I am starting my seeds today and will be transplanting them around April 26th. I am going to be growing 3 each of 8 varieties. Most are open pollinated, because I want to experiment with saving seeds.

Opalka
Italian Heirloom
Kosovo
German Pink
Black Krim
Marianna's Peace
Cherry Roma
Park's Whopper

I moved last summer and this is my first house with a good sized, sunny spot for a garden. So I feel crazy for doing so many in my first year of (real) gardening. But, compared to 25 or 30 varieties, it doesn't seem like so many anymore.

I made low tunnels that I can move as the season progresses and get most things started a couple weeks early. I already have peas, spinach, lettuce, and beets that just came up outside and I have brassicas under lights that will be going out next week.

I hope the two extra weeks on the tomatoes will give me a better crop since many of the varieties I picked are mid to late.

I was just able to move some of the longer-season varieties out to the South Window this morning, Jali'! Then, I was dropping tomato seed in the soil mix from about 9am to 2:30pm with hardly 30min off for lunch!

Here's what is in either the South Window or the Kitchen:

Azoychka*
Brandywine OTV
Big Beef
Dagma's Perfection
Early Girl
Gary O Sena
Goliath
Kellogg's Breakfast
Legend
Neves Azorean Red*
Pantano Romanesko
Pruden's Purple
Rainy's Maltese
Thessaloniki

Bloody Butcher/known around here by the pleasant name, "Jaliranchr"
Buisson
Kimberley
Pink Pearls
Woodle's Orange (except it's red)

Heinz 2653*

Dr. Carolyn
Ildi
Isis Candy*
Pink Bumble Bee*
Sungold
SunSugar
Super Sweet 100
Sweet Chelsea

*new-to-me

To be honest, the Legend & Early Girl seeds are still in their envelopes. They will go in boxes with a replanting of some of those in that first group, when I can decide which ones to replant. Maybe that will be as early as tomorrow.

Additionally, I have some F4's from a friend's dehybridizing efforts, an F3 generation from an unknown Kellogg's Breakfast cross (red), and my attempt at crossing Buisson and Kimberley, last year. Comparing seed size with the Kimberley doesn't encourage me any . . .

I hadn't intended to leave Casey's Pure Yellow out of the mix but, guess what? I no longer have any seed and failed to save seed last year. It's okay, Azoychka will be a new yellow and one of those F4's is a yellow from Lemon Boy.

Steve

Tomatoes, tomatoes... there are so many options! * means "new to me"

The for sures:
Cherokee Purple
Purple Calabash (these were a HUGE winner for us)
San Marzano (going to put eggshells in from seed to planting out hole and hope to quell BER)
Champagne Cherry
German Zebra* (kinda have to for a seed-seller friend)
Poire Rough Franchi*
Azyochka*
Wapsipinicon Peach*
Ceylon*
Spoon, sometimes called Currant
Violet Jasper* maybe
Roman Candle*
and unknown brown tomatoe that we picked up from Trader Joe's and hubby wants me to grow*
Tomatillos (do those count? *wink*)

Debating:
Bloody Butcher (didn't do miracles for me the one time I tried it)
Abe Lincoln
Persimmon*
Tumbler*
Marion*
Amish Paste
Nyagous
Thessaloniki
Marglobe
Matina
Saint Remy Perfit*
Principe Borghese
Lutescente*

Thinking about starting some of the "cold and short-season" varieties, has anyone any experience with these?

Sub-Arctic Plenty*
Glacier*
Siberian*

The list will continue, I'm sure, as the seeds go in... Am I nuts for starting them this early if I am planting on Memorial Day? I kinda like a big enough plant that I can bury most of it to have a leg up on the rooting system... I am thinking about wintersewing some of the cold and short varieties as an experiment...

I was on another thread, which inspires me to name some that for sure that I'll NEVER plant again:
Mr Stripey
Hillbilly (are these two the same thing?)

I'm a little into heirloom varieties... does it show? I like to self-sustain my seed supply!

