My favorite for taste is Boxcar Willie, which didn’t make the list It can be a bit hard to find at garden centers. It sells at a premium st local roadside stands. Climbing Trip-L-Crop made the list here and it’s my favorite for overall productivity. It came early in the favorites list here. It’s always been a very reliable producer for me.
I grow a few super sweet 100s in pots because we use them in pasta all summer. I also fill a Crock-Pot with them, a stick of butter, carrot, celery, Onion, and basil for an easy vodka sauce.
I have a very small garden and could only grow 2 tomato plants last year. One “super sweet 100” cherry and one “early girl” and I realized that super sweet 100 was the best tomato I’ve ever tasted and I am planning on growing 3 of those plants this year because I’m expanding my garden! 😁
Before the video starts I feel like brandy wine, Kellogg’s breakfast, or Paul Robeson will be mentioned Edit: How did I forget dr wyche?! Such a great video brought some spring to this dreary day thank you!
First time gardener here! 🙋♀️ I have Organic Red Cherry(Eden Brothers), Paul Robeson, Barry's Crazy Cherry, Blue Gold Berries, Cherokee Purple, and Dr. Wyche's Yellow..all from Baker Creek. Thanks for all of the other recommendations as well...I'm positive that I now need MORE. 😂🤣
Jess, let me start off by saying that I have grown an unsuccessful garden for the last 3 years. Either due to drought, disease or emergencies. I have all but given up. You have stored my faith and curiosity that I can do this. I love the fact that in your vlog's you go into so much depth and really try to give us the best and most from your knowledge. Just can't thank you enough and I will be posting pictures this year of my success.
no garden is ever unsuccessful, sure sometimes you dont get the results you want but I bet you learned from it. you can now take that knowledge you harvested and apply it to the 2020 season!! and for the record, last year was a rough year for all of us!! cheers to 2020!
Yes! Please don't give up. It is frustrating when you put all of that work into it and don't get the results you want. I know what you mean, though. My gardens are at our place in the country and it takes 2 hours to get there. Add that issue to family health issues across the country and you know I understand your frustration. My gardens are in a windy location and get full sun and I don't water them. I'm in Virginia and can get away with that. Consider growing some things that don't get bad with size--like Chinese long noodle beans--so if you can't get out to your garden you haven't lost the crop. I'm going to try those long squashes that people trellis. Sun Sugar is a fabulous yellow cherry tomato that is prolific and bears all season, is split resistant, and holds well on the plant. Plus keep in mind that you can do a lot of replanting--say you couldn't get to something in the spring but maybe you can get to it better when it is planted for fall. Good luck. I really long for just one focused garden season, too. Hang in there. The big quality that all gardeners share is hope for the next season.
@@countryfrau8328 thank you, I am determined to succeed this year. and having a back up plan will help. I will try your recommendations as well. Good luck on your growing season as well my friend
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 Thank you sweety ....we will be growing our own plants this year , due to the prices of plants - Im 55 & husband 58 plus finally so many different veggies , fruits . Bought from Bakers creek & hoss tools , Rareseeds big Catalog hooked me - when i got it cheaper at Sams " and saw some amazing veggies both me & my husband ,plus growing for our oldest Son & youngest granddaughters ages 9 & 8 They r so excited to learn . God bless Jan 30, 2022 Josette Tharp Montgomery County , Texas 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻👍👍👍
I always grow the Genovese tomato because it is a beautiful tomato it has the wow factor plus you can cut it open and fill it with tuna salad or cottage cheese but I just always love growing it because it looks so pretty in the garden
First timer and I'm growing organic Cherokee Purple and organic Black Krim tomatoes from seeds. I'm going to plant some Robeson seeds next year thanks to your video!
Just a note to say that I enjoy your videos on TH-cam, but what I would really like to know is with all of the tomato plants that you grow, What do you do with all of the fruit? Do you sell to farmer's markets or do you have a fruit stand? Would really like to know. Home-grown tomatoes are a must in every home garden and the flavor is so much better than any store-bought. God bless you and thank you for your videos
Paul Robeson and Black Krim have been my favorites for years, until last year when I ordered Carbon tomato seeds from Baker Creek. It's a must for anyone who likes slicers with a rich, smokey flavor.
I'm with you on the purple tomatoes! I also got some freebie Russian Purple tomatoes from Baker Creek last year, and they were fantastic. They were more of a plum/paste tomato, still plenty juicy, and so delicious.
Dang it, I just placed a baker creek order 15 min before watching this, now I have to go back and order more! Gonna be a creative year in the garden. Thanks!
You need to try Cherokee purple tomatoes. They are absolutely the best tasting tomato I have ever tasted!!! I love to watch you. You give out great info and inspiration! I have been following you for about a year now. Wish I had more room to garden. My garden is about 50 X 100 with several raised beds I built myself and planted in the ground also. I've had a garden all winter. Hardly have to by any produce and when I do a lot of it comes from a farm about 8 miles down the road.
