TOMATO VARIETIES For The Back Yard Gardener

[gwpercle]

All you back yard tomato growers ....what varieties do you like to plant and have had good results with. I usually wander around the local nursery , look at all the different plants and select some based on how the plant looks , if the name is familiar (my dad had his favorites) and I watch what the other guys are buying .....
Sometimes a plant will grow, looks like it's going to do good then one day it will just wilt wither up and die...
My selections are about as unscientific as you can get . Having had problems with different wilts and nematodes I decided to try to select some disease resistant varieties that might do well in our hot humid climate.
So what I have planted right now , based on disease resistance is :

Better Boy , V F N
Whopper , V F1 F2 N T
Creole , V F1 N
Celebrity (AAS) , N F1 F2

I hope some of them will be able to overcome all the things that want to kill the T in a good BLT ...we shall see.

I've never planted Whopper before but I'm hoping it does well and taste good .

One year I planted a Brandywine heirloom variety and it did well, loved the taste ...but after that first year I planted more and they did poorly..the next year ...not one tomato ?

So what varieties do you like to plant , what varieties are good producers and which varieties taste good !
Lets have some feed back on what maybe I should be planting in South Louisiana !
Gary

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Rutgers
Taxi
Campfire
Black brandywine
Sausage

Obviously different varieties do differently at different ...locations(latitude) and climates and soil types.

[gpidaho]

Here in arid southwest Idaho I like to grow the Early Girl and Forth of July tomatoes. These are to my taste as they are somewhat more acidic than a Roma and such. Also it takes hot nights to really make tomatoes come on and we don't get a long season of those up here so the early varieties do the best. I also plant some Big Boys or Better Boys but just as they get going, first frost seems to come on. Gp

[Anyracoon]

Cherokee Purple

[Winger Ed.]

Just from seeing what happens to them as they mature,
I'm not sure,,,,,,,,but I think mine are a variety called 'bird and squirrel food'.

[Hannibal]

Unless you really want full sized tomatos, plant some Juliet hybrid grape tomatoes.

The flavor is outstanding.

You can't kill the plant barring frost. Go on vacation and don't water it for 2 weeks? No problem. Pinch off the dead stuff and start watering. It'll come back.

Amazing production. You'll fill a 5 gallon bucket twice from one plant. And these are grape tomatoes.

The skins will thicken in hot weather and split if you are stingy with the water.

Plant 4 of these things and you'll not have enough squirrels, birds and neighbors to keep up.

Forgot to add, you can plant 'em in the same spot.year after year after year. Most disease resistant variety I've ever seen.

[sghart3578]

A fast maturing hybrid like Better Boy to get the season started.

A cherry or grape tomato for summer salads.

A variety of heirlooms like Brandywines or Mortgage Lifter.

And I always throw in one or two oddballs every year. Something like Black Krim or Cherokee Purple.

[Tracy]

I planted one Early Girl and several Better Boys this year. I like to plant Rutgers and Mortgage Lifters as well, but I don't have any of those this year.

[Hannibal]

The nasty truth that no one talks about is, buy tomatoes from the farmer's market or character stand down the street.

Unless you just enjoy tomatoe growing, it'll be cheaper, easier and simpler.

[Iowa Fox]

My wife has 16 different varieties ready to transplant into the garden if it ever quits raining here. She cans a lot of tomato juice and we make a lot of homemade ketchup. We have found it takes a good mix of different tomatoes to make the best tasting juice & ketchup. Years ago her aunt told her for the best tasting apple pies use at least three different kinds of apples, she was right and the same holds true for stuff made from tomatoes.

[high standard 40]

My experience has been that it's hard to beat Creole tomatoes in South Louisiana gardens.

[barrabruce]

Best select your latitude and regional type for tomatoes.
Me being 14.6 deg sth I can grow thing that grow well in 15 degree nth as well.
Hot wet tropic varieties that are wilt resistant.

Yes you can grow what you like and get something thou if you wish.

I used to grow big bullock Heart tomatoes and enjoyed a thick slice on a piece of toast.
Very short season for me and the heat and humidity gave them a hard time.

