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| Hi All -
Was out this afternoon tending the tomato garden and as usual, noticed how my conventional Early Girls, Champions and Lemon Boys are producing way more fruit (as expected) than my heirlooms which brings me to my question: even tho 'prolific' and 'heirloom' are rarely synonymous w/ each other, which heirlooms do you find year in and year out give you a better crop than other heirlooms? One of the reasons I ask this and I know it's almost sacriligious to say it but some heirlooms just don't seem to be worth the space expended. For esample, Persimmon and Pineapple both have no more than 6 or 8 tomatoes on the entire 8 ft. + plants. I know, I know, w/ heirlooms it's often times a case of quality vs. quantity which I fully understand but for those of us with limited space, part of the overall equation is maximizing yield per plant. My Kentucky Beefsteak and Aunt Ruby's German Green are both producing very well. Again, which heirlooms do you personally find have better than avg. production? TIA for any thoughts - |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| This is my first year growing Aunt Ruby's German Green and so far I've been happy with production; taste is another story-none are ripe yet so I have yet to know what they actually taste like. I've had much more experience growing Black Krim, Paul Robeson, and Boxcar Willie and find those to be dependably productive in my zone 5b (Chicago). |
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| My garden is small ... space comes at a premium. I'm happy with Cherokee Purple's production, but every other heirloom I've tried has disappointed. Still I keep searching. Next year I'll give Rutgers and Indian Stripe a chance ... and Marianna's Peace another try. |
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| mewhee IMO the best combination and Productivity and Taste would be Kosovo. |
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- Posted by gardenmommy_2010 8A, Sac CA (My Page) on Sat, Jul 23, 11 at 2:34
| This is my first year growing heirlooms & we haven't had any ripe ones yet so I'm merely commenting on productivity. So far Burgandy Traveler is vigorous and productive. Of my 21 varieties, hybrid and heirloom, it is the top producer & grower. Also, Moskvich is a vigorous plant and producer - so many tomatoes that they are smaller than typical, large cherry sized (which is disappointing). But, really, most of my heirlooms are out-producing my hybrids (Celebrity & Big Beef). Some of my other prolific heirlooms are Black Prince, Black Krim, Kelloggs Breakfast, Orange Russian 117 & Hillbilly. I think that Aunt Ruby German Green & Orange Strawberry will be good producers as well, now that they're finally fruiting they're putting on like crazy. Really, the only plants I'm disappointed in so far are Prudens Purple & Yellow Brandywine - still waiting for them to kick into gear. Overall, I've been impressed with my heirlooms. I heard so much about how you give up productivity when you choose heirlooms that I'm amazed how many tomatoes I'm getting. |
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- Posted by dancinglemons 7B (My Page) on Sat, Jul 23, 11 at 2:53
| Hello, Don't know if Dr. Wyche Yellow is considered heirloom but for me this yellow/orange tom is quite prolific. DL |
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- Posted by coffeehaus 7a (My Page) on Sat, Jul 23, 11 at 7:30
| Black Cherry Isis Candy Striped German Kellogg's Breakfast |
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| +1 for Black Cherry Juane Flamme is another great producer for me. |
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| Here's another vote for Black Cherry, the perfect (imho) heavy production walk by and grab a couple tomato. One of ours is in a pot just outside the kitchen door (now 9 ft. tall) for quick and easy access. We grow a coupl'a basil plants in the same container which makes it doubly (word?) convenient for salad making. Love the acidity, too ... Good growin' - Will and the Furry Ones in the OC
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| I have had wonderful luck with Pineapple in the past. I have had good luck growing Cherokee Purple this yr(good taste) for the first time some in soil and one in a container. But by far my fav heirloom is Estlers Mortgage Lifter. I have several plants this yr with 6-8 tomatoes in the one pound size not counting smaller tomatoes set higher up the stem. I wish I could take a picture. |
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| Kellogg's Breakfast has always been a good producer for me. Sudduth Brandywine is having and outstanding year this year too. Cherokee Purple is another steady producer. |