Azchoycka is a nice earlier yellow tomato. Much better than Taxi that bruises if you touch it. Medium size round. I have grown Azchoycka for years. Neaves Azorean is a large tomato much like a Brandywine though a little longer to ripen but have had tomatoes over 2#. Have grown them a number of years. Isis Candy is a ivory cherry that is a larger one and a bit later. Subject to cracking. Very sweet when very ripe but may crack before you get it picked. Sub Artic, Glacier and Siberian are smaller tomatoes in the saladette size. I wasn't impressed with any of them. A friend, however, grows Siberian and thinks it may be the difference in soil. Mine is alkali. Have amended and amended and think I could add for another 10 years to get it where I would like it.

Sowed 21 kinds of tomato seeds yesterday. Some seeds were as old as '08, so I'll be curious to see what kind of germination I end up with. I'm retrying a couple of varieties that didn't sprout last year. Since I only have room for about 18 plants, it will be okay with me if not all of them sprout. Especially since I sowed 3 or 4 of each kind!!!

Here's what I planted:

Amish Paste
Amazon Chocolate
Aunt Gertie's Gold
Anna Margaret's Pink German
Black Cherry
Box Car Willie
Cherokee Purple
Caspian Pink
Dana's Dusky Rose
Earl's Faux (my favorite!)
Galina's Yellow Cherry
Giant Belgium
Heart of Compassion - Pink Oxheart
Hillbilly
Huge Lemon Oxheart
Ludmilla's Pink Heart (these were HUGE last year)
Matt's Wild Cherry
Neve's Azorean Red
Orange Oxheart
Striped German
Virginia Sweets

Margaret, the Isis Candy I have grown was not ivory, but yellow with red stripes.

This post was edited by highalttransplant on Sun, Mar 16, 14 at 23:13

We've hopefully completed our tomato grow list and will plant all 3-17, 2 to 3 seeds per variety. I thought we'd grow ones that we'd grown before and then got lots of tempting seeds. * is new-to-me

Abe Lincoln*
Big Rainbow* - request from friend
Carbon - my favorite black
Dester*
German Johnson PL*
Mortgage Lifter
Pink Ping Pong - surprisingly good production and taste
Pink Sweet*
Purple Dog Creek - a few over 2 lbs.
Neves Azorean Red*
Rozovyi Giganti*
Stump of the World
Thessaloniki
Tami Grape - everyone's fave
Lil's Favorite*
Delicious*
San Marzano
Wes*. OR. Reid Red Heart*
? Super Italian Paste* ?
NO CLUE, wrong seeds from 2013 - orange small rounds - request

I just love seeing all the different varieties everyone has on their grow lists. What fun! :) Jonathan, that's terrific list for a first time around. On the early tomatoes, mayberry, I haven't read too much encouraging on those varieties and my own experience matches. I have grown Sasha's and Siberian II and found them to be good, but they are not as early as those. Steve, I don't know what happened with the Woodle, because I sent you seed that I got directly from Baker Creek. I got hailed out that year and never saw fruit from the plant. I'll give it a go this year. If it goes red, it was a mispack at Baker Creek, and I'll order some real Woodle's next year. Happened to me before with Sheyenne and I ended up with a lovely tasty orange but it wasn't what I expected.

I'm not planting too many tomatoes this year, as last year I planted almost my entire veggie plot with tomatoes and this year I'm trying to grow other things (and give the soil a rest!) But here's what I'm starting from seed:

Juliet
Super Sweet 100
Rutgers

All three are new to me.

Then, I'm sure I'll get some heirloom seedlings from my husband's cousin who starts a bunch of different kinds. Not sure where I'll put them but I can never turn them down. I might be planting them in the middle of the front lawn.

I'm planning on starting my seeds this coming weekend, although I have a couple of "test" seedlings going already going as this is my first year starting from seed and I did a test run with a few different seeds, including tomatoes. I'm hoping I can just plant them deep if they get too big by Mother's Day!

