one Juliet but I could not find seed on the racks and Bonnie did not sell it early enough. By the time I saw it at HD I had no more garden space.

I wanted to grow juliet more for canning whole rather than making sauce from various varieties.

Sey

Juliet tomatoes are great to freeze. I just used my last batch and I will tell you that it is a wonderful feeling to take a few from the freezer, in the dead of winter, to make a delicious sauce or add to soup or whathaveyou. I think a lot of gardeners try to grow Juliet in a container which doesn't work since the plant is huge and does not stop growing and producing-for me-until the first frost. The tomatoes do not need to be pre-frozen on a cookie sheet before bagging since they do not freeze together in a clump like other tomatoes that need to be cut before freezing and they do not need to have their skins removed before freezing... a few minutes in room temperature water loosens the skin.... Great tomato to grow....

I see my comment from last year above and was my first year growing Juliet, now I will always grow it and looking forward to the harvest this season. Maybe not the most flavorful tomato but certainly not bad, tastes better then store bought, in fact MUCH better.

planted them 2 years ago they were ok but didn't hold up into fall got bitter..cherry stayed same all season.

I know this is an old conversation, but can anybody tell me how your Juliet tomatoes hold up in the heat. I am in North Texas and of course, the plant has slowed down. I am keeping it watered hoping I don't kill it and it will start to produce again when the weather cools down.

I would also like to add, that this is a great plant for new gardeners. It is my 2nd year growing vegetables and I didn't do to well with everything I planted last year. The squirrels didn't help either. I randomly grabbed 2 Juliet tomato plants this year and I am so proud of myself this year. It was the boost I needed to show me I could grow vegetables. My coworkers were also very happy with the fruits of my labor. I am not a huge tomato fan and brought tomatoes in to share. I did try some for myself though. I have roasted them and I use them when I make bruschetta .

I'm in OK and mine have always done quite well in our crazy heat/weather.

Mine do pretty well in the heat, but we don't have much humidity here, so that might help. They're ok for fresh eating, but great cooked. Slice them in half and throw them in the oven with some olive oil and herbs or whatever and blend it up, makes a nice sauce.

My Juliets have done well in the Nevada desert heat. Last year we grew them, and will do so in the future. We preferred them to others, like the Black Prince, which we found bland and became mushy easily. We found the skin on Sun Gold to be thick, and not particularly tasty. I think weather has a lot to do with results.