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| The high temp here has been around 100 for a month or more, and my plants are all besieged by spider mites, but the first three in this list still have tomatoes on them. I planted six heirloom/mid-century tomatoes (one of each) and they were productive in this order: 1.Porter "Cherry"--this plant has made a TON of tomatoes, I have a big bowl of them on the counter right now, so I'm always looking for ways to use them. I like the taste, they're not sweet, though. They are really bigger than a cherry, more of a golf-ball size, and they are pinkish in color. You can't eat them whole and they are small for sandwiches, one tomato equals one slice from a big tomato--but I like that I don't have to cut up a big tomato for a slice when I'm making one sandwich. (I use 2 for a sandwich.) 2. Sioux. This variety makes medium-large orange tomatoes. Even with all the predation I've had (birds? mice? fruitworm caterpillars and some kind of small worms), I've still had one or two available to eat most of the time. 3. Carbon. This is a black tomato and has made about a half dozen nice big fruits. Unfortunately, I've only managed to get to one of them (yum!) before the aforementioned tomato predators--they love this plant. 4. Sweet 100 O.P. It's a cherry, so of course I've got some fruits from it, but hasn't really produced like I expected. 5. Cherokee Purple--This only made two fruits--they looked great, but the first was eaten by a fruitworm and the second split so badly before it was ripe that it rotted. 6. Eva Purple Ball--This had 4 medium size tomatoes that all rotted on the vine before they got close to being ripe. I'm not sure what was wrong--they looked like they were covered in bruises. |
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| Prudens Purple, CP, and Great White are producing very well for me. And if you want to see the most productive plant ever then grow a Yellow Pear. Bland in my opinion, but nice looking fruit and last time I grew it it escaped from its cage and was about 20 feet across. |
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- Posted by homegardenpa PA Zone 6 (My Page) on Mon, Jul 25, 11 at 13:13
| I've grown heirlooms and hybrids, but primarily heirlooms. That being said, consistently, every year, even in terrible weather (like now), Rutgers and NAR have been top producers for me. I've also tried Eva Purple Ball this year and it's pumping out tomatoes like crazy. I've been picking Rutgers and NAR since early-mid July, but I wasn't keeping track early in the season and they didn't really stay on the counter long enough to count them, but about three days ago I picked about 10 6-8oz. Rutgers, and I picked another 12 this morning and there are tons more to go (2 plants). NAR has been giving me beefsteaks since early July, initially in the pound-and-under range, but now they're all in the 1-2 pound range. Both of these tomatoes produce more for me than any of the hybrid equivalents I've tried - although I plan on trying Big Beef, and Momotaro next year for comparison. |
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- Posted by suncitylinda 9A SoCal Inland (My Page) on Mon, Jul 25, 11 at 13:35
| Jaune Flammee for sure. Also Moskvitch, and Bloody Butcher. All small but prolific for me so far. Also Prudens Purple set early and numerous toms that taste wonderful. My Black Cherry, which is an OP and recently created tomato did not set heavily for me. It tasted good after the heat finally kicked in. LInda |
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| I'm trying two different pruning techniques to see which one I like better. Most of my heirloom varieties are prunned to 3 stems and topped off at about 7-8 feet using the drop-line technique. The Paul Robeson, Yellow Brandywine and Yellow Tom-Tom are scaffold onto a 8ft. lattice and left un-prunned. It's too early to comment on production preference using either techniques at the moment, but using the drop line technique in conjunction with pruning definitely lets me grow more types of tomatoes per square foot. Here's my experience in production so far: |
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| This season Orange Minsk is killing it! Who needs a few hundred? LOL! |
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| Kosovo? Really? I never get more than a couple--it just goes to show, climate and soil are everything! Anyway, when I think of "so many I can't pick them all", it would be Orange Russian 117 and Heidi (and almost all cherries). Carla in Sac |
