1
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Tomato varietals for beginners

Tomato    State College, PA

What tomato varietals are ideal for a beginning tomato grower? And if they are similarly easy to grow, which varietals are best for flavor?


Posted by: deactivated (2 points) deactivated
Posted: February 9, 2013




Answers

2
points
Some of the heirloom varieties are very tasty but do not necessarily have good yield unless you prune and pamper them. If you are a beginner and are just looking for sum yum tomatoes and plants that grow without you having to prune them, go for the Early Girl as suggested by David. Medium size, ripens early, and has great taste!


Posted by: Rahel Salathé (13 points) Rahel Salathé
Posted: February 13, 2013




2
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Cherry tomatoes are very dependable - both the red and yellows. I like 'Sweet Million' or 'Sweet 100' in red and 'Sun Gold' and 'Sun Sugar' in yellow/orange. 'Jetstar' is highly dependable as an all-around tomato and one I would recommend to anyone. 'Celebrity' is a very similar tomato. Other good all-around dependable tomatoes for fresh eating and juice are Early Girl (as mentioned) 'Big Girl' and 'Big Boy'. The heirlooms are great fun, not always good yielding (such as 'Brandywine'), but often quite flavorful. I like 'Italian Heirloom' from Seed Savers, but many varieties are quite popular.


Posted by: Charlie B. (5 points) Charlie B.
Posted: February 28, 2013




1
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Hi Lauren
I would say for taste and natural defense against disease then the Chreokee Purple would be great. Very tasty. It is one of the older breeds predating the hybrids that came around after the war.
http://www.organicgardening.com/learn...

You might want to get a crop quickly to gain that important confidence so Early Girl tomatoes are good and mature in 60 days or so. http://www.gardenguides.com/103040-to...

The problem that we often face is early and late blight. Below is some text from this site http://extension.psu.edu/food-safety/...

good luck
david

"Late blight is a common disease in tomatoes and potatoes caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans. The disease thrives in cool, moist conditions and can wipe out an entire crop within just a few weeks of infestation. Infection initially appears as water soaked lesions on the leaves and stems. Under cool and moist conditions, the fruits may become infected initially with firm, dark brown lesions that rapidly become enlarged, wrinkled, and somewhat sunken. The rotted areas are usually located on the top of the fruit and may remain firm or become mushy. Both green and ripe tomatoes can be infected. Green fruit that is picked early and ripened indoors may develop symptoms before it is ready to eat."


Posted by: David Hughes (66 points) David Hughes
Posted: February 10, 2013




1
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oooh there are hundreds of varieties available (try Kokopelli for an excellent list of heritage forms) flavour and form are quite wide ranging but as a rule of thumb smaller fruit ripen quicker, determinate means the side shoots are pinched out and the vine grown up a string or such support while indeterminate are 'bush, forms (not needing the pruning). Note also that hevier paste tomatoes (and a lot of the heritage varieties) have thicker skins and keep longer - I've still got fruit cropped green in October which have now ripened and ready to eat in Feb. :)


Posted by: brian gibb (2 points) brian gibb
Posted: February 11, 2013




1
point
In addition to the other suggestions, I'd like to add that cherry tomatoes are also a great beginner choice. They tend to mature quickly, and you will get loads of them. They are great to eat straight from the plant, add to salads, or bring along for a healthy snack. Many people prefer the orange Sun Golds, they are very sweet - really like eating candy. However I prefer the red cherry tomatoes as they tend to balance more complex flavor with the sweetness.

Also - Later in the season if you find your tomatoes are tasting a bit watery and bland, cut back on the watering and they will develop much more flavor.


Posted by: Amie Frisch (16 points) Amie Frisch
Posted: February 13, 2013




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