Besides growing for myself, I start a bunch of seedlings for our local PTA plant sale. I like to pick a group/type each year to trial new tomatoes - this year it is beefsteaks and hearts. A year or two ago I tried a bunch of cherries and settled on Black Cherry, Sungold and Lucky Tiger for those. It is great to read reviews, but until you actually grow it in your own garden, I find it is hard to predict their growth and flavor.
Here’s what I’m currently planning to start about a month from now.
Smaller tomatoes and cherries
Juliet (could also be considered a roma type)
Justnya (from Adaptive seeds - sort of a yellow plum/grape type with a pointy end)
Lucky Tiger
Sungold
Black Cherry
Hearts and roma types
Danko
Kosovo
Fish Lake Oxheart
Opalka (even though I always struggle with blossom end rot with this one)
Kibits (early Ukrainian roma type)
Beefsteaks
Girl Girl’s Weird Thing
Chapman
Solovey razboynik (Ukrainian heirloom)
Plan 9 From Outer Space
Ruby Gold (AKA Gold Medal)
KBX
Cherokee Green
Cherokee Purple
Stump of the World
Prudens Purple
Striped Mystery Beast (A chance seedling from Prudens Purple that is great and I’ve kept going for years by saving seeds, picture below)
Mid-sized
Black From Tula (thought this was a beefsteak when I first grew it, but just a nice sized slicer)
Druzba
Fioletovyy (supposedly purple, mid-sized Ukrainian herloom - will have to see if it is as purple as pictures)
No, this will be my first year growing it. Of those on my list, I’ve only grown Fantome Du Laos previously. Wanted to try mostly new varieties this year.
I’m still not sure? I need to cut down a touch this year as I’m buying a bunch of plants for a new piece of property my daughter bought. I will grow mostly what I like, not much experimenting this year. I also pulled a lot of plants out the last two years and replacing with stuff I like more. So it’s kinda a rebuilding year.
I’m going grafted this year especially since this http://www.territorialseed.com/product/ygt139 is now available. I will probably end up with eight plants but that depends on the rest of the garden. Still looking for grafted Big Zac and Berkley Tie Die.
Tomato grafted on Naranjia is very effective for growers with serious pressure from tomato viruses – unless nutrient deficiencies are being mistaken for virus infection. Another purpose of grafting is to add vigor for growers in poorer tomato climates. What needs do you have in your location?
I’m about an hour from the ocean depending on traffic in SE Texas with high humidity a very common occurrence. I’m stacking the deck as much as I can at this point.
Of the tomatoes ive grown, i really like:
Azoychka russian yellow, big 3" fruit, prolific, hardy, tasty… A keeper in my book!
Juliet. oblong grape large cherry tomato. 1.5" oblong. Prolific and does not split much compared to other cherry ive grown. Perfect for salad and even just in their own bowl to eat like grapes since they don’t split. etc.
I have seeds saved from other varieties like jetstar and early girl and siberian etc and other cherry tom, i like them all but the above 2 are 2 i for sure plan to plant this year! I may plant Jetstar again, productive big red…
Reading this post i think i want to plant JDs Special C Tex Black, if anyone wants to swap seed let me know.
I usually plant 30 to 80 plants. Depending on how much canning we want to do that year or how much we did the previous year… This year probably only 40 plants.
I’m expanding my tomato growing to the front yard this year. There’s just not enough space in back! Or in front either, I need to move to the country.
I’m trying to keep the front yard tomatoes looking really nice, staked to bamboo, so I’m looking for varieties that will stay short and contained- anyone have any suggestions? The only one I’ve found so far is Soldacki, which I got from watching James Prigioni on YouTube. His always look presentable.
I plan to grow Vernissage, Sungold F1, Super Sweet 100, Gemini, and Currant in the backyard.
Its supposed to be compact/determinate, tasty and disease resistant. I’ll sure know more after trying it.
Also going to grow Bear Claw, Aunt Ruby’s German Green, Omar’s Lebonese, and Stump of the World, and a red cherry too.
It is a bit early, but I will likely plant 2 Sungolds, a Mr. Stripey, and a few Brandywines (like a Pink one and Cherokee Purple). Sungolds and Brandywines pump out amazing tomatoes at a rate we can’t possibly consume, so I will probably limit myself to 6 plants. I have had as many as 20 some years and have tried many varieties but most don’t hold a candle to the ones I listed and hardly produce, so I am going to limit myself and grow more veggies.
I would also love to find a tiny great grape tomato. About 5 years back, I picked up a 6 pack of organic tomatoes at home depot. Each plant was a different variety but it didn’t list the exact names… anyway 5 of the tomatoes from that pack were awful, but the one grape tomato was the best grape tomato I’ve ever had. It was thumb size, bright red, and super sweet. The plant grew about 10 feet and had 100s of tomatoes. Anyone have any idea what it was? I would love to buy just it somewhere. All the other grape tomatoes I have planted since pale in comparison.
What was your favorite red cherry?