I planted the end of may, and all plants are off to a terrific start (all with loads of flowers).

Aunt Ruby's German Green 3x
Brandywine 3.5x (2 plants separate + 2 in one hole)
Mortgage Lifter 1x
Cherokee Purple 1x
Persimmon 1x
Green Zebra 1x
Unknow Roman Beefsteak 1x
Unknown Roman Paste 1x
Pineapple 1x

let's hope we dont get a heat wave and get those blossoms dropping.

forgot San Marzano redorta (this appears to be almost the same as opalka from the 2 years I have grown it - huge plants with loads and loads of fruit)

"Celebrity- First year. Very healthy looking plant, setting VERY well, loads nicely shaped fruit. Not quite as compact as I was expecting, but not running away from me either. I'm liking what I'm seeing so far. Taste to be determined, but I'm hopeful. "

Celebs are good producers, quite tasty, and easy to grow. I always plant one every year. I seem to have more BER on the Celebs, but that could just be me and my climate.

Matter of fact, my Celeb this year has the most toms, and will likely give me my first ripe slicer (even ahead of the Early Girl).

Nice collection of Toms BTW.

Had very similar results with some of the varieties you list. Kelloggs b-fast tasted great but not worth the trouble of pruning and spraying all the time. Besides, why plant this one when you can go with Aunt Gerties Gold (similar taste with better yields and disease resistance)??

Some other excellent tasting ones I've found with good yields and no worries about foliage....

- Gary O'Sena
- Neves Azorean Red
- Black Cherry
- Cherokee Green
- Carbon

Morning Foose,

My results mirrored yours in most cases:

Big Mama...very little fruit produced.

Opalka...my results were very different from yours. A really wimpy plant with very little production and small fruit.

Big Beef...very happy with those plants. Large, well formed fruit and very productive plants. Will be my staple for next year.

Brandy Boy...mixed results. Some well formed fruit but also a lot of malformed fruit with catfacing but I think that was caused by an erratic spring with cold temps interspersed with warm days which affected the blossoms. However, a large and tasty tomato!!

Kellogg's bkfst...won't grow it again. Ditto with Marianna's Peace. Very little production.

I might give Cherokee Purple another try but most of the fruit were smaller than I'd like. However, a tasty tomato.

cheers

bing

I have had the best time this year with a big garden plot and this pic shows the first tomato of the season, a Marglobe ... just in time for July 4 !! http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/irishendry/marglobe.jpg"; border="0" alt="Photobucket">

let me try this again LOL [IMG]http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/irishendry/marglobe.jpg[/IMG]

Rane,
Here ya go... the format to post your picture should be: >img src="http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn163/irishendry/marglobe.jpg"but reverse both the > and !! Don't forget the url has to be between double quotes " "
Terry Light
Oak Hill, Virginia

"Opalka...my results were very different from yours. A really wimpy plant with very little production and small fruit."

-Bingster

This year has been very different for me too. Last time I grew it, my plants were exactly as you described. Seed was started from the same pack both years, acquired from Sandhill Preservation. The plant does not exhibit the wimpy looking plant common with some pastes and oxhearts. Nope, this is one of my healthiest looking plants, showing some resistance to blight, and loaded with fruit. The tomatoes are not looking like the typical, oblong, pastes either. Most are slightly oval shaped, but not even Roma shaped, just a little out of round, and some nearly round. Here look....

And look at it's next door neighbor, Big Mamma....pathetic...

It's been pretty dry here this past month. 2-3 out of my 16 plants look pretty stressed, Big Mamma being one of them. The rest are doing great. I have watered a couple times thinking Mamma was just dry, and would perk up after a good soak, but nothin' doin'.

Foose,
Have you considered the possibility that isn't Opalka? It doesn't look like it to me -- neither the plant or the tomatoes.

Terry Light
Oak Hill, Virginia

Foose,

I'm with Terry...I don't think that's Opalka. The Big Mama looks right but I'll bet that other plant isn't Opalka.

cheers

Bing

I've been having doubts too. But I assure you, this came from a pack of Opalka seed from Sandhill. The first time I planted from that pack, I got exactly what most of you described. I was pretty darn careful when I planted and labeled, and besides, I don't have any other seed that would match this plant's description. Whatever it is, I'm gonna save seed if it's remotely good in the flavor dept. This one's behaving and producing too nicely to ignore.

Anyone have any ideas what it *might* be? I started that seed well after the others, it was a late addition, so the room for error on my part was even less. It looked wimpy and temperamental in the beginning after it was planted out, but quickly grew out of that. I know Sandhill is a source that I've seen Carolyn recommend several times, so I'm very surprised to see this kind of mix up. I don't think any source is immune to making errors, whether human or acts of nature. I know Burpee gets some bad press around here from time to time, but everything I've grown from them have been true to type, be it hybrid or heirloom.

Early Girl. I've grown it every year that I have grown tomatoes. It's always been reliable so I'll plant it again next year.

Roma. I may not plant it next year. The tomatoes are a bit small. I am sure I'll have a few volunteers.

Celebrity. Off my list for next year. My plants don't have a lot of foliage and the tomatoes have sun scald.

Jet Star. I got a late start with these. I'll give them another try next year.

Big Beef. Off my list for next year. The plants started out real well. Then the bottom leaves turned brown. The tomatoes are a bit too large.

Opalka. I'll try them again next year, The plants are not as prolific as I would like and the tomatoes are a tad small.

Rutgers. Off my list for next year. The plants are my least health plants and the yield is low.

Although not on your list, My big surprise this year was Sioux. Next year they'll take the place of Celebrity and Big Boy. I'll also be planting more Supersonic and First Lady.

Zeuspaul