I was advised to give them up for health reasons but grow Thai pink tomatoes that one tomatoe sliced up covers a piece of toast and are good for stews ,sauces and just cutting up to put into the freezer for pasta sauce etc.

I grow heirloom types and some are just fantastic in their flavour.

It’s just they don’t yield enough or transport well like the green and red flavourless wagon wheeled variety’s they sell in super markets.

[georgerkahn]

We used to have a fairly huge veggie garden, but now -- just wife & me -- we migrated from quantity to quality. We *DO* buy several boxes of Canada-grown Roma tomatoes for canning near sumer's end, but for our now wee garden:
BuffalosteakF1 Hybrid -- A United Kingdom variety, offering large, well flavoured beefsteak weighing around 250 - 300g. A 100% "no fuss" variety which is often the choice of gourmet restaurant chefs, tasting, "what tomatoes should taste like". An often photographed tomato, too.
Bartelly Mediterranean -- one of the two cherry-type tomatoes I prize, the Bartelly produces intricate trusses that look like woven blankets of elongated, scarlet fruit. Territorial Seed's growers counted but ONE truss having 64 tomatoes on it, each measuring 1 3/4" long by 1" wide! A low-input/low maintenance variety it actually surpasses the JellyBean variety (imho) in produce, taste, and (important to me!) they all do not get ripe the same hour, requiring picking before they split a few minutes later ��. I was/have never been a fan of small 'tatoes until I discovered this variety, with its origins in Greece.
San Marzano -- Considered by many to be the "Rolex" of tomatoes, resembling vis looks the Roma.
However, compared to the Roma, the San Marzano tomatoes are thinner and more pointed. The flesh is much thicker with fewer seeds, and the taste is stronger, sweeter and significantly less acidic. (Some with G.I. challenges claim this to be the only tomato they may consume with no after-effects!) The San Marzano vines are indeterminate and have a somewhat longer season than other paste tomato varieties, making them particularly suitable for warmer summers -- which we occasionally have -- while not being retarded in growth by somewhat cool nights. As is typical of heirloom plants, San Marzano is an open-pollinated variety that breeds true from generation to generation, making seed-saving practical for the home gardener or farmer. Some Amish growers tout this as the variety they grow for their own use, growing "mortgage lifter" varieties for market. The best of the best of cooking tomatoes, albeit not to shabby (ask me?) as a pick and eat right in the garden variety. (Tough for me to drive by on riding mower and not grab/chomp one or two at each pass �� )
I do acknowledge that EVERY tomato is a good tomato!
geo

[dale2242]

It`s still a little wet for tomato planting here.
I will soon plant EARLY GIRL, MEDFORD, and ROMA.
I found a variety at a local farmers market a few years ago called PINK OXHEART.
They were wonderful. Can`t seem to find them now...dale

[cephas53]

Wife went through a bout of diverticular intestine problems. Was very particular about what she'd eat. Avoided any seeds if she could.
Planted some "Sweet seedless" organic tomatoes last year. Was kinda dubious but they were very tasty, especially fried when green. Many had no seeds and some with a few immature seeds. More going in this year.

[Hickory]

I like;
Celebrity for general eating.
Rutgers for canned whole tomatoes.
Roma VF for making sauces.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

another one I forgot, is Amish Paste. It is shaped like a Roma and is just a meaty and few seeds like the Roma, but much larger, almost as large as a beefsteak.

[buckwheatpaul]

I pick based on what my father liked; what I like based on my tastes; and finally on their purpose....for example Romas are great for juice and salsa; Better Boy are great for fried green tomatoes; etc......that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[farmerjim]

