* Size ?

* Taste ?

* Productivity ?

* Others (please specify)

Linda

Dave

Now, I'm not trying to demean those other things, but if you have 19,999 bushels of bad tasting tomatoes that are the size of softballs, it just ain't as good as one tomato that excites the tastebuds and makes the sandwich or salad "special" and memorable.

To me, tomatoes are all about the quality of the eating experience. Your results may be different.

With tongue in cheek.

Ted

I think there is more than just one criteria.

Definitely taste and productivity are important to me. Why waste my time and garden space growing something that does not taste good and not producing well !?.

The other thing for me is earliness b/c we have a short warm growing season. I would not grow anything anymore that it takes 90+ days to get the first ripe fruits.

I'm in an area where we can grow tomatoes most of the year, so don't have to worry so much about early or late.

To me taste is above everything by far. I want a juicy tomato with a blend of sweet & acid taste that ranges from that classic tomato taste to a taste heavy on acid. Vinegar, lemon juice, and the like are among my favorite flavors so a highly acidic tomato is a good pick for me. This year I am loving Azoychka (very acidic, lemony flavor) and Radiator Charlie's mortgage lifter (classic tomato taste), but not so thrilled with Cherokee purple (too sweet without much acid--a good tomato to give away) for example.

I don't like cherry tomatoes. I prefer something big enough to slice for a sandwich. I don't find that cherry tomatoes taste better, but they are certainly less versatile. I can do anything with a bigger tomato, but it's no fun to slice cherry tomatoes for sandwiches, among other things.

If I can have those two things then I worry about productivity. More fruits is better than fewer. This year it's hard to tell what is or is not productive though. Nothing is producing well! Sigh.

Hardiness includes disease resistance, cracking, and everything else that relates to a plant being harder to kill, easier to grow or producing better or worse fruits. I don't mind babying a good tasting, productive plant with big fruits. But all else being equal, it's nice to not have to worry about killing it accidentally.

All else being equal, nice looking tomatoes with attractive fruit are nicer than ugly ones. And I just absolutely love the smell of tomato plants. Even if there is nothing to harvest, and the plants don't look happy, that taste is a great reward whenever I work on the tomatoes. Habanero peppers are my favorite crop over all, but tomatoes have the best smell. Except for maybe oregano. I can't think of any I have grown that did not have that tomato smell, but I'd be disappointed if I grew a plant and did not get that smell. If I came across one, smell might move up the list. :)

Angie