Ditto!
Which seed catalogs do you have already, Rozannadanna? The only seed catalog I have so far is last years Victory Seed catalog that Digit recommended.
I have been reading everything I can about tomatoes in the tomatoes forum and gardening books. I admitted to some people at the spring swap that I cant grow tomatoes to save my life. I am hoping to change that this year.
Thank you for asking the question, Rozannadanna. I am eagerly awaiting the answer(s).

Azura - Thompson & Morgan's new one is on my desk as we speak - you can check them out on line but not sure if I will order from them or not

There were some good postings that I thought I'd clipped...but I apparently have no clippings saved!! Fine. I'm pretty sure it was the topic I've pasted below, but there was also another one, called something like "lets talk tomatoes two". I think there was a good list of tomatoes for the area including heirlooms...
Have a look-see :)

Here is a link that might be useful: tomato link from earlier

Here are the links for the other two recent "tomato talks". I keep reading and re-reading them, so much info to glean!
Let's Talk Tomatoes Again
2nd Patch - Tomatoes

i do have a little "help" Fiance lived out in Elizabeth for almost 20 years and near Ft. Collins for 10. He had a nursery and wild flower seed catalog a billion years ago in Elizabeth so he gives me lots of hard earned knowledge. But he's a flower man and I grow things you can eat and roses. Need to pick his brain on this subject. But I am thinking "short growing season" "indeterminate" and give them a little help in staying warm at the beginning of the season.

I just got my first seed catalog a couple of weeks ago from Nichols (it's the 2007 but they'll send the 2008 when it's printed in Dec). I followed a link on another thread to Seeds of Change and ordered 5 kinds based on growing season and recommendations on the other tomato threads, but will have to go look later to see which are heirlooms. I have to keep reminding myself that I don't have enough room for more plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nichols Nursery Heirloom list

You probably heard enuf from me in those 2 earlier threads . . .

I will, of course, be growing those Thessaloniki tomatoes that I was so smitten with this year. However, since some seed catalogs claim Thessaloniki is under 70 days to maturity - I'll buy seed from them and see if they really have a strain that early. (I've also squirreled away a little saved seed just in case they are that early but taste like cardboard or something. ;o)

And, I'm definitely wanting to try Shelley's Bloody Butcher. I'll call them Shelley's or Jaliranchrs so that my expectations aren't corrupted by that terrible name! There will be more heirlooms but I just haven't decided yet.

One thing I was lamenting on over in the tomato forum was that I'm starting to wonder if I can just look at a picture of a tomato and conclude that it won't work . . . This isn't so great because it is the ones with the ruffled shoulders that will split, split, split in my garden - invariably.

I've had problems with others splitting also (Yellow Pear was crazy!) but it looks like I may not be able to grow ANY that have ruffled shoulders . . . Darn! And, I'm not going to go for tough skin so as to avoid splitting. It seems like large tomatoes with a globe-shape will do just fine. So if I need to stay with them, that's what I'll do.

digitS'

Seeds of Change shows 66-72 days for Thessaloniki and that's one of the types I got, so I'll try to remember to keep track too. I'm guessing it's from when the plants start to develop their true leaves, but I've never kept track before. I'm guessing record planting date, when it germinates and when it gets the first fruits. Is there anything else I should keep track of other than what it tastes like?

Dafy, Big Beef, which I've grown every year for the last 10 or 15, is usually listed as a 73 day tomato. It came on almost as early as my Early Girls! The 1st ripe Big Beef tomato was right at a week later. Early Girl is supposedly a 54 days-to-maturity variety.

I didn't see a red 'niki tomato until about 2 weeks later than that. After being very pleased at how early the Big Beefs were coming on, I had a moment of anxiety that I was going to get like one 'niki off each plant and then they were going to freeze. As it was, with quite a late first frost this year, probably more than half were harvested ripe. The plants were very productive and many, many continued to ripen on the kitchen counter.

