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What types of the tomatoes do you like, and why?

I'm a big fan of Purple Prudence....it's an heirloom dark pink well rounded tomato, I've been growing tomatoes for 35 years and it is my favorite..

most kinds of open polinated heirloom varieties none of the big boy big beef stuff is worth the waste of time!!

I like Arkansas Travelers, simply for the taste. Up until the last couple of years they made more than I could eat, with a good fall crop, if you took care of them during the hot, dry months of late July, August and early Sept. I have had trouble with Septoria the last couple of years, with it coming on after a long rainy spell. Supposedly in the ground and not on the plants that I bought. After that probably Rutgers. I also raise Early Girls for the short period until I have a home grown tomato. miles

Had nice luck with the Cherokee Purples and Cherokee Carbons. Nice, plump, juicy!

I usually plant several varieties. Mountain Pride or Mountain Spring, Jet Star, Romas, sometimes Rutgers, maybe an Early Girl or Better Boy, and a variety of the cherry tomatoes.

Celebrity is about the only one I can get to grow, that will make tomatoes all summer. Its resistant to most of the things that effect tomatoes and with a little spraying, I can keep the bugs off.

Cherokee Purple.

Bradleys are another pretty good one. Much different when left on the vine to ripen, as opposed to picked pink and shipped. Made famous as a commercial tomato in South Arkansas. All tomato's are, which is why I seldom eat a tomato unless it is picked from my garden. miles

Or the neighbors. miles

I forgot about them. I used to grow them exclusively, and had good luck with them. They are a good tomato for the home garden.

I like larger tomatoes, but the Sweet 100's small tomatoes grow well here, and produce like crazy. For a long time.

German Johnson. The only tomato.

I like the Cherokee Purples, but have had NO luck growing them!

Have grown many, many different varieties over the years. Favorites include Jetstar, Supersonic, Better Boy and Big Girl. Last several years have grown Ramapo, Moreton and Rutgers which are classic old-time Jersey tomatoes. Seeds were purchased from the New Jersey Agricultural Experimental Station at Rutgers University and the tomatoes are delicious....

+1

Anyone use that spray bloom set?

Seems like it works down here.

Never used that but I do put epsom salts under them when setting out plants for blossom end rot. Just a little. miles

Epsom salts is prob one of the best fertalizers known to man !!! Two new varieties of heirloom to try this year ( DESTER and HUNGARIAN HEART) all the hybred stuff is just for selling or shipping, not eating! Even the amish commercial growers here don't eat that stuff, all have an heirloom patch for their own use!!

Old neighbor up road used Epsom salts and bone meal. Man he had some big tomatoes!

Brandywine for the flavor and size. Beefsteak, because it's a bit meatier, and also of good flavor for our sauces that the wife cans.
This down from the several varieties we planted the last couple years.

Sweet 100 or Sweet Million
Sungold
Early Girl
Burpee Big Boy (best taste to me from numerous gardens)
Celebrity (if nothing else will grow)

Something along these lines if I can find them at a nursery already started. Seems one of my places closed down for good over the winter. They had lots of variety too

Black Russian:

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/vege...eeds/tomato-black-russian-heritage/319TM

Absolutely wonderful flavor.

Geno

PS, I'll have others but don't know until I see what's available. At least a couple of "Roma" types for eating and canning and also a cherry or two.

Celebrities grow well here

Miles, you mentioned putting down epsom salt... this is my recipe for setting out tomato plants.

I got this from someone here on the fire, a few years ago.

Dig a hole about 1' deep- throw in 1 handful of each (fertilizer, epsom salt, cottonseed meal, and lime)- fill hole 1/2 full and stir up the contents- finish filling hole and put plant in the top half. This will let the roots find the nutrients as it develops and not burn the small plant.

Dont forget to water the small plants.

Do similar, except lime. Tomato's are generally acid loving plants. Some us pine straw to mulch with for that reason, but it will depend on your ground. Cottonseed meal is a good fertilizer for watermelons too. miles

I have been raising Large Red Tomato's for 15+ years for our table. Really ugly tomato but it is the best tasting I have ever come across. It is an old heirloom you can get the seeds here large red tomato. I like and raise Beefstakes also for flavor and meatiness. Just put two rows of Beefsteaks in the ground yesterday and two rows of red bellpeppers and one hill of Crimson Sweet watermelons. My LRT's , cucs, squash and eggplant will be ready to plant next week.

Getting a bunch now. Nothing like a home grown.