Tomato Varieties For Florida

18 years ago

I have been reading and learning a lot this year both on the tomato forum and from you wise tomato growers here in Florida. I would love to hear about your experiences and what you think of different tomato seeds you've grown. We have a unique climate and soil conditions. Let me share my novice attempts with some varieties I have luck with and other I struggle with (SO FAR anyway).

Husky Cherry Red and Yellow Pear-From plants, Seeds and volunteers. These are some of the healthiest and most productive small tomatoes I have ever grown. HCRs are an annual treat, larger than most cherries and have a sweet/tart taste with crunch or snap when you bite into them. Denise introduced me to Yellow Pear last year and they kept on growing and producing through winter into about June!! Whatever she infused her plants with...WOW Some people on the TomForum call them bland. I disagree completely, they are so yummy and add zest and color to salads.

Sunmaster, Porter, Florida 91- all are standards and supposedly tolerant of Florida Heat. I am struggling to keep any seedlings alive, they pop up with green leaves...start to stretch and then all bend over and die. Perhaps I started them too soon???

The Dr. Carolyns' fruit Denise brought me a few months back really agreed with me. I planted some of the seeds she brought and also saved another's seeds. NONE lived. I must be doing something wrong, these guys were truly tasty. I have Galina's I am trying(one of Dr C's Parents) but they are struggling too. Maybe I am handling the seedlings too much, yet others right alongside them are doing fine. Maybe I am too impatient??

I am looking forward to some Talladega, Cherokee Purple, GOOSE CREEK (thanks froggy), Matina, Tumbling Tom, Black Cherry and Pear, Denise's BIG ZAC, Marianna's Peace, Sungold, Sugary, Sweet Baby Girl, Super Sioux and Campari's on my dinner table...I hope I hope. Whispering...please live and grow little(and big) seedlings!

Questions about Pink Ping Pong, Sophie's Choice and any of the above that you have tried...What are your tomato seed successes and or failures? Oh and anyone going to Ricky's will get a plant or three of those mentioned.

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Comments (6)

corrie22
18 years ago
Hey Cindee, you know we have the same hit list. We both are sold on Husky Cherry Red, and we both start them over through out the season.
I've tried about 1/2 of the tomatoes on your list. I had about the same results that you did too. That's why I keep changing my list. LOL

This year I'm starting over and starting a whole new approach. I'm starting out with tomatoes that have the most letters after their name. ;-)

Then, from the ones that do well for me, I'm going to look at flavor. Hopefully, with this new way of doing things, I'll eventually work down to a few varities, and staggered planting times, and have better results and more tomatoes.
Another thing that I'm going to do different this year, is try to stay with early tomatoes. No late indets. By the time they stay around that long down here, every disease and bug has found them.

Here's this years list so far, the list is still short because I plan on planting and replacing for the next few months:

What I have now:
Husky Cherry Red - of course
Bonnie Select VFFNTA - det
Parks Whopper Improved VFFNT - indet but early

What I will plant out next month:
Carnival VFFNTA - Det
Jet Setter 2000 VFFNT - Det
First Lady II VFNTASt - indet but early
Golden Girl VFNTA - Det

I haven't decided on the cherry types yet.

Corrie
cindeea
Original Author
18 years ago
corrie said ****I'm starting out with tomatoes that have the most letters after their name. ;-)
****

That's a hoot!!! I am looking for flavor AND durablity! Guys that stand up to my neglect...ya right, I'll prob try another 1/2 doz this season I shouldn't be growing! I used to grow only cherry/pear small fruited. Someone tell me why I think I can grow beefsteak???
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tomncath
18 years ago
Hi Cindee, you've heard this from me so many times I'm sure it gets really old. My workhorse is the Beefmaster, excellent disease resistance and taste in a moderately productive indeterminate. As for the others, I've started way too many seedlings, not sure what I'm going to do with them all. They're all 8-12" tall now and I'm still a week away from setting my plants; Yellow Pear (3), Sweet Chelsea (6), Black Cherry (4), Dr. Carolyn (5), HCR (6), Rutgers - none to spare, Tumbling Tom (6), Jettsetter (6), Big Beef (4), Brandy Boy (6), Beefmaster - none to spare. I'm only going to set a third of these plants so if anyone in the St. Pete area is interested in a few plants to set drop me a line. Other than the BM, TT and HCR these are all new to me here so I can't attest to how they will do in our environment.

Tom
corrie22
18 years ago
LOL I thought you'd get a kick out of that.

Not you Tom, well you too, but I was thinking about Cindee when I wrote it. LOL

Cindee, I have Parks Whopper on my list, but my second choice for beefsteak type was Goliath VFFTASt, it's early. You might want to try that one. (it has a lot of letters after the name too lol) I found out the hard way, down here I need both F's.

I'll let you know which one I end up with and how it did, or didn't.

Corrie
cindeea
Original Author
18 years ago
Well, it's been a gray dreary day and I decided to research a bucket load of tomato seeds Treefrog/David shared with me. Man, there are definitely some unusual animals in this batch. There are a few though I think I will try just cause I am bored and wanted something to do while my other seedlings mature. These are the ones I am thinking of adding to the neverending tomato gardening quest:

Yellow Giant Belgium
Perito Italian (Plum)
DeBarro Black (Cherry-type)
and a most interesting cross someone must have put a lot of time into:
Sungold x Juliette x Black Cherry
This one should be Sweet-Tart-Tangy-Perky-Yellow-Red-Purple-Cherry-TOMATO-Grape!!

If anyone is interested in some pretty unusual tomato seeds, let me know....I have them for the swap or will mail them to you if you're adventurous.
sunshine_farms
18 years ago
cindeea,

Leaf temperatures over night need to be into the 70's for you to have glowing success, even the heat tolerant ones... one heavy overcast night and they begin to struggle from IR.

Planting now, you should be fine, if you'd like I can send you some seed I've collected from around the globe and send it your way, it's all been grown here for 7 years+ or more and well adapted to FLA.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato Q&A in EDU for help.