I used to grow Big Beef and liked it a lot. I haven't grown anything well here for a long time (tomatoes, that is).
I would maybe try one or two just to see how they compare.

I have some hybrid Whopper improved from Park that my sis swears by. If you want to try them, let me know.

glenda

Last summer my Big Beef really produced.
Beefmaster was so-so. And the Big Beef were the best of the lot, not too large and plenty of flavor. This year I will not have as many varieties of heirlooms. My neighbor always grows Jet Star and I think they are pretty tasteless. Brandywine and Box Car Willie just didn't stop producing, so I will probably have them back. I have seeds of Whopper and Brandy Boy, which I'll start this spring. Did you grow Black Cherry, Helen? That's another one I'll try.
Sunny

That is what I want to hear, Big Beef tastes good and Jet Star flavorless. I don't can so don't need great production all at once, but I want to see some ripe tomatoes from July until frost. I liked Parks Whopper but I only had Early Girl and Celebrity to compare it to. Last year I liked Celebrity for its toughness. It doesn't rot even if a worm bites it. Black From Tula worm hole = rotten tomato. But when I chose a tomato to eat I never picked Celebrity. If you can it or make salsa, I think it would be fine. Glenda you have a nice fenced garden spot, but why don't you try a few tomatoes in with your flowers just to see if you have a problem with that garden soil. You can so you may be you are expecting more than I do from tomato plants. But you say you haven't had good tomatoes for years; it is time to do an experiment.

I didn't like Black Cherry. I was given the seeds and they were black and they were cherries. But they could have been crossed or something if the person saved the seeds. I have to say I don't really like cherry tomatoes. If I had them now I would be happy with them. In summer I would rather slice a nice full sized tomato. Also I was very mad at that bush for being such a monster. It went to the top of a stake over my head and covered up my Amish Paste.

helen- i think brandyboy is a very good tomato and productive. they are PL and taste good. 2 good heirlooms are aunt gertie's gold and dr wyche's yellow. i haven't had good luck with the purple/ blacks. could very well be the soil!? i did not like big beef. you might ought to give mule team a try and i think supersonic is better then jetstar. just my opinion.

william

Mule team is on my list and I will order it if Sandhill has it this year, if not I will order Box Car Willie. I have my list ready if they will just send a catalog. I think the Blacks taste good but the Black From Tulas I grew were very fragile. I don't want a plastic tomato like they sell in the store but I hate it when they rot. Black Prince was a smaller black that didn't rot but the color is an ugly brown in my eyes. I think color is part of the reason I didn't like Black Cherry. Mine had green shoulders and were kind of brown. It isn't fair for me to judge a cherry. I thought tomatoes would bring you out William.

it brought me out but where is ceresone?

william

I was trying to look back to find out who it was that gets a good book and rests from gardening. I thought it might have been ceresone. Any way I found where Glenda said she would plant some tomatoes in her flowers as I said above. I thought after I sent that I shouldn't be telling Glenda how to garden. Now I don't feel bad because it is her idea. I will look up your two yellow tomatoes. Someone gave me what they called a low acid yellow tomato and it was too mild. I am kind of stuck in the mud on the color of tomatoes which should be red or pink. I probably just haven't tried a good yellow.

I did grow the black cherry in the flower bed by the smokehouse and it almost took over the west side of the bed, way too rampant for my taste.

I do plan this year to put a staked tomato in several different beds just to see if I can defeat the disease syndrome here.

You can suggest anything at all to me. I am always ready to try new things. I have learned so much from all these forums. You can teach an old dog new tricks!

Oh, Yes, it was Ceresone!! I read 12 good books during the bitter cold--along with keeping all animals (and chickens) going!
I'm going with a few hybreds this year, I love Heirlooms, but the down side is lateness of ripening-and not resistant to anything. Up side is flavor, and saving seeds, so I guess its a wash.
One I'd like to try is Cluster Goliath- but I'm telling myself I have enough tomato seeds for the rest of my life.

I'm going with a few hybreds this year, I love Heirlooms, but the down side is lateness of ripening-and not resistant to anything. Up side is flavor, and saving seeds...

Actually, heirlooms are hardy and resistant. The definition of an Heirloom seed is one where you can trace the history back 50 years or more.

Example: my grandfather brought these seeds over from Czechoslovakia.

It is exactly because they are hardy, disease and pest resistant that they survived as long as they did.

It's when humans take the heirlooms out of their native environment and expect them to do as well with completely different conditions that they have problems adapting.

If you grow heirlooms, do grow them out year after year and save the seed from the healthiest plants. Over time, they will acclimate to your area.