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| The largest, yummiest and most productive plant out in my garden this year (and pretty much every year) is Estler's Mortgage Lifter, but Big Zebra is right there with it. Coming in 3rd this year is a new-to-me: Big Rainbow (red/yellow bicolor); it has several tomatoes on it, including some little ones, so it is setting fruit even in this awful heat and humidity we're experiencing, which is way more than I was expecting from it. So I would recommend any of those 3. Edie |
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- Posted by johnnyb4444 5 illinois (My Page) on Tue, Jul 26, 11 at 12:12
| so far a tie between Oxheart & Isis candy first time i planted these 2 varietys very happy i did. |
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| If you want high yields, try Manyel; its the most prolific variety of medium sized tomatoes, I have ever seen. For smaller tomatoes, I second the recommendations made above for Jaune Flammee; you simply won't believe how many pieces of fruit one of those plants can deliver. In the past both Anna Russian and German Red Strawberry have been big producers in my garden. Russian 117 has also been quite reliable. And lastly, you might give Great White a try. I am growing it this year for the first time and the plant is simply loaded. Larry |
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| Hey Edie..I live just across the Ohio from Marshall University about 10 miles fro Mr Estler(the son of the man who developed the ML ten yrs ahead of Radiator Charlie)..Bob is 90 yrs old and was my boss many yrs ago. Just wondered if you grow plants from seed or if they sell Mr Estlers tomato plants up north where you live? |
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| Bigpinks - Bob's my uncle (literally!). My Dad was the youngest of W. S. Estler's children (and I am named for my Grandmother Edith Estler, Will's wife.) Sadly, Uncle Bob has developed dementia and can no longer start tomatoes for me so I bought some seeds from Tatiana this year and started them myself. I still have some Orchard Hills seeds that I tried to grow but they didn't germinate. Small world, yes?! Edie |
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| Just so you know.......I put out twelve plants(bought at Joyces Nursery) and I am seeing the biggest tomatoes ever in consistant numbers. I will drive out to Joyces in afew days to insure that I can still buy the ML there next spring....if not I will start saving seed. Nice talking with ya! |
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- Posted by olivia_marie none (My Page) on Wed, Jul 27, 11 at 23:34
| I agree with the posters who recommended Mortgage Lifter, and also with the poster who said s/he has luck with Pineapple. I picked probably 25 fruits off my Pineapple plant last year, all perfect. I'd also recommend Eva's Purple Ball, and Paul Robeson. This year, my Red Figs, Crnkovic, and Lillian's Yellow are COVERED in green tomatoes (have yet to get many ripe tomatoes in NE Ohio, except from my Stupice), but this is the first year I've grown those. |
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- Posted by plantslayer 8 (My Page) on Fri, Jul 29, 11 at 1:25
| This year it looks like Indian Stripe is going to out produce big beef (my only hybrid). Even more impressive, it's a fairly short plant- only about 4 ft high or so. BB might slip under the wire and produce a ripe tomato earlier, however, because one of its fruit is looking yellowish. |
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- Posted by springlift34 8,5 (My Page) on Sat, Jul 30, 11 at 1:42
| As far as the less productive tomato plants known as heirlooms, I would say in the heat down here in Texas, I would have to go with Arkansas Traveller. This plant is the only competitor with the workhorses of the hybrid world.(in heat) I truly love taste, but I am starting to really love the mentality of hybrids. It is like they are saying, we taste pretty good too. I come out every year with the same name. Okay, I have streamed my point. Take care, |
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| Black Krim is a good producer for me. Kellogs has a couple decent sized fruits and that is it. Ailsa Craig is looking good. I bought an Amish Paste a bit late but should still get some good fruit from it. I shall save seeds because I have grown this before and it is an excellent producer. The fruits are nice and big and meaty, making canning go more quickly than piddling around with a bunch of wee little Romas. |
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| I'd say Matina and Box Car Willie. Matina has already ripened several fruits and is loaded with green tomatoes. Box Car Willie hasn't ripened any yet, but has the most green fruit set by far among my medium and larger fruit varieties. |
