Subject: Re: favorite nursery-sold tomatoes?

From: [email-masked] (Richard Campbell)
Date: 27 Mar 1995 22:46:57 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Greg Tillman) writes:
|> 
|> Okay, I've heard a lot about Brandywine and a few other tomato
|> types that you pretty much have to start from seed, which I'm
|> trying.  But in case they don't work out too well, what are
|> people's favorite types that are commonly sold as plants in
|> most nurseries?  (I'm thinking of things like Rutgers, Beefmaster,
|> etc.)

   I like Carnival and Super Fantastic.  These work well for me in the Dallas
area.

-- 
Rich Campbell
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Robin Netherton)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 01:34:02 GMT

Greg Tillman ([email-masked]) wrote:

> what are
> people's favorite types that are commonly sold as plants in
> most nurseries?  (I'm thinking of things like Rutgers, Beefmaster,
> etc.)

I have failed at a lot of tomatoes, but Better Boy has always done well 
for me. Also, I hear that Supersonic is very popular here in the 
Washington area, but I haven't tried it. (I buy all my tomatoes as plants 
from nurseries.)

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From: [email-masked] (Frank Miles)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 20:54:51 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
>> most nurseries?  (I'm thinking of things like Rutgers, Beefmaster,
In Seattle the varieties sold in nurserys are mostly inappropriate.
Chain-store mentality, I think.  A few (Early Girl) 'work', if you
can tolerate the blandness.

There's no substitute for growing your own, from seed (at least here).

My inflated $0.02.
			-frank

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From: [email-masked] (Greg Tillman)
Date: 27 Mar 1995 19:33:43 GMT

Okay, I've heard a lot about Brandywine and a few other tomato
types that you pretty much have to start from seed, which I'm
trying.  But in case they don't work out too well, what are
people's favorite types that are commonly sold as plants in
most nurseries?  (I'm thinking of things like Rutgers, Beefmaster,
etc.)

						- greg tillman
						  urbana, illinois

---

From: [email-masked] (Dave Platt)
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 01:08:18 GMT

> most nurseries?  (I'm thinking of things like Rutgers, Beefmaster,

I favor Rutgers - I raise it (from seed) every year that I grow
tomatoes, no matter what other varieties I may be trying out.  It's an
"old faithful" kitchen- and market-garden tomato, dating back to the
1920's.  It has good yield over an extended harvesting period (it's an
indeterminate vining type), medium-sized fruit, and excellent flavor.  I
raise it in 18"-wide, 7'-tall cylinders of 6" wire mesh (sold for
reinforcing concrete);  a healthy Rutgers vine will nearly fill the
cylinder by the time frost arrives.

It's an open-pollenated strain, and its yield and disease resistance are
not quite as good as modern F1 hybrids, but I find its taste and aroma
to be superior to any hybrid I've tried.  I haven't had any disease
problems with it.  I like being able to save seed from one year's crop
and use the seed the next year - a trick you cannot do with an F1 hybrid.

It's a salad tomato, relatively juicy (but not watery) and is not well
suited for slicing or sandwiches (the bread will get soggy).

Other good open-pollenated varieties include Marglobe (which I believe
is an "improved Rutgers" strain), Brandywine, and Dona (which is
resistant to tobacco mosaic virus and thus well suited for gardeners who
smoke tobacco and are putting their tomatoes at risk of TMV infection).
I've occasionally seen Brandywine at garden centers, and did see Dona
once.
--
Dave Platt    [email-masked]
      USNAIL: The 3DO Company, Systems Software group
              600 Galveston Drive
              Redwood City, CA  94063

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From: [email-masked] (JPIFLYFISH)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 20:45:20 -0500

I'm gardening in Southern California and the ones I like best are Champion
and Early Girl.  I've also had some great Lemon Boy tomatoes.  If I was to
choose one cherry tomatoe plant, I'd go with Sweet 100.

Regards,
John P.

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From: [email-masked] (Dave Platt)
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 01:08:18 GMT

---

From: [email-masked] (JPIFLYFISH)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 20:45:20 -0500

Regards,
John P.

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From: [email-masked] (Rick Bogren)
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 20:37:05 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (JPIFLYFISH) writes:
>From: [email-masked] (JPIFLYFISH)
>Subject: Re: favorite nursery-sold tomatoes?
>Date: 29 Mar 1995 20:45:20 -0500

>choose one cherry tomatoe plant, I'd go with Sweet 100.
                                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^     
>John P.

I second the Sweet 100.  They're prolific and tolerate tough conditions -- 
heat and drought.  They also self-seed if you're not careful and the 
following generations are true to type.  The fruits grow in groups, almost 
like grapes, and are about the size of large grapes.  Great for salads.

Rick

****************************************************************************
Rick Bogren                                      e-mail: [email-masked]
Media/Communications Specialist                  voice:  (217)333-9439
College of Agriculture
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign