I really like Juliet as well. It was VERY prolific for me last year, despite my problems with black walnut trees. It also makes the perfect dried tomato. Slice in half, and dry cut side up in the dehydrator, just wonderful tossed with pasta garlic and olive oil! They are the perfect size for snacking.

I will plant one juliet. Every body needs just one. Kids next door love them. Can't see planting inside under lights though, it need lots and lots of room. Guess maybe you mean to just start it under lights.

Thanks for the dried tomato idea, greenmulberry. I definitely will try it this year.

I'll be starting them under lights next week, colokid. I'll plant two in the garden and two in my Inverted/Garden planter on the patio. Hopefully this will be a good tomato season in Naperville!
Jean

I like Juliet too, though what I grow now is from saved seeds so not the actual hybrid. I particularly apprectiate the vigor and the non-cracking.

Jean-
FYI, I know that Erewhon Farm (the CSA) usually has grown Juliet tomatoes. Last I knew, they sold some of their plants through the Heritage Prairie Market and they also sell through a number of the local farmer's markets, in addition to an annual plant sale that they have (in May). You could give Tim & Beth a call and see if they have the plants for sale in the event that you don't want to have to start from seed/lights indoors in the future. They're not too far from Naperville at all. As an aside, I cut the Juliets in half lengthwise and freeze them on cookie sheets befre tossing into freezer bags. Throughout the winter, I toss them in a pan frozen along with al dente pasta, oilve oil, and pesto (which I also freeze in ice cube trays for easy portions). Warm until tomatoes soften/squish to make a delicious sauce. Yum!

Thanks for the great freezing suggestion happygardener. That pasta recipe sounds Great and So Easy! Actually, It really works better for me to start the tomatoes under lights than travel to Elburn because I have a super plant light system in my basement.
Hemnancy, I think it's wonderful that you save seeds. What's your tomato season in zone 8?
Jean

Jean- the zone 8 is deceptive since here in the PNW we are a maritime climate, moderated by the ocean, so while we have winter lows that make us zone 8 we don't get much summer heat. Since tomatoes are heat lovers that doesn't make it easy to ripen fruit. I use season extenders like TunLCovers to get an early start on the season. I start seeds in January to February, and grow them under 4' fluorescent fixtures fastened to metal shelves. I grow them to 12-16" then plant them out in early April under the TunLCovers, which have seen tomatoes through frosts and snow. This makes it possible for me to grow some of the mid-season tomatoes. But last year was so cold all summer that my ripening dates were about a month late, so I'm thinking of making a couple of hoop house structures over part of the tomatoes to get more heat and protect them from the rains in August and September that can cause late blight. I have been growing about 90 tomatoes the last few years. I have 2 acres. And deer that decided they like to jump over my fences and eat my tomato plants and tomatoes.:-( But this year I overdid on starting tomatoes and have even more, so I may try selling some at a garage sale.

Thanks for the info hemnancy.
Actually we do have 2 things in common I live on 2 and a half acres...but I only have a 90 by 100 garden. I usually plant about a dozen tomato plants along with green and lima beans, cucumbers, squash, and beets as well as early lettuce, radishes and spinach.
I also do have fun with all kids of critters! I have a 6 foot fence around the garden with two feet underground to stop the burrowers. Actually the deer could jump the fence, but I have unlucky neighbors with no fences, so the deer just go down the block...
I also had a poor tomato year last year...cool here too. I hope we have better luck this summer. ! Let me know how things work out...I can't imagine what you do with tomatoes from 90 tomato plants!
Jean

Any tips on planting in MO? Any particular fertilizer type or soil mixture. We have a ton of clay so will be bringing in topsoil, humus and others perhaps...

Also, any best trellace ideas?

Thanks

I really can't help you much Jason. I'm So Lucky to have a neighbor who puts his horse manure on my garden in the winter and then tills it in the spring. That gives me an excellent fertile and loose soil. When it rains the water is absorbed easily into the soil. I would suggest you consult Carolyn...and good Luck.
Jean

Hi

Im planting a juliet tomato plant in a 18 gallon homemade self watering container and cant find if the plant is a bush or is it a vine???? sorry for my ignorance , im new at this and really searched for the info online but could not find anything concrete. Any help will be greatlly appreciated.

The Juliet is an indeterminate vine tomato. It grows up to 6 ft. tall and 24" wide in a sturdy plant support in my main garden. I grew three last year in an Upside Down tomato garden planter on my patio and they did very well. I would plant only one in your container with a nice tall tomato support frame.
Hope this works for you.
Jean

Thanks for the info Jean

Amshdoc,

You probably could put 2 plants in an 18 gal container as long as you leave lots of room for the plants to sprawl. But I think it's best to play it safe and raise one plant per container.

BTW, I don't care much for Juliet. I grew it a couple of times. Lots of fruit, seemed to have above average disease resistance, but rather bland. Makes a good dried tomato, though.

The reason I grow Juliet? They are nice and hard even when red and make excellent practice balls. Because they are an elongated large grape size they are easy to curve and sink. I get them up to about 70MPH and if my son can hit these really small "tomatoes" darting every which way he'll do great at game time. Unlike a batting cage where all balls must be retrieved, these just scatter wherever over a large field. One plant can produce a bucket of "balls" every few days. I can think of no other purpose for Juliet. They don't taste anything near what a tomato should taste like.

May I join this thread? I grew Juliet one time. I wanted some of those grape tomatoes that I get in the stores in the winter. I also grew "Sweet 100". A few years later, I am still growing the Sweet 100. I like them much better than the Juliets and the kids love them too. Great for snacking off the vine; never tried drying. Growing pattern from what I can tell is similar to the Juliets-- heavy producing indeterminate vines, but needs support because this puppy is heavy.

Of course, the Sweet 100 are so prolific that this year (like last year) they are springing up in my compost pile, but that's fine too. :)