Some random observations for '08

15 years ago

All my tomatoes are still green, earlies and paste nearing maturity. Planted mid May, 16 varieties, no multiples. A few new varieties to me, mostly repeats from year's past.

Early Girl- Everything was setting before her, but now showing typical abundance of fruit and will be right on schedule. This planted is loaded per usual.

Roma VF- Usual determinate growth, looking very healthy, showing some nice fruit, without the BER problems I've seen in the past.

Celebrity- First year. Very healthy looking plant, setting VERY well, loads nicely shaped fruit. Not quite as compact as I was expecting, but not running away from me either. I'm liking what I'm seeing so far. Taste to be determined, but I'm hopeful.

Jet Star- Healthy looking, setting lots of fruit. Not quite as prolific as Early Girl, but a good runner up.

Big Mamma- First year. Hybrid paste from Burpee. Behaving more like an Heirloom. This plant has been with out a doubt one of the wimpiest looking plants I've grown...very temperamental ever since setting out to harden. Curled leaves, not much foliage, but tall and wispy. Doesn't like the heat. Setting some nice, big pastes though...as advertised. This plant just doesn't look happy, but some varieties are just apt to look that way I guess. Anyone else have a similar experience???

Opalka- Man, I'm sure glad I gave this one another shot this year. I almost didn't. Looking very healthy and happy with LOADS, I mean, LOADS of tomatoes.

Little Brandywine Hybrid- Another first for me from Burpee. Super THICK stalk with compact branch growth. Large, dark green leaves that are curling up something fierce. Almost looks over-fertilized or something, but I haven't used any fertilzer in several weeks, and no other plants exhibit this type of behavior. No aphid problem or anything. Two tiny fruits so far. Very odd plant.

Big Beef- One of my best, tallest, healthiest looking plants. Some nice, large, evenly shaped tomatoes so far, and several of them. Taste has been good in the past, but nothing that stuck out in my mind.

Rutgers- I've grown this for several years from the same seed pack(labeled as indeterminate). This is the first time I've ever gotten a sport that exhibits determinate characteristics. Very compact plant with several smallish tomatoes so far. Every other time I've grown it, it's grown faster, taller, and sprawled more. Not this year.

Kellogg's Breakfast- This one is showing some serious yellowing and spots underneath. Very prone to disease it looks like. Very few fruit. Had problems with BER on this variety last year. I'm just not sold on this variety. Fruit is ok, but not spectacular enough to put up with the problems. I'll think long and hard about growing this again.

Brandyboy- Nice vigorous plant as usual. Slow to set this year compared to years past, and many of the earliest were catfaced, which I've pruned. Growing out of that trend and looking more promising now.

Brandywine Sudduth's- Plant looks nice and healthy. Only a few fruit so far, but it IS setting and looking better as it goes. Should get several great tasting tomatoes out of this if I can repeat year's past.

Marianna's Peace- Second chance. I'm glad I gave it another shot. Looking healthy with several large ribbed fruit. Some catfacing. Should do ok for me this year...crossing fingers.

Mortgage Lifter- Having to prune lower leaves quicker than most, but not half as bad as Kellogg's. Several large fruit. Some catfacing. When I get a few of these BIG slicers, I'm a happy man.

Cherokee Purple- Looking good so far. Some lower pruning but not excessive. Several fruit of varying shapes and sizes, same as years past. I don't drool over this variety like some of ya's, but it is very good and worth the space it occupies.

Red October- First for me this year. Another Burpee Hybrid.

Looks like your average hybrid tomato plant with several average sized fruit. I don't expect this to be a standout. But hey, I've the seed pack a few years now and figured I ought to grow one before the seed gets too old and for curiosities sake. Who knows? Might be ok.

>>>Anyone having or had similar experiences regarding these varieties?

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Comments (14)

ssj4
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I planted the end of may, and all plants are off to a terrific start (all with loads of flowers).

Aunt Ruby's German Green 3x
Brandywine 3.5x (2 plants separate + 2 in one hole)
Mortgage Lifter 1x
Cherokee Purple 1x
Persimmon 1x
Green Zebra 1x
Unknow Roman Beefsteak 1x
Unknown Roman Paste 1x
Pineapple 1x

let's hope we dont get a heat wave and get those blossoms dropping.
ssj4
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
forgot San Marzano redorta (this appears to be almost the same as opalka from the 2 years I have grown it - huge plants with loads and loads of fruit)
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meteor04
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
"Celebrity- First year. Very healthy looking plant, setting VERY well, loads nicely shaped fruit. Not quite as compact as I was expecting, but not running away from me either. I'm liking what I'm seeing so far. Taste to be determined, but I'm hopeful. "

Celebs are good producers, quite tasty, and easy to grow. I always plant one every year. I seem to have more BER on the Celebs, but that could just be me and my climate.

Matter of fact, my Celeb this year has the most toms, and will likely give me my first ripe slicer (even ahead of the Early Girl).

