Six tomato vines: some successes, some failures

[Jenise]

This year I planted six different tomato varieties, some I'd never heard of. Two, in particular, are worth seeking out again next year and one of them is a godsend of an early bearer for us in growth-challenged northern climes: Linda Stradley, Joe Carey, Christina Georgina--you want this tomato!

That would be the Fourth of July so named because it will give you fruit that early. I bought the 10" plant at Seattle's Whole Foods Market on May 4th and didn't get around to actually planting it until three weeks later, around May 22nd. On June 20th, I harvested my first tomato. I have never harvested even an Early Girl here before August 1st. The low-hanging fruits on this relatively compact, determinant style plant are golf ball sized with thick skins, and sweet, acidic flesh. The plant is prolific, and I've been able to pick a tomato or two just about every other day, and it's hardly spent yet. There are 8 to 10 tomatoes ripening on it right now. If I can find this variety again, next year I'll plant two.

I've gotten nice fruit throughout July from another compact early bearer called a Santa Cruz that I planted in a pot. The fruit isn't as sharp and tasty as the Fourth of July, but I've been no less grateful to have it around.

Three other Whole Foods purchases from May 4th: a never-before-heard-of one called Vintage Wine. It has the best position in the entire raised bed but in spite of that has grown quite gangly without producing very many blossoms. No sign of a ripe or even ripening tomato on that one yet. Wouldn't buy again. Also a Green Zebra, which ripened two tomatoes already budded out at the time of purchase but none since, and it has set comparatively few new fruits. A bust I'd say, and very disappointing as I love this particular tomato and had great success last year (and that was a cooler summer by far) with a red zebra. And lastly, a Yellow Brandywine which though I've only had one tomato from it so far, there are plentiful large fruit beginning to turn color so this one's turning out to be quite studly. However, I'm not actually sure it's a yellow brandywine--the fruit is brandywine shaped, but the one I got was red with a lot of dripping gold stripes (not blushes in the flesh like a Mr. Stripey though, these almost looked painted on, they're very fine lines).

The last tomato plant is one I bought locally because I had room for one more. Didn't plant it until the second week of June, and wow what a plant it is! Another I'd never heard of, it's called Tomato Fantastico and indeed, it's looking fantastic. Big robust plant with a boatload of large tennis ball sized round fruit with slightly pointed bottoms. If they end up tasting as good as they look, this is another winner for my garden. The first fruit will be ready to pick in about ten days.

What's worked for you this year?

Jenise, there is a great little book from Smith & Hawken called, "100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden by Carolyn J. Male. Pictures of all the tomatoes, their origin, habits, yield, taste, etc. It mentions the heirlooms you have. The Fourth of July is a Burpee exclusive seed.

For the first time in 34 years, my tomato plants died 2 weeks ago. Only two Sun Golds are barely hanging on. I usually have tomatoes through October. All I know is that they need shade, because we have removed so many of our giant oak trees, they are getting full sun all day. Not only did I get scalded tomatoes but the leaves burned. The oak removal had become necessary as too many of the branches were hanging over or leaning toward the house. With so many branches and trees being removed, other oaks which were shaded by their neighbors got sun scald and disease. I also learned that we give our tomatoes too much water, but this had never been a problem in the past . It was upsetting because we have always had so much success and this year was a total bust.

All my tomato plants are in raised beds so there's never a water problem. The Early Girls are truly fruit laden. I had to actually tie the tomato cages to the timbers of the raised beds because the plants are so large and heavy.

I've harvested Sungolds and those plants are looking dandy. The Green Zebras are coming along fine. About to have some ripe ones. The Big Beef looks nice and healthy, too, lots of fruit coming along nicely.

The only one with which I am having problems is the Yellow Brandywine. It looks robust enough, but has only set two fruits. Lots of blossoms, but none of them fruiting.

By next week I'll be harvesting everything except the Yellow Brandywine.

And I actually got one purple chile to come to fruition this year. I think the black plastic helped. All the lettuces are healthy as hell and my bok choy is great even though some varmint keeps munching on the leaves.

Jenise

Any chance of some photographs??

I think I'm going to do the raised bed thing. The last few years haven't been good in my garden. I have four tomato plants this year that are mocking me with no tomatoes.

[Jenise]

I think I'm going to do the raised bed thing. The last few years haven't been good in my garden. I have four tomato plants this year that are mocking me with no tomatoes.

Mine are in a raised bed (unless noted otherwise) on the north side of my house, so they only get sun part of the day but in spite of that, my plants out-perform just about everybody's around here and I am certain the raised bed is what I owe that to.

Last year I planted 8 heirloom plants along the house. The vine grew and spread out over a 10 x 5 foot space. Each plant was full of tomatoes. One day I looked and the plants were full of good sized tomatoes just begionning to ripen. The next day the tomato patch looked like a scene of the jungle from "Gorillas in the Mist"!after an alpha male rant. The vine were smashed and thrown about. Green tomatoes were strewn all over the yard. All the half ripe ones were gone. The Chesapeake strikes again!

Thanks Jenise. I try different tomatoes every year for this very reason - hoping against hope that I find a consistently early ripening variety.
This has been a strange season for tomatoes in our area- late to flower, few flowers and very late to ripen. Even the Sungold - a repeat from last year - are less prolific. The Zebras are the strongest producers this year - green, black and red. However, nothing has ripened yet !
I have a raised bed, full sun all day long. Not sure what the problem is.
On the other hand the savoy cabbage, brussles sprouts, black kale are very strong. Also tried a yellow Roman bean -beautiful, prolific but not as flavorful as the green. I'm letting them mature on the vine a bit, hoping they get more meaty.