So ...this will be my very first year of gardening or ... growing things😊 . I will now google it to see if, in my country, i will found some of these varieties. But,even if i don't, i will still have all of your videos to watch and learn. A biiiig Thank you, Jess!!! For all the time you're taking to share with us so many extraordinary things!
I highly recommend currant-style tomatoes -- so much flavor in a tiny little package and up to 40 times more lycopene! I learned about them in Eating on the Wild Side and grew them the next season. They are prolific re-seeders as well. I share them with my coworkers and they are always wowed by the flavor.
Matt's Wild Cherry is a tiny flavor packed currant style tomato that I'll have every year. Seemed very disease resistant too and here in the south that's a big deal!
I grew white currant tomato last year & they were an instant hit at my house & my work. They were the first & last to produce and stood up well to the diseases we see here in south Texas.
I tried Dr Whyche and Kellogg breakfast based on your recommendations last year and you were NOT wrong lol sooo good! I wish I could insert pictures! And mind you I’m a novice gardener with limited space, if I can do it guys trust me you can too! I hope it gives others hope because I know it was God’s hand in it all, it’s crazy how He teaches us a d His word comes to mind gardening, sewing and harvesting. I know you can get Cherokee purple anywhere BUT this was the first tomato I ever grew, the moment I tried it, my very first home grown tomato, I loved it so much, and it’s still to this day my favorite tomato. But I love Dr Whyche’s too, it’s one of the best tomatoes, and the very first tomato I’ve ever grown from seed 💕 (Cherokee purple was grown as a seedling from Lowe’s) Sorry this comment is so long, I really appreciate all you do and thank you so much for sharing with us. God bless you friend! 💕
I’ve chosen a quite a few on your list! We’re very excited to try Paul Robeson this year. He used to stay in the house my husband grew up in, when the original owner lived there.
Have you ever grown orange roussolini? Also cherokee purple, red brandywine, mortgage lifter, carbon, and brandyboy are my favs! Its hard not to include better boy, but that one seems so routine here in the midwest I always feel like Im telling nobody anything when I mention it around here.....thanks for the vid
Just started by tomatoes... I’m a little late starting because we’re in Florida. Trying Cherokee Purple, Mortgage Lifter and Green Zebra this year. Loved watching your methods and I’m giving it a try😊🌻🍀
We grew Baker Creeks Mushroom Basket tomato and it was extraordinarily delicious to myself and several guests who got to try them. However, I will also say that this is one of the first seasons in life I have really become invested into growing our food and do not have a ton of experience tasting such an array of flavors. so my love for it might be being fueled significantly by sentiment. But others even said it was their favorite and begged me to grow it again this year. It looks beautiful. My three year old says they look like baby red pumpkins!
Me too. I was gobsmacked by them here in Mo. They were my sit down in awe tomato. They were beautiful inside too but the flavor! Did you have a cherry variety that wowed you? Mine was Isis Candy. I did not care for the skins but will grow them again for the taste.
Cherokee Purple is noticeably less vigorous than other varieties. I had one last year that was a runt compared to the others even though it was in front unobstructed facing the sun. This year I put one in at my friends garden up in Michigan along with a White Tomasol and Terra Cotta and the Cherokee Purple is noticeably smaller than the other two so seems characteristic of the variety.
Hi, Last year was the first year I tried heirloom varieties because you were so passionate about them. I had 34 varieties that I tried and grew 3 of each variety. My absolute favorite of all of them was called a Lucid Gem. They are a yellow tomato with purple shoulders. I believe they are a Brad Gates tomato, and grow to about 8-10 oz. so they weren't huge, but not small either. They were the first to ripen here in Massachusetts. The flavor is sweet and salty.. and I loved to make lettuce wraps with them. I gave some plants to friends and they have requested them again this year.
Tomato talk 🥰 I'll share 2 that I'm not sure you mentioned. Last year I grew Indigo Blueberry cherry tomatoes and holy moly, that plant was a tomato factory!! Even after I splinted 2 of its main branches that were damaged by a wind storm! They were pretty and tasty also. The other variety, and our reason for growing, I think you'll appreciate. My son chose to grow Lemon Boy tomatoes to make yellow ketchup. Is it mustard or is it ketchup? Lol I saved seeds from both to plant this year.
Your boys would love this tomato. I bought it at some home store and it just daid Grape Tomato. It had 2 plants in the little pot and even though i planted both kind if late and my hundred plus tomato plants performed poorly in this first year garden for this space, those two grape tomatoes produced heavily, very delicious red grape tomatoes. Really didnt have cracking, disease or other issues. Sweet, full tomato flavor. Produced 100% better than all the sungold, sun sugar, sweet 100, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate cherry, etc. They grow easily and prolifically with no special attention at all. Pretty much ignored. Cage or stake but dont prune. Ben and the boys would love how easy they would be to grow in their garden.
