It sounds like you have been growing from buying plants. This link below I refer to often. You can also just type "favorite" into the search. It should keep you busy for a while. I put everyone's favorite into a spreadsheet and scan over them to see how many are growing the same kind, such as Kellog's Breakfast, Aunt Gertie's Gold, sungold, cherokee purple, marianna's peace, etc...

Here is a link that might be useful: 6 favorites

thanks so much!!! Yes, I am buying plants this year. I wasn't prepared to do seedlings, as I did before I moved from zone 9 in California to Kentucky two years ago. It was easy to do it there - warm weather = easy way to grow seedlings! I have to figure out the best way to do it in zone 6 Kentucky.

I wonder if soil makes a huge difference? German Johnson is wonderful here and Big Beef has been also. Brandywine and Cherokee Purple didn't perform well, and I got nothing from Brandy Boy last year. Sweet Millions and Matt's Wild Cherry are terrific.

I have had great luck starting tomatoes on a laundry room shelf with a broad spectrum tube in a regular shop light fastened over the shelf. I leave the light on a good 16-18 hours a day. When the seedlings have 2 sets of true leaves I give a very dilute fertilizer. They harden off easily - can come in if it cools off a night or two before you plant.

Seedlings are often small enough that I'm skeptical when I transplant, but they always catch up with the couple of purchased plants I put in at the same time.

To add to your list, I recommend Kellogg's Breakfast. We grew it last year for the first time and it has definitely made it to my "must have every year" list.

thanks, everyone!

I, too, wonder about soil and if it makes a difference. I would assume it does. in zone 9 in California I had very acidic soil and it was also very sandy soil. I had tons of trouble getting anything from Cherokee Purple, Big Rainbow and Black Krim there. The plants shot up fast and had tons of foliage, but didn't give me any fruit and then suddenly all were stricken with a disease and died very fast. I did have luck with Red Brandywine in California.

Now, in Kentucky, everything did well last year except for cracking on many of my tomatoes and blossom end rot on many. We were in a drought, so it was tough to maintain a regular level of moisture. Luckily, I planted 30 tomato plants last year so I was still able to harvest enough for my family and friends and freeze 10 quarts of basic tomato sauce and about 20 quarts of blanched whole tomatoes. I think I will try canning this year for the first time. My mom is experienced at canning so I'll have her teach me.

I wonder where I can find Kellogg's Breakfast in the Louisville/Frankfort area since it's too late to start with seeds. That one does interest me.

Grew Mr. Stripey -- the big, gold and read 'bi-color' variety. It was beautiful, but amazingly little flavor. Wouldn't bother replacing it.

Erratic soil moisture has caused cracking and BER in my garden too. Hope this year is more even!

You might think about trying some of the black tomatoes, maybe a green and a white too.

I thought Rutgers is an OP derived from Marglobe and something called JTS, at least I've seen it listed as such. I know that many people like it and it's their steady eddy.

Thanks, everyone. There were Rutgers at Lowe's for sale, of all places. But there were 9 tomato plants (for a reasonable $3.89) but I didn't want nine of the same plant and I feel too guilty throwing the extra plants away and no one I know needs any of them.

I'm going to a small nursery tomorrow that's known for obscure varieties of plants so I'll see what they have for sale.

While your out shopping tomorrow,try to find a place called Thinemans(sp?)nursery.Gary who posts here from Louisville highly recommends them(and also grows plants for them).

Mike

hey, Mike, funny you posted that about Thineman's (or yeah, however they spell it!) I heard about it from someone else and went there today. They definitely have a great array of plants. All of the names starting blending together and I couldn't remember who recommended what (I should have took a list). I ended up getting just a few - Aunt Ginny's Purple, Sungold, Rutgers and a replacement Pink Brandywine. I want to go back this week to go over their selection a bit more in-depth with a list of everyone's suggestions. (I ended up buying a bunch of unusual varities - for me - of herbs, too!) I remember seeing something called Peace, not sure if it was Marianne's Peace tho.