Pink Brandywines are indeed winners! I might have gotten 2-3 off a single plant in Texas this summer, where daytime temps have been above 100 for more than a month, and night temps haven't dropped below 80. A friend of mine told me about a "hot set" tomato. It's a hybrid, and nowhere near a brandywine I'm sure. But hybrid homegrowns are better than anything storebought.

I agree, anything homegrown is better than the best storebought tomato, those are awful. Maybe worse than that.

It's been in the 90s here for weeks, lows in the high 60s and 70s, and the tomatoes are loving it. If only we had some rain. It's so humid, though, it's like a greenhouse, so they're growing and I have two Mortgage Lifters getting pink. I've already picked the first Golden Jubilee.

Here my favorites are Rutgers and Mortgage Lifter, but I also have some Beefsteaks, some Golden Jubilee, something just called White and one Cherokee Purple. As usual, everything is doing wonderfully except the Cherokee, which is kind of thinking that maybe it won't just die right away, it'll die a lingering death. No luck at all with Cherokee here. Sigh.

Yes, I think what grows well in your area is exactly what you should grow and that's not the same everywhere.

Annie

You make me so sad. I was growing a Pink Brandywine this summer for the first time and was SOOOO excited to try it. Alas, it succumbed to leaf spot and I decided to pull it in hopes that the fungus would not spread to any other plants. Enjoy yours!

Alexa, I agree about microclimates. I wish I could grow beefsteaks etc. Annie, I think we're in the same USDA zone...5? But here a 60 day tomato takes 80 days because our nights are so cool. I did get a few Cherokee Purples when I tried them, but they were really misshapen.

I have a different best tomato every year...still looking for the most consistent (a consistent growing season would be nice). We just picked our first little Stupice, grown from seed that I saved last year. Interesting that those plants are bearing way earlier than the plants from seed I bought this spring because I was worried that my seeds wouldn't do well.

I have tried any number of purple tomatoes, but they just won't grow for me. But I love, love, love Cherokee Green, Aunt Ruby's German Green, and the small, orange Jaune Flamee. Spectacular flavors.

We just picked our first Mortgage Lifter this week. (A little early so the squirrels don't get it first.) I haven't tasted it yet, but I'm excited to. We also like Pink Girl, Hillbilly, and tried a new one this year called Health Kick, a plum type that has 50% more lycopene. So far so good!

Claire de luna, Really Health Kick? I'm excited about that. I'm going to google it. What zone are you in? I'm in 5 and wondered if I can grow them here.

We have Carolina Gold, Early Wonder, 4th of July, Trust, Pineapple, Zebra both heirloom, Sara's Gallapagos (a currant tomato),white currant heirloom. The currants if you haven't grown them, are about the size of your little fingernail. Great to just pop into a salad, no cutting necessary. In the past, all my cherry tomatoes got so big I would have to cut them before using them in a salad so we decided to try the currants. We love them. Great flavor also. We do grow yellow and purple cherry tomatoes.

The only tomatoes producing for us right now are the white currant and the 4th of July. It seems late for tomatoes this year even though the weather has been so warm.

Karen

Karen, I agree, I've been eating the Yellow Cherry for weeks, but the first of the "big" tomatoes are just ripening.

KatieC, I'm in zone 5, and there are a lot of tomatoes that just won't produce here, the growing season is too short and the nights are normally too cold. Among my "tried and true" are Rutgers, Bonny Best and if you do hybrids, Celebrity. Most heirlooms are iffy, they'll grow if the conditions are just right and you baby them like crazy.

I don't find that Early Girl, Better Boy, etc. ripen any earlier than other tomatoes, so I don't bother with them, I've never been all that impressed.

I'm eager to see what I get from the White tomato I planted, I'm wondering how in the heck I tell when it's ripe, LOL.

And, because I'm tired of waiting, I think I'm having fried green tomatoes for supper tonight!

Annie

Annie, I have a white currant tomato and it's ripening pale yellow. I just ate a couple when I went out to pick from the 4th of July plant. Very sweet. I'm not sure why they call it white.

My heirlooms are beautiful this year but I know some years they just don't do that good, iffy just like you said. So do you have good luck with the Mortgage Lifters?

Alexa, I'll try your tomato next year. It's always good to know what to plant! I find I actually prefer a tomato with lower acidity, which is a good fit for me. What is that like for your Pink Brandywine?

Karen, I'm in Zone 5(b). The Health Kicks are all done now; they peaked earliest for me. I'll bet you can grow them just fine. We are also growing Green Zebras which are ripening, and Pineapple, which didn't set one bloom for me this year. Although I love the description and a friend is picking her Pineapple tomatoes, I didn't get a single one. I wouldn't mind trying them, but am not sure I'll give it any space next year because of its poor performance. Even for heat loving tomatoes, this year has been extreme. Some years are like that!

Husky Cherry tomato is doing so well for my friend in a hot area of SoCal. Good flavor and super productive.

That Pink Brandywine sounds like one I'd enjoy.

"My" tomato is the Dona, but I haven't been able to find it in the past few years. I could order seeds on line, but I'm not good at starting tomatoes from seeds.

I agree that microclimates and soil types have a lot to do with how the tomatoes taste.

Lars

Here is a link that might be useful: Dona tomato

Picked the first ripe tomato two days ago, a small Wisconsin 55.

Tried Brandywine one year. Yield was one fruit that resembled a tomato but sure didn't taste like one. Don't think it likes Zone 4.

Our favorite tomato is Momotaro. Last year was the first year that I've grown it. Repeating this year & trying several new to me varieties. Haven't opened any of the tomatoes that I canned in 2010 except for sauce & juice. So it seemed like a good year to experiment. I'm trying Mtg Lifter, Rutgers, Cannonball, Lime Green Salad and Compari alongside repeats of Opalka, Celebrity and Super Fantastic. Prolly left out a couple...