I am a year +1/2 seeing this and responding, but here goes. A gentle, modest tomato called "Peach Blow Sutton" is dear to me because it tolerated terrible growing conditions to provide lovely fruit for me, and because green ones sat on my counter and slowly ripened 'way into autumn, gifting me with treats that I didn't deserve. Yes, its skin looks oddly peachy.
We loved sunrise bumblebee last year - so now I have to try the purple bumblebee! This was my first year growing anything other than basic cherry tomatoes (starts from big box store), and it was so fun! We grew Dr. Wyche's based on your recommendation and it did not disappoint! I also determined that I love the purple varieties, so I am going to add Cherokee Purple and Paul Robeson along with a bunch of others. I am also super excited to try the Wild Boar berry tomatoes!
Cherokee Purple, Brandywine Red, and Sun Gold are always in my garden. Last year I had one called Dester that was good. I'm trying a few of your top 10 this year because you love them so much. I bought your Store Bought Tomatoes Taste Like Disappointment T shirt and amuse my friends who are gardeners.
My favourite heirloom so far has been Mennonite! They’re really big beautiful delicious orange tomatoes. I added Cherokee purple and cherry falls this year! 😃 Thank you Jess ❤️🙏
Debbie Hester you are right about the squirrels we lost on average two + tomatoes a day all season long. It was a race to see who got the tomatoes first as soon as they ripened or got close. The Roma’s and German Johnson (the squirrels got the first and biggest ones) were the worst.
I grew both of these last year and oh my they tasted absolutely amazing, they just didn't produce very much. I only got 2-3 of each one off of the plants. I'm not giving up on them though will be trying them again this year.
I tried both of these last summer and neither of them produced well. My cherokees produced nothing but fused blossoms. The mortgage lifter didn't put on many blossoms at all. The bugs got the few tomatoes that it was actually able to set. I would say maybe I did something wrong but I grew these plants under the same exact conditions as my other 25 tomato varieties that did well. 🤷♀️
This winter I have 3 potted tomatoes growing indoors (because of Jess's encouragement) 2 volunteer beefsteak and one dancing with smurfs that I started from a sucker. The smurfs that grow against the window are dark and the ones that grow in towards the room are streaky and shouldered. I have never managed to grow a beef steak bigger than a golf ball. I think I will have to add painted lady to my list!!
Thank You for sharing your Top 10. Now I need to narrow down which ones I want to try. I don't have a lot of space but will grow some of these. God Bless and Peace Be With You All ☮️ 🙏❣️
This is the first time coming across your TH-cam channel. I had to stop the video at the Black Beauty tomato and write this comment for you. First and foremost, I love your enthusiasm for growing. I can tell that even with all of its trials and tribulations growing still brings you so much joy. I love seeing that. What you said about the Black Beauty and how it’s tooooo precious to just process and throw in a jar with every other tomato. That it’s not necessarily the flavor that compels you to grow it, but instead it’s the joy and excitement that keeps bringing you back to include it in your growing regimen. You go on to say it’s because you love sharing and giving the oddity to the world to also enjoy, so they too can experience a little bit of what you experience and how it makes you feel. That’s so heartfelt and it hits home on so many levels. Congratulations :) you have a new subscriber and I have a new channel to keep up with and to look forward to. Thank You, this video and your passion made my day.
Dreaming of the day I harvest a tomato Ive planted on my own, ill make a video and show you all! This helps me get to the right variety for me, thank you!
hi jess, im an eastern ky farm raised hillbilly woman and have gardened all my life from 6 years old up to a ripe old 56 , i have raised 5 children and fed them from my gardens, that being said ,i always watch you on youtube because i value your opinion and knowledge. you make growing an adventure and I cant wait to try all the new things this year . i just got my seeds in and am just bursting at the seams to get started . thank you for all the work you put in to this endeavor . keep em coming girl have a great day hun. lisa bray
For a green- my first unusual heirloom,i like Green Zebra for the complex tangy tartness of the flavor and how over the top productive they are for me! I know you like sweeter flavored varieties, but this is always one I grow .I'd recommend this one for sure!
I had Green Zebra last year and thought it was really good. An "umami" flavor. I think the color makes us misinterpret it's flavor which was very similar to a good red. It was not at all like fried green tomatoes which I think are very similar to eggplant in flavor, this one was green but tasted like a good zingy red tomato.
I have grown Juliet tomatoes for the last couple of years. I’m in north central Texas and they do well and produce a lot. I haven’t grown them from seed, but buy starts at our local feed store.
