> Last year, I planted Mortgage Lifter, Stupice and Pineapple...only to get roughly 4 tomatoes between them.

Your problem isn't the varieties you're choosing. It means there's serious user error, or you just don't have conditions that can grow tomatoes well.

> I live in the San Gabriel Valley of California, so it is HOT HOT HOT here from July to October (last year was bad, and it was hot starting in early May). My yard also gets partial shade most of the day, which is less than ideal.

Both of these are going to be issues with larger-fruited varieties. You need to get them out sooner so that they set fruit before the heat hits. And shade more negatively affects larger-fruited plants and slows down the fruit development and affects their taste more. My guess is that celebrity had a spot with more sun than other spots? Of course, hybrids are bred for production, but, as you've noticed, they're not tops on taste, especially if they don't have plenty of sun.

With a yard that gets partial shade most of the day, I'd stick to cherries if you want to grow heirlooms.

I agree with what gorbelly wrote:

"You need to get them out sooner."

That is what I am trying to do here in the deep south.

When July/August high heat and humidity move in, tomatoes will shut down, even if they survive. However there are few varieties that might do a little better. I have no first hand experience yet but I am trying some of those this year:

Prudens' Purple , Creole , Celebrity , Super Sioux , Indian Stripe PL, Big Beef.

Sey

Thanks. While I'm sure there was some user error involved, I've successfully grown tomatoes in the past. I think last year was particularly hot for a longer period than normal.

I also suspect the larger varietal is the problem - one of our best producers historically has been Green Zebra, which is on the smaller side. I didn't grow it last year because my husband doesn't love it.

What are some good heirloom cherries and smaller fruited plants? Are there any tasty hybrids or determinates out there that might fit the bill?

"San Gabriel Valley of California". Wow I'm surprised you could get any tomatoes regardless of variety there in July to Sept.! On the other hand you get two tomato growing seasons and can plant out in Feb. to June and again in Oct. to Dec.

Dave

I've had good luck with Kellogg's Breakfast and Lemon Boy in the past. I'm in the SGV too....Glendora.

digdirt2 - you're right slim pickins in Jul to Sept. Never have had any luck with my second planting. I get nice green foliage, but never any fruit set.

qaguy - yup, that's exactly what happens to me. Lovely green foliage, vigorous plants, no fruit set. I think one of the problems is planting late varieties, because they're ready to fruit when it's already too hot. I'm not optimistic for this year, given that it's already in the 90s here right now.

I had forgotten about Kellogg's Breakfast. I grew that with reasonable success a few years ago. Lemon Boy looks interesting - I'll have to give that a go.

I think another of the problems with Oct-Dec planting is the nighttime temps. Quite often we go days with low night temps below 55 Deg. Not good for fruit set. I also don't set out my plants until Apr 1 for the same reasons.

So neither one of you use any kind of season extending methods in either early spring or late fall? Even here I can plant out in late March with protection and that way I have good fruit set before the heat of June to August get here and the plants shut down. Same goes for fall plantings. I can drag them out into late Nov and sometimes early Dec with some protection.

You tried any artificial pollination with any of them? The electric toothbush trick? I mean sure they won't set fruit at 55 degrees but once it warms up during the day they can still be pollinated.

Dave

I usually plant in mid to late March (I'll likely plant this weekend). That generally gets me tomatoes in late May through June before the heat gets going. Last year was just bad with the heat starting in May, and no foggy "June gloom" as we call it here in Southern California to speak of.

I've never tried any late fall extension methods, but I'm intrigued!

Stupice loves the heat, so you should have gotten more than 4 tomatoes. But if you want to try another variety to see if that's the issue, I would suggest:

Early Girl, Big Beef. Brandy Boy, Jetsetter, New Zealand Pear, Heidi, Mexico, Marianna's Peace, Moskvich, Aunt Ruby's German Green; and really any cherry.

All of these produce well in Sacramento

Carla in Sac

I live in central Oklahoma which is also very hot in the summer. Frankly, I have not had good luck with heirlooms here other than cherry size. Early tomatoes work best, so I will normally grow new girl, Anna's Russian, 4th of July and Siletz. One heirloom that does do well here is Arkansas Traveler. Pretty heat resistant and produces well, at least in this region.

Sometimes the best strategy for hotter climates is to simply have two crops (second planted in June or July, but even here early is better. I do agree that heirlooms generally have better taste, but I don't have the garden space to plant a Brandywine that produces 3 or 4 tomatoes. The better hybrids also have wonderful taste compared to the fruit you are going to get at the store. Life is a series of trade offs. This is one of them.

There are plenty of early "heirlooms". It's a misconception that all there is to heirlooms is big, late beefsteaks. People have been breeding tomatoes a long time, and not just in places with long tomato-appropriate seasons.

I love lemon boy. I'm over on the other coast but we hit 90-100 from late June to mid August. My lemon boys have always continued to produce for me.