Nice collection of Toms BTW.
dstucki85
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Had very similar results with some of the varieties you list. Kelloggs b-fast tasted great but not worth the trouble of pruning and spraying all the time. Besides, why plant this one when you can go with Aunt Gerties Gold (similar taste with better yields and disease resistance)??

Some other excellent tasting ones I've found with good yields and no worries about foliage....

- Gary O'Sena
- Neves Azorean Red
- Black Cherry
- Cherokee Green
- Carbon
bingster
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Morning Foose,

My results mirrored yours in most cases:

Big Mama...very little fruit produced.

Opalka...my results were very different from yours. A really wimpy plant with very little production and small fruit.

Big Beef...very happy with those plants. Large, well formed fruit and very productive plants. Will be my staple for next year.

Brandy Boy...mixed results. Some well formed fruit but also a lot of malformed fruit with catfacing but I think that was caused by an erratic spring with cold temps interspersed with warm days which affected the blossoms. However, a large and tasty tomato!!

Kellogg's bkfst...won't grow it again. Ditto with Marianna's Peace. Very little production.

I might give Cherokee Purple another try but most of the fruit were smaller than I'd like. However, a tasty tomato.

cheers

bing
Iris ( ranegrow ) z7 Maryland
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I have had the best time this year with a big garden plot and this pic shows the first tomato of the season, a Marglobe ... just in time for July 4 !! http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/irishendry/marglobe.jpg"; border="0" alt="Photobucket">
Iris ( ranegrow ) z7 Maryland
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
let me try this again LOL [IMG]http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/irishendry/marglobe.jpg[/IMG]
lightt
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Rane,
Here ya go... the format to post your picture should be: >img src="http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/irishendry/marglobe.jpg"but reverse both the > and !! Don't forget the url has to be between double quotes " "
Terry Light
Oak Hill, Virginia
foose4string
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
"Opalka...my results were very different from yours. A really wimpy plant with very little production and small fruit."

-Bingster

This year has been very different for me too. Last time I grew it, my plants were exactly as you described. Seed was started from the same pack both years, acquired from Sandhill Preservation. The plant does not exhibit the wimpy looking plant common with some pastes and oxhearts. Nope, this is one of my healthiest looking plants, showing some resistance to blight, and loaded with fruit. The tomatoes are not looking like the typical, oblong, pastes either. Most are slightly oval shaped, but not even Roma shaped, just a little out of round, and some nearly round. Here look....

And look at it's next door neighbor, Big Mamma....pathetic...

It's been pretty dry here this past month. 2-3 out of my 16 plants look pretty stressed, Big Mamma being one of them. The rest are doing great. I have watered a couple times thinking Mamma was just dry, and would perk up after a good soak, but nothin' doin'.
lightt
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Foose,
Have you considered the possibility that isn't Opalka? It doesn't look like it to me -- neither the plant or the tomatoes.

Terry Light
Oak Hill, Virginia
bingster
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Foose,

I'm with Terry...I don't think that's Opalka. The Big Mama looks right but I'll bet that other plant isn't Opalka.

cheers

Bing
foose4string
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I've been having doubts too. But I assure you, this came from a pack of Opalka seed from Sandhill. The first time I planted from that pack, I got exactly what most of you described. I was pretty darn careful when I planted and labeled, and besides, I don't have any other seed that would match this plant's description. Whatever it is, I'm gonna save seed if it's remotely good in the flavor dept. This one's behaving and producing too nicely to ignore.
foose4string
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Anyone have any ideas what it *might* be? I started that seed well after the others, it was a late addition, so the room for error on my part was even less. It looked wimpy and temperamental in the beginning after it was planted out, but quickly grew out of that. I know Sandhill is a source that I've seen Carolyn recommend several times, so I'm very surprised to see this kind of mix up. I don't think any source is immune to making errors, whether human or acts of nature. I know Burpee gets some bad press around here from time to time, but everything I've grown from them have been true to type, be it hybrid or heirloom.
zeuspaul
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Early Girl. I've grown it every year that I have grown tomatoes. It's always been reliable so I'll plant it again next year.

Roma. I may not plant it next year. The tomatoes are a bit small. I am sure I'll have a few volunteers.

Celebrity. Off my list for next year. My plants don't have a lot of foliage and the tomatoes have sun scald.

Jet Star. I got a late start with these. I'll give them another try next year.

Big Beef. Off my list for next year. The plants started out real well. Then the bottom leaves turned brown. The tomatoes are a bit too large.

Opalka. I'll try them again next year, The plants are not as prolific as I would like and the tomatoes are a tad small.

Rutgers. Off my list for next year. The plants are my least health plants and the yield is low.

Although not on your list, My big surprise this year was Sioux. Next year they'll take the place of Celebrity and Big Boy. I'll also be planting more Supersonic and First Lady.

Zeuspaul

Some random observations for '08

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Some random observations for '08

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