I'll be very curious to see what you think of them by the end of the season, Jerry. I grew it in '17 and didn't have much luck in my garden! Overall 2017 was a "good tomato year" for me, but Dester had very few flowers and I only got a couple tomatoes. I was trying it to compare it to Cherokee Purple, and Cherokee Purple was the Big Time Winner! Always LOTS of really yummy tomatoes! A Must Have every year for me!

If it does better for you than it did for me and you decide to keep growing it, seed is available at Seed Savers--one of the three "non GMO" companies I recommend to people.

Do come back and let us know how yours does in late summer,

Skybird

Hi Skybird,

I wanted to try Dester based on all good reviews at Baker Creek, but particularly Nick's review (our Nick) in 2018:

"This is one of the best beefsteak heirlooms I've grown in years. Extremely healthy plant has produced over a long season (since late July here in Denver - it's now September 30) and has produced a consistent number of one-pound tomatoes. It is a bit susceptible to cracking at the shoulder, but otherwise the tomatoes are gorgeous and large. We've already had a light frost and the plant continues to produce large and delicious tomatoes. This will absolutely be a keeper in my future garden! "

Since I live near Erie, I should be good :)

I'm in north Thornton--128th--and my "weather comes from" the Erie airport, so we're not that far apart. In my experience how well any particular tomato does in anyone's garden depends on so many different things that I think even next door neighbors could disagree wildly on how much they like different tomato varieties. That's why I'm interested in how they do for you! If you have really good luck with them I might decide to try them again!

If you've never grown Cherokee Purple before, I highly recommend trying that one. When I moved into this house 15 years ago and started "seriously" growing tomatoes again, I was also going by varieties RMG-Folks were recommending, and most of them just didn't do anything for me! But Cherokee Purple was one of those recommendations from more than one person, and from the first year I grew it it was a Keeper! I've never had a disappointing year! (Except for the year when some of them were laying on the ground and the whole bottom was eaten out by slugs!!!) I start seed for my one immediate neighbor, and they love it too--every year. So try it sometime--chances are it'll grow well for you too!

Skybird

P.S. Another one I was "trialing" that I gave to my neighbor a couple years ago turned out to one they loved--but it did nothing in my yard, so last year I tried it again--but last year was when my tomatoes got hit with herbicide from somewhere!--so I'm trying it again this year to see what it does for me! (The neighbors are getting one too!)

P.P.S. Amana Orange is another big time Keeper!

Hi Skybird,

No doubt garden to garden year to year make a big difference.

I first tried Dixiewine about 4 years ago. It started out as a beast of a plant way ahead of my others and then succumbed to disease. It was banished to one of my two crappy positions (not in the bed) the next year and produced about 10 great-tasting tomatoes. It got a spot back in the main bed and has produced fairly well but with the best taste of any of our varieties. That first year taught me that the strongest out of the gate is not always ultimately the strongest, so I will be watching Dester.

I do grow CP every year. I have limited spots. Here is my list for 2020

Cherokee Purple

Black Krim

Crnkovich (got seeds from Oladon and it was great last year)

Kellogg's Breakfast

Thessaloniki

Dester

Dixiewine

Sungold

Garden Gem (possibly 2x)

Thessaloniki is my most consistent producer. Have not had a bad year yet.

Don't forget your delicious yellow zucchini (yes I know this is tomato thread). :-)

Wow, those are some sturdy looking plants Jerry! Hope mine will be able to look like that in a few weeks....

Sungold isn't a "must have" on my list--it's a Can't Live Without It! It's a To Die For! I can't imagine a year without Sungold--cracks and all!

I don't know some of the ones on your list, but Thessaloniki and Kellogg's Breakfast are two of the ones that were highly recommended back when I was looking for varieties to try, and I grew each of them two years--and just didn't have any luck with them! It's interesting that that's such a consistent producer for you! By the time I had grown those two for a couple years I was starting to find others I wanted to try--some by recommendation and some just by looking in catalogs--and I, too, have a very limited space for growing, so I gave up on those two and tried others.

I've heard of Black Krim, and people have given them away at spring swaps, but I really love Cherokee Purple for my black one so I don't want to stop that one, and most of my other space goes to the yellows and oranges, which I REALLY love! And I grow at least three different cherries each year--is there anything better than standing in the garden and shoving cherry tomatoes in your mouth as fast as you can pick them!, so there's not a lot of "left over" room.

Here are my 2 red ones this year. (plus Cherokee Purple)

Brandywine – red – 8-12 oz – 80 days

Sheyenne – red, 8 to 12 oz [first year]

Here are my 5 yellow/orange ones this year.

Amana Orange (Burrough’s Strain) – orange – 1 lb – mid [Must Have}

Earl of Edgecombe – orange – 6-10 oz – mid {Must Have]

Goldie – yellow – 10 oz – 75 days

Moonglow – orange – medium – mid [Must Have]

Rose Beauty – yellow – early [this is the one the neighbor loved that didn't grow well for me!]

And my 4 cherries - have three red cherries this year - still looking for a replacement for Sweet Baby Girl--and I think a couple of these could be "that replacement."

Farthest North red cherry

Sweet Aperitif red cherry

Velvet Red cherry

Sungold cherry – gold/orange

Because of the Herbicide Problem last summer, these are all the same ones I grew last year except for the Sheyenne, which I had found really good things online about it, so I traded it for Early Glee (red), which I had grown for years, very productive and consistent, but a small "salad size" tomato.

Since I start the neighbor's tomatoes for them, it's always nice to have somebody "close by" to compare "how they're doing!" But even with that there are differences 'cause theirs are growing in better soil than mine, and they have more sun than I do! (They also have a couple dogs that eat the Sungold cherries as fast as I do!!!)

Seed for all the tomatoes I grow now is available at one or more of:

Seed Savers

Sand Hill

Fedco

ALL non-GMO seed companies!

I'll (we'll!) be watching for some ratings later this year! "Local" reports are the best way to find the best tomatoes for our "interesting" growing area!

Skybird

I love pink beefsteaks, but I have talked myself out of Dester every year for the past few years. I have wanted to try it, but for some reason or another I never pull the trigger. I will be interested to see what it does for you, Jerry. Looking at those plants though, it looks like it's going to be great.

We may need to start a "what varieties are you growing" thread, it will be interesting to see what everyone's plans are for the year!

Looking back at my recent Glogs, I see Dester was not as productive as others - ~20 tomatoes total, red and green. It was not the best year for tomato plants with hail in 2016.

Jerry,

Your plants look fantastic! How deep are those pots? I'm starting in 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" pots, trying to save myself at least one up-potting. I think your's are deeper. You are sure doing it right!

Hi Treebarb,

I really hate transplanting, so I start in these that are 3.5x3.5x5 inches deep. I don't up-size the pot unless I really have to.

The exception is basil and other herbs that I use smaller pots for as I plant later and the plants don't get that big.

3.5" deep square