I have been growing tomatoes for 60 years. 12 of those years were in Montreal and upstate New York with gardens from 1,000 sq feet to 1 acre. In Louisiana I am growing about (1,500 now down to about)1,000 tomato plants along with about a total of up to 4 acres of vegetables. I have participated in 3 tomato trials with the LSU agg center. One of these was strictly heirloom varieties. In Canada and New York I could grow any varieties and they all did well with no insecticides or fungicides needed and very little fertilizer as the soil was extremely rich. Down here it is a totally different story. When I first planted down here I grew Goliath, Big Beef, Delicious, and about 5 or 6 other varieties every year just to see what they were like. For cherry tomatoes I would grow Sweet Million (Red), Sunsugar (yellow), and Black Cherry, (black). The sunsugar and black cherry would sell out and the Sweet Million would barely sell. The problem with the Sunsugar and the Black cherry is that they are not Nematode resistant, and I have nematodes. I get around this by grafting them to a nematode resistant root stock, but this is a lot of work.
After about 3 years all the diseases and insects invaded my fields and I can no longer grow the heirloom tomatoes with the exception of Cherokee Purple.

For my early tomatoes I grow Sunstart. I plant the seed just after Christmas and try to have the plants in the ground Feb 15. I cover them with a spun polypropylene cloth till about March 15 or later if any frosts are predicted. The fabric will protect the plants down to 27 degrees. ( I have lost all the plants twice in 22 years) I usually get my first tomato about mid April, but it was much later this year. Beginning in March I will plant my Big Beef, Goliath, Mountain Fresh Plus, Mountain Merit, Cherokee Purple, Mariana roma, And a few other just to try them out.
Down here I have to spray with fungicides weekly, and insecticides often.
I love to grow vegetables. When I die, I want to be cremated, and my ashes spread out in the fields.

[gwpercle]

I have been growing tomatoes for 60 years. 12 of those years were in Montreal and upstate New York with gardens from 1,000 sq feet to 1 acre. In Louisiana I am growing about (1,500 now down to about)1,000 tomato plants along with about a total of up to 4 acres of vegetables. I have participated in 3 tomato trials with the LSU agg center. One of these was strictly heirloom varieties. In Canada and New York I could grow any varieties and they all did well with no insecticides or fungicides needed and very little fertilizer as the soil was extremely rich. Down here it is a totally different story. When I first planted down here I grew Goliath, Big Beef, Delicious, and about 5 or 6 other varieties every year just to see what they were like. For cherry tomatoes I would grow Sweet Million (Red), Sunsugar (yellow), and Black Cherry, (black). The sunsugar and black cherry would sell out and the Sweet Million would barely sell. The problem with the Sunsugar and the Black cherry is that they are not Nematode resistant, and I have nematodes. I get around this by grafting them to a nematode resistant root stock, but this is a lot of work.
After about 3 years all the diseases and insects invaded my fields and I can no longer grow the heirloom tomatoes with the exception of Cherokee Purple.

For my early tomatoes I grow Sunstart. I plant the seed just after Christmas and try to have the plants in the ground Feb 15. I cover them with a spun polypropylene cloth till about March 15 or later if any frosts are predicted. The fabric will protect the plants down to 27 degrees. ( I have lost all the plants twice in 22 years) I usually get my first tomato about mid April, but it was much later this year. Beginning in March I will plant my Big Beef, Goliath, Mountain Fresh Plus, Mountain Merit, Cherokee Purple, Mariana roma, And a few other just to try them out.
Down here I have to spray with fungicides weekly, and insecticides often.
I love to grow vegetables. When I die, I want to be cremated, and my ashes spread out in the fields.

Awesome Post !

Thanks Farmer Jim , appreciate the input and enjoyed the read .
Making a list of varieties to try , Cherokee Purple sounds interesting !

That last sentence put a smile on my face . Sounds like something my dear old Dad would say.
He grew tomatoes in the back yard from my earliest childhood memories till the day he passed , maybe only three or four plants by then and maybe I put them in the ground ....but he never stopped growing tomatoes .


Gary

[Beerd]

I'm getting ready to plant:
Early Girl
Sun Sugar (an orange color cherry tomato, and a good one)
..

[mattw]

My favorite eatin' mater is the San Marzano. This is one of the 2 parents to the Roma, it is longer, thinner, less seedy, more acidic and has a fantastic structure. I also love Sweet 100's, Cherokee Purples, Marglobes, Black Russians, Prudens Purple and the list goes on...

