Topic: What are your favourite tomatoes and why?

[Deb P]

I grew a stupid number of varieties this year, and as well as about 20 plants outdoors I had 30-something in a 4.5m cheapy ebay polytunnel...

Heinz. picked up in a swap and straight to the top of the charts as pretty much my all-time favourite tomato. I cook a lot with toms and this is pretty much the best I've seen. Massive fruits (1.5-2lb's or so in some cases), almost solid flesh, hardly any seeds, and a flavour when cooked that is very rich. THis strain escaped from the Heinz company breeding program many years ago (they're all F1's now) and it lives up to the hype of the legend.


Next year I'll be trying to get my hands on some Mortgage Lifter cos I'm told it will give Heinz a run for its money and if I can get some, Berkely Tie-Die, purely for the novelty...

I also grew a silly number of plants, about 50 indoors but most were heritage types so the yields were not generally huge. Subsequently we have managed to keep on top of the output, leaving me to freeze very little. I will have to grow for quantity rather than novelty next year I think. I say that now, but faced with new varieties I just know I'll buckle to trying at least a few new ones AGAIN! ::)

I like the sound of Heinz....and have a few Berkley Tie Dye seeds I got from America this year, wanna swap? ;) PM me if you do......

[goodlife]

chriscross...I've got some spare morgage lifter... ;)..pm me for some..

[angle shades]

I've also grown bonkers amounts of toms and  looking for yet another greenhouse.. though I've had great crops outside as well this year,

my faves include Highlander,Chocolate Cherry,Moonglow,Sub Artic Plenty,Eva Purple Ball,JBT,Sioux,Paul Robeson,Hill Billy Potato Leaf, Yellow Submarine.. I could go on and on :) all grown because in my opinion they taste great ;) / shadesx

[bappelbe]

Hi
Nobody seems to have mentioned my favourite which is Brandywine, great taste and low acid. I am saving seed this year as my seed supplier seems to have stopped selling them.

I also grew Stupice, Sungella, Black Cherry and Gardners delight and will probably grow all of them next year as I liked them all. I will also add Costoluto Fiorentino  -all I need is more space to grow them!!

One question I have is do people notice much of a difference between different suppliers for types of tomato - eg. T&M and Suttons (or any other) selling same named varieties, not being the same when grown?

Bill

[cleo]

There are too many to list.

I too grow/have grown an awful lot of `heritage` varieties(and many more to try yet) but some are now  on my `don`t bother again list-Mortgage Lifter,John Baer,Ananas Noir and Blue Ridge Mountain join the list this year.

They either cropped badly or else just didn`t add anything new.

Just because something is `rare`? doesn`t mean it`s good?

I was at a butcher I know well a while back and he said "Have you tried some of Trolley`s Dexter?

Dexter Paul? half a cow and half the flavour for the twice the price just because it`s a rare breed?

II

[valmarg]

Hi
Nobody seems to have mentioned my favourite which is Brandywine, great taste and low acid. I am saving seed this year as my seed supplier seems to have stopped selling them.

Bill

We love brandywine as well, and have had a wonderful crop this year.  I thought the seed was readily available, but looking through the catalogues I've received for 2011 only plants of distinction www.planntsofdistinction.co.uk seem to have them listed.  They have pink, red, yellow and original.  Being a heritage variety you should be OK with your saved seeds.

We also grow stupice.  It's an early variety, which gives you your first 'home grown' ;D

We have grown costoluto, but if I were you I'd stick with brandywine.  Another beef variety we have grown is mountain pride, and we would recommend it.

There are just soooo many varieties out there.  If we were to grow all the varieties I fancy we'd need a much. much bigger garden. ;D

Plum tomato we grow is olivade.  Have grown rio grande and san marzano.  Not as good.

valmarg

[valmarg]

P.S.  With regard to your question re different results from different seed suppliers, we really can't comment insofar as when we buy seeds we tend to stick with the same supplier.

valmarg

[Deb P]

I've certainly noticed a difference between suppliers of Garden's Delight.....some are small cherry types, others more large salad size...depends what you like really! ::) I tried the 'Irish Supersweet' version this year.....wasn't impressed, sparse feathered vines with tiny fruits that split as soon as they were anywhere near ripe...won't be growing that version again!

[jennym]

I've noticed the same difference as Dep P with Gardeners Delight, some small some much larger. Roma seems to vary sometimes too.

[bappelbe]

I have a theory that there can be quite big differences between the suppliers.

This would explain why you get threads on this site where people say that they love one type and others say that they will never grow them (moneymaker seems to be a good example of this- some love it some hate it!).

I have noticed big differences in Gardeners Delight and Alisa Craig, I had put it down to some rogue seed (cross pollinated) but this theory is more interesting ;D

To bring this back on subject - my Brandywine were from a local supplier to me www.brownenvelopeseeds.com others may vary :)

Bill