I ordered the Terra Cotta Tomato seeds from Baker Creek this year and have 3 plants growing. I have a small garden so am limited to the amount of plants I have space for. I did notice the variety is not yet stable as others have noted. All the tomatoes are green right now and not ripe here in Champaign County IL but each plant looks different. One of them looks sort of Siberian with dark green shoulders sort of like an unripe Black Krim or Purple Cherokee, one of them produces peach shaped fruit with a point on the bottom, and the third is sort of beefsteak shaped. I also planted two White Tomasol as those are the free seeds Baker Creek sent out with the order, both are very similar. I gave a White Tomasol and Terra Cotta plant to my friend in Michigan and she has them growing well in her front yard so will be interesting to see if they also differ from mine. None of the plants are showing any disease, last year I had blight take out one of my two Brandywine in September, but so far these two varieties look healthy here at 40N 88W where we had an extremely humid week in late June with 8 days of rain where my Golden Zucchini suddenly wilted and dropped dead from healthy in just two days. Strangely the white Pattypan Squash is still healthy and starting to fruit.
Thank you. This will be my first year I’m going to work on going tomatoes 🍅 and I’m going to try 12 different types. Hopefully some of them will grow and will give me something to harvest.
I love tomatoes in foods,on sandwiches and salad but last season was the first time I've eat a standard size tomato or 1/8 of a slicer. Last summer I ate 2 whole Thourburge Terracotta it's delicious and most of the people in my circle agree. My neighbors from Central America loves them especially for Guramouolli side dishes. Terracotta are as you say all delicious and very in size. Me and wife eating steak burgers She has Brandywine her favorite and started eating first, said she steak burgers are dry,I was eating mine and thinking WOW! The juiciest stake burger I've ever tasted and best flavor tomato . Terracotta is delicious and my favorite. This season I'm planning 34 types of tomatoes Thanks Thanks
I grew the summer sunrise tomato from Hudson Valley seed last year and absolutely loved it! It was very disease resistant for a potato leaf and was just so beautiful and delicious. I will always grow this veriaty.
Earl of Edgecomb was my fave new tomato last season. It's a 6-10oz orange tomato with a delicious flavor. Very similar to Kellogg's Breakfast and Dr. Wyches but in a side by side comparison of the three, it beat them out! Plus it has a great story. :) It's an English heirloom dating back to the 7th Earl of Edgecomb. When the 6th Earl died, the next in line was a sheep farmer in NZ. When he came to England to claim the title, he brought these seeds with him.
What an intriguing concept: the idea that how a tomato tastes depends on the time of day that you harvest. I'm wondering if you tried testing this idea?
You're such a natural speaker and so lucid when sharing your experience and always with a smile. I've had the 'I just had to sit down' experience wondering if I would ever taste a tomato like that again. That was a Brandy Boy. Like you I grow a few for their yield and appearance such as Mortgage Lifter and Ananas Noir respectively. Thanks Jess
Something I noticed which seems strange is that I grew a Cherokee Purple in a 15 lb grow bag and I stuck 2 more tomato plants of a different kind in with it as I had no more bags, and it grew monstrous huge with monstrous size tomatoes. Other plants of Cherokee Purples alone also did well but not like this one and it lasted the longest too. It either made buddies with the other 2 plants or it was the extra eggs as I put an egg in first before setting each plant.
Jess! You "made me" run over to the rareseeds.com site and buy more seeds. Of course I HAVE to try the Terra Cotta tomato and while on the site found several other things to try. After removing a few things from my basket I ended up with 9 packs of different seeds--took a lot of self-control (ha) to eliminate that 10th packet which would have gotten me also a free packet variety #2. I don't save a cent by gardening, to be honest, but that's okay. Every year I tell myself I have enough seeds and varieties and now it's time to cut down to a few tried and true types. Hasn't happened yet. Thanks for the video. I know we all loved it!
Hey Jess, I rarely ever comment, but you are my heart buddy because I feel the same about tomatoes. I have tomato sickness which is like home sickness when you are away from home so tomato sickness is when I don't have any fresh garden tomatoes. I live in zone 8a...hot, steamy Georgia. I actually had fresh tomatoes on Thanksgiving day and some that ripened inside at Christmas. My number one tomato is Cherokee Purple and I am truly sad when I've eaten the last one. I will always plant it every year...dark red, purpleish shoulders, rich, low acidic taste YUM! Last year we harvested over 200 pounds of tomatoes and yes I do can. It was my first year to start from seed and it was not only successful but thrilling. One that did well for me was "Granny Cantrell"...a very large beefsteak tomato. I sold tomato starts and people here constantly asked for Beef Steak so that is very popular. It also has a very interesting story behind it if you have time to look it up. Thanks so much for your enthusiastic and inspirational videos.