Posted by jaliranchr . . . Steve, I don't know what happened with the Woodle, because I sent you seed that I got directly from Baker Creek. I got hailed out that year and never saw fruit from the plant. I'll give it a go this year. If it goes red, it was a mispack at Baker Creek, and I'll order some real Woodle's next year.

You may be happy to go right back to the little juvenile delinquent! I might want to try one that matches the catalog description but I'd have to think about it. What I've got is a charmer!

Steve

Wow, those are some tomato lists! looks awesome. I've never been terribly fortunate with tomatoes, I always end up with buckets of green ones come September/October lol I don't pick them very carefully, just whatever looks interesting at the time. I'm trying three new ones that were all picked on the same whim.

Nineveh - I was intrigued by this one coming from Mosul, Iraq because I spent considerable time there while deployed. It probably wont produce much for me in Colorado, but I guess it's worth a shot.

Nebraska Wedding - The SSE catalog says this one usually grows to about 3', so that's a perfect size. Once again, probably wont give me lots of production, but it struck my fancy for whatever reason.

Silvery Fir Tree - This is the one I'm hoping for production from. I actually bought the seeds last year but then all my seed starting got derailed when I was out of town for 3 weeks in April. had plenty of seeds left over, so, I figured we'd shoot for it again. Plus it's a container variety, so it wont be taking up space in the garden.

Well, ours is simple this year - Black Krim. We are sticking with just our favorite :) But might break down and do one yellow pear and/or a patio tomato for those bite size treats. But we are going to plant quite a few of the BK's so we have some to can!

Marj

My seeds were dropped LATE for me - a few weeks ago - and these have been potted up: *new to me

Adelaide Festival - dwarf from the Dwarf Project
Amerikanac*
Andy's Stripes*
Barossa Moon - dwarf from the Dwarf Project
Bassett's Bleen*
Bing Cherry*
Black Hole Sun*
Carbon Copy F5*
Cherokee Tiger Black - dwarf
Croatian Heart*
Daniels*
Dark Copia Heart
Dester
Faelan's First Snow*
Green Doctor's Frosted
Idaho Hillbilly*
Indian Stripe - Burson strain*
Isis Candy
Jewels of Odiorne - AMAZING black cherry
Kookaburra Cackle - dwarf from the Dwarf Project
Margaret Curtain*
Potato Leaf Variegated*
Red Wolf
Selbo's Ribbed Cherry*
Snow White
Striped Sweetheart Dark
Summer Sunrise*
Tastywine - dwarf from the Dwarf Project
Weisnicht's Ukranian*
Worley Red
Yukon Quest
Zores Big Red*

Varieties that may not work this year - I am getting impatient
Ann Bonney*
Austin's Black Cherry*
Belarusian Heart*
Fairy's Gift*
Gary's Late Canner*
Greenbush Italian
Korol Sibiri*
Liz Burt Purple*
Rainbow Dwarf*
Royal Purple*
Slankard's Oxheart*
Sleeping Lady
Spudayellow Strawberry*
Unknown Charlie's Paste
Wessel's Purple Pride

Happy Gardening!

highalttransplant,

With some interest I noticed you had started a few seeds of a tomato named Anna Margaret's Pink German. I had included a few packets with that name in a seed exchange in 2011. My 97 year old aunt had passed away in February of 2011 and in her memory I used some of her seeds of a tomato she had grown in Missouri and Colorado for 40+ years.
Oddly enough, I had posted in another post of yours last year about possible growing choices and I was contacted by a few other people requesting seeds. In responding to one persons request, it was suggested that I contact Carolyn in New York, who passed some seeds to others and at least one other person besides Carolyn is listing it in SSE this year. The tomato's name is now known as "Anna Margaret's Heart. And for this I am eternally grateful to Carolyn and others, but I owe a small debt to you as the starting point for getting her seeds out to others. I hope it does well for you and everyone else who elects to try it in the future. Feel free to contact me for any information as well as pictures.