[square butte]

Brandywine, Ox Heart, and Sun Gold

[trapper9260]

I say the one that will do the best is Celebrity. A apple farm and market farmer I had work for they both grown them.They stand up the best to grow and produce. Then you can put in some cherry tomatoes. The Celebrity grow good out in MA and RI and also here in IA . Hope this will help.

[6bg6ga]

Big boy or better boy grows good in IA

[Shawlerbrook]

Celebrity has done very good here in Central NYS.

[Tatume]

My results here in eastern Virginia won't necessarily carry over to other climates.

If anybody mentioned determinate vs. indeterminate I missed it. There are just the two of us in my family, and my wife and I can't eat or can large amounts of tomatoes at one time. So, I grow indeterminate varieties. For anybody unfamiliar with the terms, determinate means most of the fruits are produced in a short time, which is excellent for large-volume canners. Indeterminate means fruits are produced continuously throughout the season.

This year I planted Early Girl. In the past I have picked and eaten Early Girl tomatoes as late as early December. They are very hardy and persistent. The flavor is excellent as well. They are a small tomato, but that suits me fine.

Fourth of July is a variety I like, but seedlings are not available locally. Sometimes I grow them from seeds in the kitchen window, but I don't always have room. They are especially early, and persistent. They are also even smaller than Early Girl, but again, that is fine with me.

Grape or cherry tomatoes are excellent as well. I have some in the garden this year. They produce all summer, and it's nice to just dump handfuls of them into whatever soup or stew I'm cooking (no prep tomatoes). Most of them are eaten with sliced cucumbers though.

Celebrity tomatoes have done well for me. I didn't plant any this year, but I will grow them again. The flavor is excellent.

My brother is growing a purple tomato this year. I've been tempted in the past, and look forward to hearing his opinion.

There are so many excellent varieties. Make the choice based on your local conditions and family needs.

[Bulldogger]

I planted 2-3 each of Black Krim (my plant source, Gurney's, was out of Cherokee Purple), Mortgage Lifter and some Brandywine (started from seed). I also have a half dozen volunteers from last year. They are likely some kind of plum or cherry tomatoes, and possibly Marzano (which did not grow terribly well in my garden).

FarmerJim, what fungicides do you use? I have trouble with leaf wilt and blossom end wilt here in humid Northern VA. I've used bone meal, egg shells for calcium, and a foliar feed Gurney's sells, but I still have trouble. By end of season the plants can't hardly produce for fighting off fungus and leaf problems.

Bulldogger

[mattw]

When you plant the maters, crush 2 or 3 egg shells in the hole first. Lack of calcium is the biggest problem in the plants. End rot will almost become a thing of the past if you do this, at least in IL. I do not treat my for anything, the kids and I like to pick and eat way to much when we are in the yard. Spread the plants out, localized issues will be helped this way and water in the morning, very early.

[Bulldogger]

When you plant the maters, crush 2 or 3 egg shells in the hole first. Lack of calcium is the biggest problem in the plants. End rot will almost become a thing of the past if you do this, at least in IL. I do not treat my for anything, the kids and I like to pick and eat way to much when we are in the yard. Spread the plants out, localized issues will be helped this way and water in the morning, very early.

Thanks Matt. I am hoping the egg shells will help. I am saving them to scatter too, though I'm sure underground is best. I tried to space them better this year, but confess I do put them a bit close together due to space. I always mean to not have so many plants, and always end up with more than planned.

BDGR

[1911sw45]

When you plant tomatoes also put 1 tbs of Epsom salt in the hole and one spread around the plant

[mattw]

Thanks Matt. I am hoping the egg shells will help. I am saving them to scatter too, though I'm sure underground is best. I tried to space them better this year, but confess I do put them a bit close together due to space. I always mean to not have so many plants, and always end up with more than planned.

BDGR

I know the feeling, I always shoot for 10 or so and end up planting 20 to 25. But, I will eat 2 or 3 pounds of them a day.

