Can you give us some idea how you would rate a few of the BIG production WINNERS in terms of the appearance of fruit?

Steve

S

Of the heaviest producers, what was supposed to be Kelloggs Breakfast was kind of deformed. Bucks County, Big Zac, and Yellow Brandywine were beautiful and almost blemish-free.

Polish, head and shoulders above everything else for yield, was good tasting but probably not a good market tomato. It was a bit lumpy with ridges like an acorn squash somewhat, but very solid and made a thick sauce. I figure growing 2 of them next year would equal 5-6 paste tomatoes!

If I was growing to sell, Buck's County, Big Zac, Yellow Brandywine, Ramapo, and Earl of Edgecombe would be the best high-yielders for customers in terms of taste, appearance and firmness. However, all are pretty late to ripen for me.

I planted Black Krim, Pruden's Purple, Brandywine & Cherokee Purple. The Black Krim (tasted like water) & Cherokee Purple (a little bit better tasting) had the heaviest yields. The Brandywine & Pruden's Purple (2 really delicious ones) had much lower yields, and most of those tomatoes had horrible BER. Too much rain - even with raised beds. Bummer summer.

Did you have yours in a greenhouse? I'm open to suggestions!

I'm curious about the big difference between the regular-leaf and the potato-leaf pink brandywines. Quite a difference! Do you think that was random luck or does RL Brandywine typically outproduce the PL one?

Any other differences (quality, taste, appearance) between the PL and RL versions?

Your data also begins to answer my curiosity regarding traded seeds. Having never traded seeds, I have been wondering how often one might receive seeds 'not as advertised'. Apparently this IS a bit of a problem.

I personally am not overly concerned about growing a
mystery plant, especially if it has good tomatoes.
But I am a definitely concerned about passing along wrong seed.

Any tips as to accurate seed trading?

Thanks,
Gary

doof, Brandywine Sudduth was supposed to be potato leaf, but must have been crossed since it was regular leafed. However, the fruit did appear very similar in appearance to Brandywine. We had a very hot spell in July that aborted many blossoms on the PL, but not the RL, which explains the yield difference.

john, I add composted horse manure, lime, and some wood ashes before turning over the soil each spring. Then I form 2 foot wide raised beds with a hoe. Then I sprinkle 5-10-10 fertilizer on the row, rake it flat on top, and cover with 3' wide black landscape cloth. No other fertilizer is added during the season. Plants are spaced 2'-3' apart in rows 5' apart, and caged. Daconil or Mancozeb is religiously applied on a schedule to suppress fungal diseases, and a couple applications of bt are made per season to prevent fruitworms. That's about it. 3 years straight I've been able to harvest into mid October due to the warm fall's we've had.

Unless bagging blossoms Gary, I'd say there is about a 10-20% chance of crossed seed, based on my limited 3 year experiences.

This year I'm going to try a few tomato varieties at the top of your list plus Pruden's Purple (delicious but BER!)which I tried last year.

Of your varieties, which tasted best (I realize this is very subjective) & had they least problems with BER?

My best tasting, not in any order have been:

Brandywine
Black Cherry
Cherokee Purple
Moskvich
Big Zac
Ramapo
Momotaro
New Big Dwarf
Bloody Butcher
Aunt Gerties Gold
Campbells 1327

I am thinking about your top three varieties Polish, Buck's County & Big Zac. Is the Polish Tomato "Polish Linguisa" ?? Just wondering 'cuz I haven't seen a "Polish" variety without the "Linguisa".

I see Burpee's carries Buck's County but I haven't found Big Zac anywhere. Have you had any luck locating Big Zac seeds?

Fran

Polish is the full name, its not Linguisa, and not a paste tomato. Many heirloom seed companies carry it. Here is what Tomato Growers Supply says:

"Large, brick-red fruit grows to 1 lb. and more and has exquisite flavor. Vigorous plants set fruit well even in cool weather. Heirloom variety from Poland. Indeterminate. 85 days"

How did you restrain them... stakes, cages, no-restraints or a mixture of the three ? Really for the big yields, I suspect mostly caging.

Reg

I never have such problems with Kosovo and it gets much hotter and more frequently here than VT.

Cores/white tissue can vary even amongst a cluster and though while certainly having genetic tendencies are also experienced more frequently when adequete K is not available during high temps.

I doubt any studies have been done specific to this situation, but it appears that intense heat/lighyt even before fruit set, can permanently damage a plant. I can only surmise it has something to do with damage to the growing point, just as happens with frost damage.

Since I plant everything in a 24 hour period, I can only suppose certain varieties are more susceptible, as Kosovo, Anna Russian, and Gregori Altai were last year, and a couple others like Prudens Purple and Early Cascade in previous years.

Its not really white cores. Sublethal sunscald causes yellow dry streaks that extend beyond the shoulders. At a more insidious level, I can't think of the technical terms, but the "shell" of the tomato between the skin and the gel, where there is like a vascular system, can be white with no flavor too, although it is perfectly red on the outside.

If the other plants right alongside in the row with the afflicted variety have no such disorder, than the affected plant does not come back the next year.

If i was a commercial tomato farmer, i think i would grow bucks county and celebrity..

r.

How do you think Jet Star would fit into the mix?

I am surprised you have Supersonic but not Jet Star. Is there a reason for this?

In most cases did you grow just one of each. Or did you grow several of the same and measure the yield on only one.

By the way this is the best report I have ever read.

thanks

Korey