It's time to put them out and these are the seedlings I have grown that can go out. I do have a Sun sugar (I thought it was a sun gold, I misread, I've grown the sun gold but never a sun sugar before), a chocolate fruit jelly, a Cherokee purple (never grown but I heard good things) and I believe a Purple bumblebee. I also have a stunted purple smaragrd (it was growing inside, I just potted it up today after hardening it off the past week or so, but not sure if it will grow larger, it's making tomatoes but none have ripened yet). I wish I could grow one of each kind, but soil is so expensive that I'm starting to think I'm going to have to narrow it down to maybe 2-4). Which of these would you pick if it were you?
Here's my thoughts right now. I was told before on here (I already had my seedlings going) Yellow Pear is not that impressive compared to others so it's kind of at the bottom. And I'm thinking Fat Frog could be worth it because it won't need as big of container so I could squeeze it in. I'm really curious about white tomatoes, I've never seen one in person and never knew they existed until I saw these seeds for sale, but then I heard they aren't that good?
by erebusstar
21 Comments
I also have a black sea man seedling as well that I forgot about putting on there.
I’m leaning towards the cherry varieties, I love beefsteaks but nothing beats having fruit ripen every day
Black cherry definitely.
We only grow Bush Beefstake (6 plants) and 1 Sweet Millions. They’re enough to keep us and our neighbors happily in tomatoes.
I have grown the last three.
Black cherry is always good. Not prolific but very tasty and different flavour to red toms.
Sweet 100 is super sweet and prolific.
Yellow pear is milder flavour but very prolific. Must have had several hundred if not close to 1000 fruit off one plant, many years ago. It grew 4m up into my neighbour’s camellia shrub.
I’d be keen to try Fat frog just for the name alone, but doubt it’s available here in NZ.
I’m growing a Fat Frog this season. It’s doing well so far! Usually I just grow sun gold, super sweet, black cherry, marzano and plum. Trying 3 new micro dwarfs this year: fat frog, tiny tiger and purple boy. We’ll see how they do.
Definitely huge fan of the super sweet and black cherry. Super sweet is just such a classic flavor and the black ones are more hearty.
Have fun with your choices!
The most prolific one which is the Supersweet 100?
I agree that yellow pear is underwhelming.
Black Seaman is amazing! I would definitely grow that one. I’m partial to black/purple tomatoes. Cherokee purple is delicious but it never performs well in my zone 6B/7a Midwest. I’d also grow the purple bumblebee and sunsugar
Sweet 100(million) and my new co-favorite black cherry.
Depends on the criteria.
If I wanted to go all-in on flavor, with no concern for production? Aunt Ruby’s doesn’t produce well for me (although it might for you! I have a weird climate compared to most folks) so I’ve only grown it a few times….but it’s easily in the top three for sheer eating quality that I’ve ever grown.
If I wanted excellent flavor but not the *best* production or plant hardiness? Black Cherry.
If I wanted decent production, pretty good flavor, and “looks pretty”? The bumblebee.
If I wanted bulletproof plant, pretty good flavor, excellent production, and “kinda boring” was ok? SS 100.
But really….it depends on personal taste, your climate & growing style, etc. (I’ve grown many of the highly regarded varieties that have die-hard fans & had them be “meh” at best; some, my family will outright say “Yeah, don’t grow *that* one again! You never can tell what’s gonna be good *for you*)
I’d agree on Yellow Pear, though. I know some folks like it; nothing wrong with that! And some folks say there’s an older selection of it that’s much better than the typical one that’s commonly sold, too. But I personally consider it “barely fit for sauce, at best” 😂
[Had a “customer” (most of what I grow is giveaways) who really liked Y. Pear, so I grew it three or four years for her. But I hated growing it so damn much (and *nobody* else but her liked eating it) that I finally resorted to a little white lie & told her I couldn’t get seeds for it anymore…..]
What’s the fat frog?
yellow pears and 100s. chocolate and black cherry are ok. chocolate cherries were ususally a bigger cherry(1″ 1.25″.
Sweet 100. It’s nice to have something reliable.
Kinda depends on your climate tbh. Yellow pear becomes a whole lot more impressive if you live in a desert climate and it has to fight for its life lol. When it struggles a bit the tomatoes have better flavor.
My aunt rubys german green is definitely the strongest and beefiest growing at the moment.
None. Purple Cherokee. You’ll thank me later. Oh and Mr stripey.
Aunt Ruby’s is my all time favorite
From your list, I am growing both black cherry and super snow white cherry. I have heard enough good reviews of Aunt Ruby’s German Green that I’m on the lookout for seeds.
I’ve grown both chocolate cherry and super sweet 100. I won’t be growing either of them again. Chocolate cherry was the better of the two, but it was so difficult to harvest because they don’t pop off the vine easily and most would rip when I pulled them.
I have seeds for purple bumblebee but didn’t start them this year
I’ve also heard yellow pear is lackluster. I grew a red pear called baby roma and it was terrible!
Chocolate cherry!
Super snowy white is really good. Would like to find one sometime as I’ve grown them in the past but not sure where any seeds went
I grow purple bumblebee every year, skin is a little thick but boy do they keep! Great flavor, very productive tice