Hi! I know it’s an old comment but…I’m from GA as well, zone 7b. How much do you struggle with blight? How long do your tomato plants last? Just curious about others near me 😉 I did get a pretty huge crop, more than we could eat and cook, still getting cherry and some Rutgers….but like you, I’m always sad to see them go when supposedly they last till frost for some ppl. Totally agree on Cherokee purple, it’s so delicious 🤤 Black Krim as well 👍
@@cherylk1518 Blight is terrible here. I’ve finally just decided to accept that this is how it’s going to be in this region. I’ve used sprays but it seems that with so much rain it really doesn’t stop it. So I usually just plant A LOT of tomatoes and do succession planting throughout the summer.
@@lauriehines8518 I really appreciate your reply, good to know I’m not alone. I’ll try the succession planting next year, thank you 😊 Ps. Cherokee purple is one of my faves as well
I highly recommend a variety called Sioux. It looks like a basic red tomato, but the flavor is unbelievable. I also love Box Car Willie. Many of your varieties are also on my must grow list 😊
My favorites are Mortgage Lifter, Wild Cherry and Opalka. Olpaka is a paste tomato and the skin peels off super easy when you cut it open. Makes amazing salsa!
Last Summer I grew Indigo Apple from Baker Creek. They were delicious! Smaller than the big slicers you like growing. But they are beautiful with purple shoulders fading to red and very healthy long lasting plants.
I grew white currant tomatoes last year. They were the best tomato I have ever ate, any size. Will differently grow them this year. And also chocolate cherry tomatoes. Loved them too. Cant wait to get gardening this year. Want to do alot more this year. Did plant 30 tomato plants last year. Got to can all my own spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce. With my own tomatoes. This year lots more. I live on the southern oregon (orygun) coast. So it is more of a challenge to get them to ripen earlier than the end of September. Last year i did get them ripening in early August. Garden on! 😁🍅🍓🍆🥕🥔🥦🥬🥒🌶
We had an unnatural random sunny day in the low 50s here in Washington today! I was so happy to get out in the garden and clean up and fluff up the soul in the garden beds. Sometimes it’s the small things😭
One of our favorites Cherokee Purple tomatoes. It's definitely our go to , has a smokey umami taste. I'm definitly going to give the Thornburn's Terracotta a try this year and the Dr. Wyches.
I was super excited for this! Although I do get in a bit of trouble hearing all your amazing ideas... I now have 25 chicks coming in a few weeks and just ordered more tomato seeds that I'm not sure where I'm going to fit them in with all the others. You are the worst influence in the best way! 🙈 Thanks for sharing all your wisdom!💗
Black cherry was my favorite cherry tomato this past year! Kellogg's breakfast was by far my favorite slicer! And who could forget Brad's Atomic Grape!!! Gorgeous, delicious, and, funny story - I bought 1 brads atomic plant from you Jess at the Shindig, drove halfway home with it in the bed of my truck (by accident), then planted what was left of it (it only had like 2 leaves left) in the garden and it still out produced half of my other tomato plants!
@@ratgirl44 I didn't find mine to be overly thick-skinned. About normal I guess. Of course I cut them into rings for salad so maybe that helped. The flavor was very good!
Have you ever tried True Black Brandywine from Baker Creek? This was the first EVER tomato that gave me that wow factor. Last year was my first year giving it a try. It was so good it made my eyes roll. Kind of the way you felt about the Paul Robeson when you sat down and finished eating your tomato knowing that within a few seconds it was going to be gone. I had to pick another tomato to see if the next one was going to be as good as the first one and it was and so were subsequent tomatoes from that bush. You know this was one I bought again for this year. On a different note, because I am knew to growing big tomatoes, how many tomatoes - on average - can I expect a plant to yield? I only have experience growing cherry, pear and globe. I think I only got 8 tomatoes off the plant. The same with Dr. Wyche’s Yellow. Also I noticed the first tomatoes to ripen on those two plants were huge, but the subsequent tomatoes were smaller. Is this normal too? Is it normal for the tomato plants to stop budding new flowers when it gets really hot? Mine did and I didn’t understand why since tomatoes are suppose to be heat loving. Last year it was brutal here in central NYS with mid to high 90s and high humidity so the heat index was over 100 a lot. But once the heat wave broke in September and the temps were back in to 80s and low 90s the plants started producing again. If this is normal, do you do anything to help the tomatoes along during brutal heat so that they keep producing? Last, I noticed they take a really long time to ripen. Is that true of the big slicers? The bigger the tomato the longer it takes to ripen? Baker creek doesn’t put on the back of their tomatoes the maturity date for the fruits. So once you see a tomato forming on these big tomatoes how long, approximately, should it take before they are ripe? I’m going to thank you in advance for your replies to my many newby questions. I look forward to learning from you.