George in Pueblo

I should also thank austinnhanasmom for hosting the seed exchange that year.

George in Pueblo

Posted by pondgardener . . . My 97 year old aunt had passed away in February of 2011 and in her memory I used some of her seeds of a tomato she had grown in Missouri and Colorado for 40+ years. . . The tomato's name is now known as "Anna Margaret's Heart. . .George in Pueblo

That is a wonderful story. I have had a similar experience, George, but it didn't work out quite the same way. I was given seeds from my grandmother's garden tomatoes that she had grown since the Depression. My father's youngest brother had kept them.

After growing them for 15 or 20 years, I read a description of Porter, an old time variety from Texas. I ordered the seed and found that the fruit was virtually the same as Grandmother's tomato. Three seasons, I grew both of them. At first, I thought the plants may be different. Finally, I realized that they were identical.

Someone has told me that it makes for an interesting story. Porter is a good choice for an arid climate like Pueblo. Grandmother Pearl grew them in Las Cruces, NM and would recommend them.

Steve

:-)

I love tomatoes with a history

Wonderful story, George! I absolutely love this community for things like that! Way to go, Bonnie!

Steve, I grew your Pink Pearls and it was a great tomato. If it is Porter (a strong possibility) it still has that family story for your tribe to enjoy. That's what this is really all about. I saved seed from them and will enjoy them again another year.

I am so enjoying seeing everyone's lists. We really do have multiple options considering the constraints we have compared to other regions. We aren't limited when we really search them out and give it a go.

Finalized list. I'm going to put some Plains standards head-to-head with the Russians and Siberians to compare them this summer.

Alpatieva 905A
Anait
Apelsin
Biyskaya Roza
Black Cherry
Black Yum Yum -- in memory of Gary, Dan, and Val
Bloody Butcher
Buisson
Firesteel
Galinas
Gary'O Sena
Grinch
Indigo Apple
Knopka Cherry
Lescana
Lime Green Salad
Limon-2 (Paste)
Malakhitovaya Shkatulka (Malachite Box)
Market Miracle
Millet's Dakota
Neves Azorean Red
Pink Berkeley Tie Dye
Polish
Polyarne
Porter Improved
Rainy's Maltese
Red Robin
Red Siberian
Rio Fuego (Paste)
Sakharnyi Zheityi
Sasha's Altai
Sheyenne
Taps
Thessaloniki
Val's Black Striped

I guess I better list what I am going to try to grow this year for myself and a few friends...

Aunt Ginny's Purple
Rozovyi Myod (Pink Honey)
Cherokee Purple
Reisentraube
Black Cherry
Costoluto Genovese
Prue
Orange Russian 117
Eva's Purple Ball
Goose Creek
Red Barn
Estler's Mortgage Lifter
Wes
Kosovo
Purple Dog Creek
Annie B's Green
Sophie's Choice
Anna Margaret's Heart
Sweet Ozark Orange
Joe's Pink Oxheart
Pomadoni
Black Magic
Big Beef Hybrid
Sun Sugar
Dester
Lillian Maciejewski's Poland Pink

George in Pueblo

How is everyone starting their seeds?
Indoors under lights?
Are any of you winter sowing?
Will plants go in the ground or stay in pots? (thinking of snow in June or Aug) lol

I start under lights. I usually sow in Feb. but this year was March.

I plant in wall o waters in March or April, in ground
.

I use a tray with a dome over the top and a heating mat, see link.

I put the seeds on top of the soil mix, and they germinate, consistently, in 4 days. Remove the dome, take off the tray, and proceed as usual.

Here is a link that might be useful: link

We have 12 hours of sunshine today!

Well, not really . . . if there is a mountain on your horizon, it may be considerably less than 12 hours. Even without a mountain, the sun is so far down in what is so often a cloudy horizon that the first and last couple of daylight hours hardly count. Then there are trees, the neighbor's house, etc.