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| I like to try a few different heirlooms each year. This year was my first growing Chapman. The number of large ripening fruits on these plants is almost unbelievable. It outstripping all others in production including Box Car Willie. This one is a keeper. None of my hybrids(With the possible exception of Mountain Spring) are in the top ten of my twenty tomato varieites. |
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| My most prolific has been my OSU blue. My in ground 6'+ Mr. Stripey has had exactly 4 tomatoes on it all year, and it looks like its done. Big waste of time there. The blue though is in a container (got it planted way too late, potted it so I could move it indoors in case it cold snaps early on me) and its got 8 tomatoes growing on it right now, first batch, and is still flowering happily. I'm going to have buckets o' blues at this rate from a single potted plant. |
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| Stupice can't be beat as a 2nd early that keeps on going into summer. I grow an extra-early hybrid, then comes sweet Stupice, then the big heirlooms that may or may not produce huge crops, depending on how they like the weather. Five to seven Stupice plants are an essential part of our bigger tomato picture. |
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- Posted by creativeguy Zone 6 Connecticut (My Page) on Thu, Aug 4, 11 at 14:08
| Put me down for Mortgage Lifter as well... the one tomato that I grow every year regardless of my lust for new varieties. Love the taste, and no matter how poorly any of the other varieties do I always get a great harvest from ML. This summer with the crazy heat, some plants won't even set fruit but I'm still eating my old standby. |
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- Posted by newyorkrita z6b/7a LI NY (My Page) on Sat, Jul 28, 12 at 18:32
| Bumping up. Good info. |
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| Any updates as to your most prolific heirlooms? Any surprises? |
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- Posted by Hudson...WY 3 (My Page) on Sun, Jun 2, 13 at 20:09
| German Giant - First year we have planted this heirloom - but it appears prolific YTD. I would be interested in hearing from others who have tried this variety.
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| Updating my earlier post on this thread--I planted Cherokee Purple again last year and got tons of tomatoes. I guess 2011 was just way too hot to really be able to judge productivity of anything. I also had lots of tomatoes from Sioux and Yellow 1884 Pinkheart. |
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- Posted by spicymeatball (My Page) on Mon, Jun 3, 13 at 1:19
| My father had comparable production with his Cherokee Purples and better boys last year. This year I am trying my first true heirloom and decided to try one brandywine plant. It has 3 tiny tomatoes set already. The beefsteak and big beef have none. |
This post was edited by spicymeatball on Mon, Jun 3, 13 at 1:20
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| I dont grow cherry tomatoes, but my med sized and roma types always way out produce the larger tomatoes. Last year Purple Russian and Genovese Costoluto were the biggest producers. They were predominately used for sauce. |
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| Cherokee Purple by far. It makes it through the heat, sets relatively early, and does beat out better boys and everything else in my garden. |
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| Tommy Toe, a reliable big producer of not too small tasty red cherry tomatoes. Large vigorous indeterminate vines. Maremmano, Determinate good producer of small/medium red tomatoes. A good one for sprawling. |
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| I bought 18 of Uncle Bob Estlers MLs this yr and they were set May 3 and are about 30 in high and the stem is already finger size. They have small tomatoes on them. Not the biggest producer but very large and tasty. I am also very fond of the Cherokee tomatoes. |
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- Posted by spicymeatball none (My Page) on Tue, Jun 4, 13 at 3:47
| Not sure if San Marzano is considered an heirloom, but my grandfather gets bushels of them from each plant. |
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| All my tomatoes were started at the same time, same way... Estler's ML is already over 2' tall and starting to put out flower buds while the other varieties are still only about 1'. Needless to say, I am thrilled... Edie |
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| For me, best producing medium size tomatoes would be: Magnus Best early tomato would be Mountain Princess Best producing beefsteak would be: Tiffen Mennonite I find these will produce every bit as well as any similar type hybrid tomato. I grew field grown tomatoes (not irrigated) for a farmers market for several years and these were excellent producers and I was never disappointed. -Tony |