Not sure how it would do in your climate, but I always grow the Willamette tomato. Cultivated at the university of my hometown (Oregon State University). It is a saladette... Super sweet and rich red tomato. Pretty meaty even though it's small, so I have always processed them if I had extras. Though I rarely do because it's always the first to get eaten. Does amazing for folks growing in the pacific northwest, though sometimes hard to find. Would really recommend it. Also a really hearty tomato for beginner gardeners.
I've been following Jess for at least 3 years now and have her to thank for all of my garden. I wanted to mention that I adore Green berkeley tie dye for its flavor. Abe Lincoln is one of my go tos for meaty delicious red tomato. Solar flare has been a fabulous producer and tastes great too.
Here in Southern Utah we have a grower that created some hybrid. Dixie Red is one, delicious. Phoenix is another we grow here, that do well in the heat. We reach temps upwards of 115 in the summer and it's a dry heat. We absolutely have to use shade cloth and mulch.
Thanks for the tomato referrals, got on the WBF site and ordered 4 tomatoes. Love those rare colors, but glad to know they will taste great. Thanks again, this rounds out my tomatoes this year.
You mentioned growing some tomatoes in pots - I'd be super grateful if you did a video about how to do this, which varieties are best etc. You've inspired me to start growing tomatoes but I have to be creative since I live in the city - thankfully I have a balcony that I'm planning on turning into a mini-garden.
Rachel McClenaghan you can grow any tomato variety and really any vegetable in large pots. I used to only grow in containers and as long as the container is big enough you can grow any variety you want. Just make sure to provide support for them. I use fencing similar to Jess’s cattle panels, but it’s more flexible and make a circle with the fencing, for indeterminate varieties, I sometimes have to make a double row of fencing. I use 3-4 6’ bamboo sticks per container and weave them through the fencing and push them into the soil to hold them in place. If you’re just starting a great size to start with is the large round toy bins with the rope handles, they’re about 24” high and about 24” across and only cost about $5. They’re plenty large enough for 2 smaller determinate tomatoes or one large indeterminate variety. Growing in containers, they need more water, so make sure you’re feeding them regularly with an organic fertilizer with extra calcium to prevent blossom end rot (BER) as containers are prone to getting BER as a lot of the minerals get washed out. I learned all this the hard way and struggled with BER for two years in a row. I now use Epsoma Tomato Tone and add a little extra Epsom salt also, when first planting outside and throughout the growing season. I’ve yet to try Jessica’s trick to add an egg in the bottom of the hole when planting, but I will try and remember this year. 🙃
@@weloverescuedogs2820 Thanks for all the info! The fertilizer part definitely has me worried though. I want it to be organic but every article I see disagrees about what kind/how much/when and I'm getting so confused
@@rocketshiptomars8 Don't read articles. Watch gardener vids instead. I used fish emulsion and Black Kow. I did very well and it was my first time. You must use a very thick layer of mulch to hold in moisture as containers dry out quick. Stops weeds too.
Thank you so much for this information! It will really help me narrow down what I'm growing. I've only ever grown what I can buy at the big box stores, and while I've had some good tomatoes, nothing has really blown me away. This year will be different!
Jess I would love it if you did a best of series. Maybe one about beans, brassicas/greens, root veggies, maybe even flowers? I really enjoyed this detailed video.
Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed your detailed descriptions. This year I'm growing sunrise bumblebee, paul robinson and cherokee purple. Cherokee purple is my absolute favorite tomatoe but I'm excited to try the other two for the first time!
ok, well......since I have already spent a Ton on seeds, I will use this list that you suggest to add to my NEXT years list of seeds, however, there are a few that i knew you grew and did purchase for this year....I will use them and try to find others similar if I don't have the ones you suggest....last year, I honestly was proud of how many tomatoes I got with my yard being mostly in the shade...THIS year, I will be benefiting from having some trees removed, so I am very excited to try the slicers you suggested. I really have to say that my favs last year were Abe Lincoln and Kelloggs Breakfast but because of the shade they really only made it to about a softball size. Delish though all the same. I am excited to grow more okra this year, and have purchased different kinds along with the star of david I grew last year and loved. =)
Mortgage Lifters, Gold Medal, Black Cherry, Paul Robeson, San Marzano Gigante, Amish Paste, Green Zebra and Japanese Black Trifle. Blessings and thanks!
I love for that true old fashion tomato flavors are the Joe Bratka's line. Box Car Willie and Mule Team are globe. Red Barn and Great Divide are beefsteak so much so you just like to take a slab to put on your hamburger.Jere Gettle even gave me Mule Team out of his own personal stash. I dont get great production but thats just my zone. (Lower Alabama). I also grow an OSU Blue I got from Praxxus55712 channel years ago. I think it was the 1st blue to be sold publicly. It's always 1st to bloom but last to ripen. But, if you can wait the Smokey rich flavor is well worth it.