We are told that the proper garden location for our tomatoes is where they will have 8 hours or more of direct sunlight. I don't think I'd ever see a ripe tomato if my plants only had 8 hours of sun!

However, I grow the tomato starts with nothing but sunlight this time of year. The first few weeks, they are in a bright South Window. Then, they go out into a greenhouse. I have used supplemental lighting but it is such a bother that I haven't for about the last 5 years. And hey! I live officially in the Pacific NW, not in Colorado, home of winter sunshine . . .

The 1st sown tomatoes went out for a visit to the greenhouse on a recent sunny afternoon (rarity). Right now, I have fired up the furnace in there for the 1st time in about 40 weeks! Yeah, I was 20 yards away when it hit "ignite."

There is only a 30% chance of snow today and there just might be some afternoon sun. Whatever the case, I am running out of room in the South Window! Besides, there are some pepper plants that simply must be moved out of their community container soon! If I don't think I've got room for them now, just wait until I do that.

Steve

hi my choices for 2014
Amish Paste
Amish Gold
Orange paruche
Shirley
Gardeners delight
Sungold
Matina
Vanessa

happy growing

Keep them coming, RMGers! Long or short list, tell us what tomatoes are going to be in your garden this summer. Great to see so many different varieties from so many in the community.

Vegpatch, I'm like the others, I start them under lights. A few will be in the ground, many more in grow bags. Not so worried about snow, as the icy marbles that fall in the summer. ;)

Decided to get some tomato plants started. Used to start them middle of March. It was snowing heavily then this year. I start them on a heat mat covered until they sprout and then under lights. Much smaller list this year.
Kotlas
Gold Nugget
Sweet Million
Sun Gold
Black Russian
Azchoyka
Brandywine
paste
Rainbow
Big Red
Moved the Anaheim to larger pots. Suppose to rain or snow next 5 days.

Started under lights indoors yesterday:
Azoychka
Celebrity
Dancing with Smurfs
Danko
Lime Green Salad
Super Fantastic
Black Cherry
Chadwick's Cherry
Indigo Rose
Lyana
Mandarin Orange
Sophie's Choice

Caroline

I just added Black Krim to my list, as O'Tooles had the free seed packets with any purchase.

I have no idea where I will actually plant it but after reading everyone's longer lists I was itching to try it!

Started my seeds under lights mid-March.

Cherokee Purple
Husky Cherry Red
Sungold

I planted mine today with the heat mat and dome.

- Coustralee - tried it years ago, why not again? I ask.
- Off The Vine beefsteak
- Rainy's Maltese
- Thessaloniki - proving to be the best vis-a-vis tomato diseases around here
- Vorlon
- Black Trifle - small pear tomato, hoping to replicate dried black cherry fantastic taste with less work than slicing up a bazillion cherry tomatoes.

Along with a couple of flats of large leaf Italian basil.

Wonderful lists! I'm going to have to break down and try Vorlon one of these days.

I didn't plan on it, but added a couple to the list. One that has failed to germinate for years, finally emerged after I soaked the old seeds. Lyuda's Mom's Red Ukrainian has shot up like gangbusters, along with Polish.

I'd planned on it and made it happen! Purely, through no real fault of my own . . .

Casey's Pure Yellow seeds are in the mix . . . along with some Coyote seed.

Sometimes I feel a little like a Coyote. Mostly, it depends on how much sleep I'm getting . . .

Steve

When you start howling, we will worry, Steve.

I'm only doing 2 tomato plants this year since I live in the city with just a balcony for grow space.

Park's Whopper
Early Girl

I'm brand new to growing any vegetable plants in Colorado, so this is quite an experiment. The Park's I bought from the big box store, oh dread, but it has already grown to 4-5" tall. With our short growing season I thought it'd be a good idea to have a jump start. The Early girl was purchased at a Nick's Garden Center and is still pretty small and cute.

I have been shepherding them back and forth from my balcony and their shelf, inside along the patio window. They seem to be doing just fine and the Park's has a few flowers trying to form. :)

Welcome to Colorado and RMG, GarnerGarden! Those are great choices. Make sure your optimism doesn't meet one of our late April/early May weather surprises and keep them protected for awhile.

