Hi,
I am going to be growing Siletz but haven't started yet since I am in zone 6. I don't see Siletz talked about much on GW for some reason. I chose it because I am in New England and have a short growing season and I need "early"s. I wish I could tell you how it tastes!
P.S. I'm jealous of all your garden space - I have just two small plots!

The Siletz Tomato,along with Oregon Spring, was developed at Oregon State for the PNW envoirnment. The Oregon Spring,for me,was a much better Tomato. I liken the Siletz to a typical Store bought tomato,but thats just me.

I agree Oregon Spring is much better--Siletz is fairly bland.

Carla in Sac

I have grown both and agree, Siletz is not noteworthy, but for me Oregon Spring wasnt either. And they ripened at about the same time as everything else. I did only grow them one time, so you have to figure in soil, water, etc. They definitely WERE better than store bought tomatoes, though.

Thanks for the feedback! I didn't realize that Siletz (and apparently the similar Oregon Spring) was made for the Pacific Northeast environment. Does that mean it won't grow well in extreme heat? I live in the San Fernando Valley, which is an extremely hot suburb of Los Angeles.

As a former resident of Hollywood, I'm very familiar with the SFV. I'd recommend you try Stupice. It is both heat and cold tolerant. It will stick with you throughout summer, even though production may temporarily halt, and then continue producing smallish but delicious red tomatoes into December. Even though the Valley gets some really hot days, I think just about any variety should do well there with good soil and adequate watering. I, too, am jealous of all your garden space!

Actually it's my experience that both the PNW tomatoes and the early tomatoes, LOVE the heat, and develop flavors they miss in colder climates. Stupice is a great example--it shines in the heat.

Carla in Sac

I have seeds for Pearly Pink cherry too. I was hoping somebody would comment on thier opinion of it.

Melissa

How interesting, I've grown Siletz and thought it was good for an early mater, not outstanding but also not crappy. It makes a good amount of red "salad size" tomatoes.

T

Trudi, I grew Siletz years ago and the tomatoes were larger than salad size. I recall 6 to 10 ounce size. A pretty big tomato for an early. BTW, got my WS container out there about a week ago. Trying a WS KBX this year...:)

Anyway, my Siletz were watery and bland as well. Determinate 3 feet tall tops. But very early for such a large tomato.

Wow, yours were bigger than mine but at that time I was still new to growing maters, I wouldn't blame the size on the tomato but on my lack of skills and very poor soil. When I say salad-size I mean about the size of the tomato in the four-pack sleeve you can get at the supermarket, to me that was always a salad tomato because when I was growing up and a young bride that was the tomatoes we quartered and put into salads ;-)

Good luck with your WS toms! I think you'll enjoy it a lot.

T

GÂDay Brigittatony and Melissa!

I grew out this variety in the 2004 season. It did not perform all that well for me, presumably objecting to the hot, dry summer we had Down Under. The name is quite apt; the fruit is the shape of an elongated cherry and is a gorgeous rose pink hue with a striking pearly luster. As with a lot of cherry types, the flavor is more pronounced before the fruit gets overripe. My two plants exhibited medium growth habit. I think if grown in areas with milder summers than our extreme heat Down Under it would be more prolific and produce tastier fruits. Try it and see for yourself.

Let me tell you about Siletz. I have grown them for the last three years. The first time they were early, and pretty good. The next two years, they were early but we got some unexpected rains during the summer, and they opened up (split) like a two dollar suitcase..I mean like, 1/4 inch splits.
But, where you are, I dont believe you have any summer rains at all, so they might be allright.
Good Luck, Bill

I quit growing 'Siletz', as they were bland to me. In Sacto 'Green Grape' were outstanding performers for me and yummy as well.

Dan

Buena Fortuna with your Garden

I am sure whatever comes up will be exciting and tasty

all the feedback from others is interesting + valuable

THO - I am with you
I chose my seeds on whim
and wish I had done some more in depth research

I tried Siletz one year, as I am in the PNW and was VERY disappointed in them. As others have said,they were very bland and no better than store bought. I have not and will not grow them again.

I'll let you know my experience in about 60 days! Have one growing in a hydro chamber at the office now.

Can't believe any homegrown tomato is not better than one bought at a supermarket.

Mike

I have a very different growing season, but I also did not like Siletz at all. I've never grown Pearly Pink. My favorite early is Bloody Butcher, but it does not like heat. I tandem plant my BBs with a later tomato and pull them up when it gets too hot. This system works out really really well.

You might also want to try Mortgage Lifter. It's not technically an early, but the huge tomatoes ripened soon after my cherry tomatoes. Lifter also doesn't mind the heat we have here so might have a shot there. Cosmonaut Volkov is also a great early tomato. Not as early as others, but it has a great flavor. I think it likes it pretty cold though. You should really grow Paul Robeson. That's a tomato that makes me wish I lived in your area, during the cold the flavor is bland, but when it's hot, wow! It loves the heat, but you need to keep it well watered with good drainage.

FYI, one of my greatest disappointments in the garden was from Red Zebra. It was mealy and bland and took forever to ripen. I was so looking forward to it because of Green Zebra, which is one of my favorites. But, climate is a big player in flavor, so it might not be terrible in your garden. Good luck!

Never had any luck with Oregon Spring. Always get at least a few delicious Siletz in my unheated greenhouse in AK.

I live in PNW, and my Siletz was the only plant to produce in quantity during last year's cold wet summer.
I thought it much better than Early Girl.

i think i'm going to try the old open pollinated new yorker as my early tomato, i remember a nice taste, i also hear sophies choice is a good one. then there is the yellow taxi. anyone know of an early that produces all season. i also have heard good things about burpees fourth of july, i tried clear pink, a great tomato but doesn't last long but it did give alot of fruit. mayber stagger a few.

4th of July is a great tomato. It's early and produces for us all season in Northeast Kansas. Size is golf ball +. Our favorite early is Jaune Flamme (it produces early through late ..... but not super late). Some other earlies that have produced all season for us include: Matina, Moravsky Div, Pale Perfect Purple, Stupice and Kimberley.

Shell