Cherokee Purple blew my socks off for flavor. Plus they were huge, mauve colored, prolific, and kept on growing long after disease killed the rest. This was in NW Missouri. The flavor was sweeter, more smokey or umami and my favorite for tomato sandwiches. My favorite cherry was Isis Candy but you had to leave them on the vine until they were dark golden, long past when you would think because it really made them sweeter. However the skins were too thick for me as were the Blue Berry Cherry tomatoes. I won't grow the Blueberry ones again but the Isis Candy yes. Both of these kept producing though even after a couple of hard frosts. I had tomato horn worms but the only plants they attacked period were the Isis Candy and that says something doesn't it? They preferred the taste of them. They also grew to 8 ft but they took the longest to set fruit and ripen. Well worth the wait.
Green Zebra was the best tasting tomato I grew last season. Some like to harvest this variety when it's still completely green (but ripe), but I thought it tasted best when you let it ripen to the point where it was slightly turning red. Very nice coloring.
I've already decided to add another bed this year so I can up my tomato plants from the usual 3 to 6.... which I thought I had picked out, but now I want to grow even more!
Mmm, tomato seed planning season. You didn’t have any of my top-10! I will try some of these, but my lifetime tomato love is Jaune Flamme. If I could only grow one, this would be it. Other must-haves for me are Earl of Edgecombe, Matt’s Wild Red Cherry, Costoluto Fiorentino and Azoychka (a yellow tomato that has a bit more sweet / tart tang).
Have you grown Sun Sugar cherry tomatoes, and if so, how do they compare to the cherry tomatoes in your top ten list? If not, I would recommend them for you to try. Absolutely the sweetest tomato I’ve ever tasted. Would like your feedback.
I don't know about Dr. Wyches, but Sam Wyche's son (of Sam Wyche's Sporting World's owner and pro football coach) went to school with us. He pronounced his last name with the 'ch' sounding like a 'k'. It sounded exactly like the word 'likes', only with a 'w'. Thank you for the tomato information. My husband loves...loves....loves tomatoes. He'll find this video very interesting.
Morgan, I agree that would be interesting but, it would be a bit unfair to give a plant the kiss of death because it didn’t light your candle. It may be a taste someone else prefers or even be more prolific and healthy in a different climate.
Loved this video Jess as for many, many years I failed at growing tomatoes until last year & wow I did so well- canned heaps & provided neighbors with plenty. I think this year I am going to try some different varieties & see how I go ( with your help of course)- Cheers Denise - Australia
My favorite for taste is Boxcar Willie, which didn’t make the list It can be a bit hard to find at garden centers. It sells at a premium st local roadside stands. Climbing Trip-L-Crop made the list here and it’s my favorite for overall productivity. It came early in the favorites list here. It’s always been a very reliable producer for me.
I LOVE Boxcar Willie Tomatos!
I grow a few super sweet 100s in pots because we use them in pasta all summer. I also fill a Crock-Pot with them, a stick of butter, carrot, celery, Onion, and basil for an easy vodka sauce.
That's been my favorite cherry-type tomato for a zillion years!
That sounds good. I love those...I put them in the oven at a really low temp with olive oil and salt. The longer the better!
Do they need huge pots?
@@alfrancis8 I use 5 gallon buckets
I'm definitely trying that this year. Thanks for the recipe 😁
I have a very small garden and could only grow 2 tomato plants last year. One “super sweet 100” cherry and one “early girl” and I realized that super sweet 100 was the best tomato I’ve ever tasted and I am planning on growing 3 of those plants this year because I’m expanding my garden! 😁
Try the sun gold! Blew the super sweet 100 away with taste comparisons
Before the video starts I feel like brandy wine, Kellogg’s breakfast, or Paul Robeson will be mentioned
Edit: How did I forget dr wyche?!
Such a great video brought some spring to this dreary day thank you!
I grew Pink Brandy Wine in Missouri and was not impressed.
This is my favorite kind of video! I would watch you talk about every plant in your garden for hours! Thank you for this one Jess ❤️
First time gardener here! 🙋♀️ I have Organic Red Cherry(Eden Brothers), Paul Robeson, Barry's Crazy Cherry, Blue Gold Berries, Cherokee Purple, and Dr. Wyche's Yellow..all from Baker Creek. Thanks for all of the other recommendations as well...I'm positive that I now need MORE. 😂🤣
start small, it's easy to get overwhelmed...
😂 It must be in the name...i am also, Hope!😂👍
Be careful. It becomes an addiction. When I first saw this video, I had 3 different varieties of tomato seeds and now I have 15....
What were your results?