I'm rambling . . . what I'd really like to know is how do they compare with the other varieties you will grow. These days-to-maturity notions are just nonsense.

digitS'
who got too much sleep last night & still hasn't had any coffee

My Early Girls weren't very early IMO, but that's because I'm limited on where I can plant and I'm sure they weren't getting enough sun

You're gonna love Bloody Butcher, Steve. :) It was my earliest tomato this year. The earliest I've ever had when it ripened the last week of June. Good flavored fruit on a plant that bore early and went all the way to the last frost. It will always have a special place in my garden because it ripen just days after my mother passed away. :)

Agree on Big Beef. Good flavor, dependable and productive. Just a good tomato.

One I really liked this year was Neves Azorean Red. BIG maters and loaded with flavor and they grow BIG and flavorful in our shorter seasons. Gave a couple to my long-time-ago Home Ec teacher and her hubby and they just loved em. I gave a transplant to the lady across the street and she was just astounded at the size and flavor.

Here's a pic of the variety I got in mid-August from some of the 28 varieties I grew this year. Lots of people like the allspicey type flavor of lime green salad, a green-when-ripe smaller tomato, but I personally didn't care for it. It wasn't a spitter, but I won't grow it again. Different strokes for different folks. :)

One I just loved and so did everyone I gave some to were skorospelka. Just a dandy small tangy mater on a determinate plant. Got the seeds from "Seeds of Change."

Funny thing, when I once again went to look for Skorospelka tomato using google images (good way to find seed company offerings) what came up was our RMG thread "Let's talk tomatoes, again!"

I'd linked a photo of Bloody Butcher, Shelley, and you had mentioned the name "Skorospelka." So, out of 8 images, of which 3 are French, 1 German, and 1 the US gov'ment - - there's you giving advice, Alice talking about her Black tomato, others making intelligent comments, and me yammering on about something or other!

You know, the internet puts some pressure on us now and then to think about what we are saying to the world!

digitSteve
PS My mother passed away this year on March 4th. I guess I'll think of her when we have sunshine in pale blue skies during those late Winter days.

Here is a link that might be useful: Skorospelka tomato - Google Images

So I could resist no longer. Saying "Satan get thee behind me" did no good whatsoever.

Husband is ordering Mexican Midgets from Seed Savers- says they are the best for this area. I on the other hand got hooked in to "Tomatofest" (Garden Watch Dog gave them a good rating). I know I ordered way too many but I couldn't narrow my list down any further so I will have extra seeds and plants to share. Ordered Belii Naliv, Black Crimson, Carmello, Cosmonaut Volkov Red, Indische Fleish, Japanese Black Trifele, Blondkopfchen, Russian Big Roma & Amber Colored. All are heirloom and most are from Russia so I figured they could handle our weather.

The seeds are actually already in the mail. I will probably have some seeds to share shortly if anyone wants any

Oh good! Fresh varieties and fresh info!!

Don't you dare forget to let us know how they turned out in your garden come September, Rozanna!

digitS'

Digit, I am hoping I won't have to wait till September to have formed an opinion on these varieties.

Want to brag on a Vendor. Ordered from Tomato fest via the net on Wednesday. They arrived today - and they arrived correctly. They filled and shipped the order the same day I ordered.

Rozanna, your list of varieties is inspirational! I tell you, after reading that I feel transported into the heart of Russia. I'm seeing nesting dolls and vodka and big fur hats! I think you may have to decorate you garden in some way to make those tomatoes feel at home.

I'm a new kid on the block so please be kind. ;-) (I know you will).
Go to "Heirloomtomatoplants.com" The owner's name is Laurel. She's a really nice person, answers questions and is prompt at calling you back. Real sweet lady! I'm really impressed with her web sight and what she has to offer.

Kind Regards,
Royster

If anyone is starting out with Heirloom tomatoes, I can send you some seeds I've saved from my garden the last couple of years. Just send me a SASE, and I'll get a variety of what did well for me out to you. You can e-mail me at spyfferoni at yahoo dot com. I don't do anything to guarantee purity, but I haven't had any problems so far. I can probably do this for about the first 10 people that e-mail me. I need to get my list up on the seed exchange thread. I've had family visiting and then Thanksgiving and it gets crazy. Hopefully I can get to it this afternoon.

Tyffanie

Tyffanie's amazing list of heirlooms can:

be found here

and here.