I recall a deep snow on May 16, 1983. It was a mayoral election in Denver that really made a mess. For that reason, I'm always prepared for most anything.

Good luck and great growing.

I planted my tomatoes--today! I'm not really convinced that getting them outside into the ground real early helps much, so I wasn't really in any hurry! Obviously!!!

Here's what I finally decided to grow this year!

Sungold - you KNOW if have to have that one, Jali!
Sweet Baby Girl - another MUST have!
Abe Lincoln - put in a TINY plant from the swap, very late last year, and it was good!
Early Glee - third year
Mormon World's Earliest - third year
Beefsteak - got one of these by "default" last year and I was pretty impressed!
Cherokee Purple - first time - with everybody else liking it I have to try it!
Earl of Edgecombe - orange - would be third year but couldn't get it started last year!
Moonglow - orange - first year
Amana Orange - tried to try this one last year but couldn't get it started!
Dr. Wyche's yellow - late but big tomatoes--and they ripen hanging in the garage!

That's 11 plants--which is at least 2 more than I have room for! Oh, well! It'll all work out somehow!!!

Happy spring, all! [Disclaimer: If you're along the Front Range, just pretend Sunday doesn't happen!] Hope all your tomatoes are doing great!

Skybird

P.S. Also started my Rosa Bianca eggplant, and Galine which is really, really close to Rosa--and Listada de Gandia, which Seed Savers says should also be close to Rosa! After the troubles I had growing things last year I'm not putting all my eggplants--or tomatoes--in one basket this year!

Nice list, skybird. Even that one listed first -- for those who like it. ;) I got Moonglow (90% certain that's what it is) as a mistake in a package that was supposed to be Sheyenne. Fell in love with it!

Good luck with the new eggie.

Sunday will be a speed bump. Nice to see things beginning to green up and trees starting to bud. Spring at long last. Grow on, RMGers!

Your Earl of Edgecombe tomato is one of those that I would really like to grow in my garden, Skybird. Nice, solid flesh on that one - just a5bout perfect for any use I'd want a tomato for! Maybe one of these days when I back off on this from here to the horizon growing I can devote more attention to these later-in-the-season varieties.

I didn't give your Rose Bianca eggplant a fair shot either. Every year I save a volunteer tomato. This never really works. They are often a cherry but the plant may only have 1 or 2 ripe fruits by frost.

That year, there was a healthy volunteer close to the Rose Bianca. I left it. It was absolutely the most successful volunteer that I have ever had! Too bad it was a cherry with like zero sweetness . . . Really crowded the eggplant - but I could see that Rose is a pretty darn late variety . . .

And, about lateness! I hardly believe that you get away with starting eggplant (& tomatoes) in mid-April, Skybird. I'm just sure that it works for you and I'm hoping for my really early Casey's & Coyote, which are just emerging.

Here's what I figure: most things get about 50% of the head start. In other words, a few of my tomatoes will be 12 weeks old by the time they are set out. That is worth about 6 weeks. I could be wrong, just what it seems for about everything.

Melons go out at about 3 to 4 weeks. Could measure the advantage in days. I even set out sunflowers . . . Of course, transplanting shock plays a role. They are babied here in the yard but once they are plunked down in the garden soil, it's up to them and I hope to not have to do more than give them a chuck under the chin and a "Come on, Charlie!"

Steve

{{gwi:1192231}}

I only have five kinds, 3 Indeterminate and 2 Determinate:

Black Krim I
Crimson Carmello I
Grandps's Minnesota I
Gruschovka D
Principe Borghese D

Will have some of each at spring swap.

I would agree with Steve on the half time spent in sets. Mine might be even slower because they spend most of their set lives in a "cold at night, warm during the day, min. sunlight" situation. It has been great to get them out of the house and they are pre-hardened off once they hit the dirt.