[Handloader109]

My wife and I love the taste of the Cherokee, but it won't grow for me worth a darn. I lose 90% from blossom end rot. Water is so variable up here in the summer. I picked up a 6 pack of a Yellow golden Jubilee last year and they out produced any tomato I've ever grown. Medium sized and really meaty. Very few seeds and good taste. We canned a bunch and they did really well. Got another 6 this year along with a single Cherokee (purple) and another variety.

[Beerd]

That Epsom salt trick works real well with my soil also.
And egg shells also. But I use more than two or three. Think Mothers Day brunch at Perkins. Maybe not quite that much but I spread a bunch around and they appear to help.
..

[gwpercle]

Thanks Matt. I am hoping the egg shells will help. I am saving them to scatter too, though I'm sure underground is best. I tried to space them better this year, but confess I do put them a bit close together due to space. I always mean to not have so many plants, and always end up with more than planned.

BDGR
I have the same limited space problem....always plan to buy 10 or 12 plants , I get to the nursery and every variety is in a 4 pack ... so I say " I wont plant them all just 1 or 2" ...Yeah Right , like that never works ...whatever I buy gets planted ...somewhere . My wife's flower beds are a prime target, any bare spot of earth gets something and a huge planter will even get a plant.... a patio type cherry tomatoes will do OK in a large container but that's about it . You need a sunny place in mother earth to grow vegetables .
Gary

[farmerjim]

Bulldoger "FarmerJim, what fungicides do you use? I have trouble with leaf wilt and blossom end wilt here in humid Northern VA"
For blossom end rot you need to have a constant supply of calcium to the plant. This requires plenty of calcium in the soil, and a good, but not too much moisture. Also avoid the use of fertilizers with ammonia after the blooms are on the plant. I use calcium Nitrate and potassium nitrate for my side dressing nitrogen. The fungicides that I use on tomatoes vary with the stage of growth. From planting till 10 days before harvest I use Mancozeb plus kocide (copper hydroxide) plus actiguard (actiguard costs about $270 for 7.5 oz) Just before harvest I switch to rotating Bravo (daconil is the same thing) and Kocide and quadris. Never use a fungicide with the same mode of action more than 2 times in a row. Fungi become resistant fast.
You can download the 2019 Southeastern Vegetable crop handbook Here

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/static/publication/js/pdf_js/web/viewer.html?slug=southeastern-us-vegetable-crop-handbook

This copy is from NC, but VA is part of the book and you have to give your name and email to download at their site. It has everything you need to know about vegetables grown in the southeast.

[Mohawk Daddy]

Big red cherries. I've grown them successfully for several years in a row in an urban yard garden. They aren't really cherries since many of them are golf ball sized or larger. Will produce up to the first hard freeze. I'm trying tommytoes this year as a variation. Celebrity and Rutgers have been mentioned; they have done well for me. I'm also trying Creole for the first time as well as a couple of foreign imports: Stupice from our Czech friends and one from southern Russia called Ludmilla. Have also raised Black Krim in the past: delicious but not big production here for me in Oklahoma heat, same as Cherokee.

[gwpercle]

Big red cherries. I've grown them successfully for several years in a row in an urban yard garden. They aren't really cherries since many of them are golf ball sized or larger. Will produce up to the first hard freeze. I'm trying tommytoes this year as a variation. Celebrity and Rutgers have been mentioned; they have done well for me. I'm also trying Creole for the first time as well as a couple of foreign imports: Stupice from our Czech friends and one from southern Russia called Ludmilla. Have also raised Black Krim in the past: delicious but not big production here for me in Oklahoma heat, same as Cherokee.

Let me know how the Creole's do for you . They were developed in Louisiana , Oklahoma is pretty far up North and I would be interested to hear how they do .
I've got some Creole's planted myself but you expect them to do well in the middle of Louisiana.
Gary

[Mohawk Daddy]

Let me know how the Creole's do for you . They were developed in Louisiana , Oklahoma is pretty far up North and I would be interested to hear how they do .
I've got some Creole's planted myself but you expect them to do well in the middle of Louisiana.
Gary

I will keep you informed about non-Louisiana Creoles. So far I can see that they are already late bloomers compared to some other varieties. It should already be 10-12 degrees hotter here than what we've had. Your suspicion about the Creoles may be correct.