24 Tomato Cages, 24 Tomatoes to choose from

10 years ago

It was rather a shock when I girded my loins for the weighty business of making my tomato draft picks for the coming season only to discover that I have precisely the number of tomato varieties as I do tomato cages to be filled.

Well, it's never quite that simple, of course - for one, I have three more varieties on order for my Joisey tomato trials, so I'm up to 27 contenders for 24 spots.

Also, I'm going to polyculture my tomatoes this year across three mixed species garden beds instead of just one bed to attempt to curtail the spread of foliage diseases between them. Because this gave me three groups of tomatoes, I was thinking this would give me an opportunity to do a controlled trial of two organic anti-fungal agents. (I've been spraying Serenade semi-religiously for the past few years but without a control I have no way to tell if its helping or if I'm wasting my time.) I was going to grow three plants each of four varieties to give me a head to head to head comparison of treatments vs. control.

That would cut my slots down to 16, four of which would be threepeated and six of which would go to my Jersey tomatoes.

So, what do you think? Plan A or Plan B? And which tomatoes get the nod in each plan?

Plan A - controlled trial; nominate 4 tomatoes for 3 spots each and 6 additional 1 spot varieties (6 spots go to Jersey tomatoes)

Plan B - randomized trial; nominate 18 tomatoes for 1 spot each (6 spots go to Jersey tomatoes) or rather, choose three tomatoes to leave out.

The Contenders

Anna Russian
Brandywine, Sudduths
Yorkbec
Cour di Bue
KBX
Black Prince
Jersey Giant
Lucky Cross
Rev. Morrow's Long Keeper
Vorlon
Cosmonaut Volkov
Sungold
Tropic
Delicious
Mule Team
Wes
Zogola
Crnkovic Yugoslavian
Momotaro
Colossal Red
Rosella Purple

Jersey tomatoes (already drafted)

Rutgers
Burpee's Quarter Century
JTD
Ramapo
Moreton
KC-146

Featured Answer

BriAnDaren Ottawa, On Zone 5

10 years ago

When I don't have enough cages for every tomato, I'd grow a tomato between 2 cages. I then tie strings between the two cages to support the tomato in the middle. Sort of a short Florida weave.

With 24 cages, especially when you set the cages in 2 rows, you can squeeze in a lot of tomatoes ... just enabling your tomato addiction.

Comments (9)

labradors_gw
10 years ago
How about containers?

I know you can grow Dwarf Rosella Purple in a container. I'm doing it now.

Linda
digdirt2
10 years ago
Plan B and leave out Long Keeper, Anna, and Delicious.

Dave
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smithmal
10 years ago
I'd also leave out Lucky Cross. Bi-colors are generally low producing toms to begin with. My experience with the bi-colors that I've plants was that Pineapple was the best.

I've grown:

- Virginia Sweets
- Marvel Stripes
- Lucky Cross
- Pineapple
- Hillbilly

smithmal
seysonn
10 years ago
revised

This post was edited by seysonn on Mon, Feb 24, 14 at 1:09
seysonn
10 years ago
Good idea, Brian. So you plant with regular spacing and cage every other one. This can be a good way, if you are planting in long rows.
As mentioned, This is a combination of WEAVING and CAGING. in an interestingly smart way.
I like the method and I will do it this season.

seysonn
sue_ct
10 years ago
I have done that with the Texas Tomato cages. They rather pricey but very sturdy. It worked out well. Since I now have enough, I don't have to, but I would do it again if I had a larger garden and could increase my number of plants.
emmers_m
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks, all, but I am quite determined to limit myself to 24 plants. No volunteers this year, no extra seedlings, nothing. This should prove more than ample for 1.25 tomato eaters (me and SomeOne who likes 'a slice' on 'a sandwich' - incomprehensible) and I am much more interested in getting a handle on my festering cesspool of disease so that they are healthier.

But no one seems to think I should sacrifice my variety for science - thanks for the enabling there! I'm going to be dizzy with 24 different varieties to taste and keep track of.

Dave and smithmal, thanks for the suggestions on varieties to cut. You're right, Long Keeper is at the top of the list to go (was more prone to ordering novelties in my gardening youth 4 years ago). Anna I'm surprised to hear since I thought she was generally well regarded, but she hasn't ever done much for me compared to Cour Di Bue, so she can go.

Delicious might have to stay in just because it was a freebie 4-5 years ago and I haven't ever grown it because it's always been high on the cut list. I don't store my seeds for longevity so I might be running out of time on that one.

Lucky Cross I have grown before but I don't think it did well - I don't seem to have a recollection of it -so it might need to stay in to get properly evaluated.

So between new varieties I want to try, freebies I really should try, and returning players who fill a specific position, I might be down to Sungold or possibly Jersey Giant for my last cut. I've grown and liked both, but haven't come even close to consuming the Sungolds other than for some snacks in the garden, so they just make a mess. Jersey Giant has a sweetness that I enjoy, but has been rather low production and I have all my other 'Jerseys'.
gigielle
8 years ago
I vote Vorlon as a keeper. Our plant last year was a MONSTER and put out gigantic fruit. It also held up pretty well to disease (septoria, early blight) which I battled following a super wet June. It is high on our repeat grow list.

Not to add your Jersey contingent, but one to consider if you have never tried before (perhaps in the future) is Jersey Devil. Also a monster of a plant, set fruit for us like no ones business, and also outlasted disease.