This post was edited by blueflint on Wed, Jun 5, 13 at 22:01
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| This was my first year growing "Rebel Yell" (not an heirloom, but a newer OP variety), and it's been about as productive as my Early Girl, and a lot better than the Lemon Boys. Not quite the quantity as early girl, but the tomatoes are bigger, so my guess is about the same or better in pounds. And the flavor is fantastic! White Tomesol produces similarly well for me. Good flavor, and quite beautiful. |
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- Posted by bobincentralMA 5 (My Page) on Fri, Jun 14, 13 at 23:24
| Hi. Matt's Wild Cherry was the best of my 15 varieties grown last year for both excellent flavor and space. The branches spread out and they are small cherries but increasing my planting of these by 400% because they are super. Highly recommend trying one. "OK" varieties that were prolific in terms of numbers of tomatoes also were Black Prince and Green Zebra that tasted good overall. I know you said limited space but I won't waste space on a prolific plant with tomatoes that taste just ok but have alot. It is worth for me and my recipients to have that excellent tastting tomato. More important to me. Try Mortgage Lifter if you don't mind not as many on the plant. Delish !! Peace |
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| Hudson you're in zone 3 and you already have tomatoes that size!!!! How? I'm back to heirlooms this year, no fruits yet, just flowers. Too much rain and cold weather. Bloody Butcher looks promising. Last year Japanese black trifele was a big producer. Everyone says Anna Russian and Orange Strawberry are great producers so waiting to see. Black Cherry has always been amazing. The rest I'm waiting to see! |
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- Posted by Hudson...WY Z3 (My Page) on Sun, Jun 16, 13 at 15:30
| Hi Sharonie - To say we have a GH would totally understate the effort to grow tomatoes in Zone 3 and have them ripe by first part of June - especially where our GH is not heated. But to simplify - we planted the seeds the end of January under lights in our home - planted the seedlings in the GH the 10th of March - covered the seedlings with frost blankets using light bulbs under the frost blanket to keep them warm at night when outside temps were below zero and GH temps were below 25 (then uncovered them when sunny during the day) - then when the plants were too large to keep them covered with a frost blanket we ran a space heater on nights when OS temps dropped below 32 degrees - there you have it - it worked and we are enjoying wonderful ripe tomatoes now! our Brandy Boy hybrid was the first to ripen - but they are not considered a heirloom - they are awesome! Our German Giant heirlooms are now starting to ripen and we will try our first in a couple of days. Next year we may delay planting seeds two weeks but choose to wait until season end to make that decision. The photo below shows our Brandy Boys.
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| I have NEVER found Brandywine, Sudduth's strain or any other 'pink' Brandywine to be productive. That is one reason I don't favor them. Brandy Boy has much better production, but it isn't an heirloom, and probably gives up flavor. RED BRANDYWINE (not really related to 'Brandywine') tends to have excellent productions of lots and lots of good tasting medium sized tomatoes. Box Car Willie and Mule Team are similar to Red Brandywine in most respects, in my opinion, and those last two have been some of the tomatoes that produced exceptionally well in my garden. I second (or third) Jaune Flamme. So many medium-small orange tomatoes that I never knew what to do with them. And the flavor is notably different from almost any other tomato I have grown, but still a very good flavor. It has been one of my favorites. Early Wonder always produced loads of small, flattened, good tomatoes. Most Cherry tomatoes are outstandingly productive. That is the nature of cherries. I haven't had good STRONG PRODUCTION from any of the bicolors, like Pineapple, |
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| This is first year of growing Amazon Chocolate for me but I am already impressed. One plant was WOW planted zone 5 Chicago May 1, currently 3-4´ tall and has 6 green tomatoes. Another plant was planted May 14 into raised beds- has 2 tomatoes going currently. Both are blooming. Weather has been rainy and on cool side till about last week. |
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