Jess, let me start off by saying that I have grown an unsuccessful garden for the last 3 years. Either due to drought, disease or emergencies. I have all but given up. You have stored my faith and curiosity that I can do this. I love the fact that in your vlog's you go into so much depth and really try to give us the best and most from your knowledge. Just can't thank you enough and I will be posting pictures this year of my success.
no garden is ever unsuccessful, sure sometimes you dont get the results you want but I bet you learned from it. you can now take that knowledge you harvested and apply it to the 2020 season!! and for the record, last year was a rough year for all of us!! cheers to 2020!
Yes! Please don't give up. It is frustrating when you put all of that work into it and don't get the results you want. I know what you mean, though. My gardens are at our place in the country and it takes 2 hours to get there. Add that issue to family health issues across the country and you know I understand your frustration. My gardens are in a windy location and get full sun and I don't water them. I'm in Virginia and can get away with that. Consider growing some things that don't get bad with size--like Chinese long noodle beans--so if you can't get out to your garden you haven't lost the crop. I'm going to try those long squashes that people trellis. Sun Sugar is a fabulous yellow cherry tomato that is prolific and bears all season, is split resistant, and holds well on the plant. Plus keep in mind that you can do a lot of replanting--say you couldn't get to something in the spring but maybe you can get to it better when it is planted for fall. Good luck. I really long for just one focused garden season, too. Hang in there. The big quality that all gardeners share is hope for the next season.
@@countryfrau8328 thank you, I am determined to succeed this year. and having a back up plan will help. I will try your recommendations as well. Good luck on your growing season as well my friend
@@lifeafter5093 How nice of you to respond. Thanks.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 Thank you sweety ....we will be growing our own plants this year , due to the prices of plants -
Im 55 & husband 58 plus finally so many different veggies , fruits .
Bought from Bakers creek & hoss tools , Rareseeds big Catalog hooked me - when i got it cheaper at Sams " and saw some amazing veggies both me & my husband ,plus growing for our oldest Son & youngest granddaughters ages 9 & 8
They r so excited to learn .
God bless
Jan 30, 2022
Josette Tharp
Montgomery County , Texas 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻👍👍👍
I’m doing tomatoes the first time this year here in South Carolina!!
I always grow the Genovese tomato because it is a beautiful tomato it has the wow factor plus you can cut it open and fill it with tuna salad or cottage cheese but I just always love growing it because it looks so pretty in the garden
First timer and I'm growing organic Cherokee Purple and organic Black Krim tomatoes from seeds. I'm going to plant some Robeson seeds next year thanks to your video!
Just a note to say that I enjoy your videos on TH-cam, but what I would really like to know is with all of the tomato plants that you grow, What do you do with all of the fruit? Do you sell to farmer's markets or do you have a fruit stand? Would really like to know. Home-grown tomatoes are a must in every home garden and the flavor is so much better than any store-bought. God bless you and thank you for your videos
I can them for the year.
Paul Robeson and Black Krim have been my favorites for years, until last year when I ordered Carbon tomato seeds from Baker Creek. It's a must for anyone who likes slicers with a rich, smokey flavor.
I'm with you on the purple tomatoes! I also got some freebie Russian Purple tomatoes from Baker Creek last year, and they were fantastic. They were more of a plum/paste tomato, still plenty juicy, and so delicious.
Black Kim was my favorite this past year, I haven't grown Paul Robeson. How do they compare to each other?
@@alexreith4877 The Krims are a bit darker and slightly larger for the most part. Excellent, rich, "black tomato" goodness! I love both varieties!
Dang it, I just placed a baker creek order 15 min before watching this, now I have to go back and order more! Gonna be a creative year in the garden. Thanks!
You need to try Cherokee purple tomatoes. They are absolutely the best tasting tomato I have ever tasted!!! I love to watch you. You give out great info and inspiration! I have been following you for about a year now. Wish I had more room to garden. My garden is about 50 X 100 with several raised beds I built myself and planted in the ground also. I've had a garden all winter. Hardly have to by any produce and when I do a lot of it comes from a farm about 8 miles down the road.
So ...this will be my very first year of gardening or ... growing things😊 . I will now google it to see if, in my country, i will found some of these varieties. But,even if i don't, i will still have all of your videos to watch and learn. A biiiig Thank you, Jess!!! For all the time you're taking to share with us so many extraordinary things!
I highly recommend currant-style tomatoes -- so much flavor in a tiny little package and up to 40 times more lycopene! I learned about them in Eating on the Wild Side and grew them the next season. They are prolific re-seeders as well. I share them with my coworkers and they are always wowed by the flavor.
Missy at Shore Homestead I’m trying a currant variety from @MIgardener that I am so excited about! I didn’t even know they existed.
You should definitely try Rapunzel tomato then. Super tiny but grows on long strings and tastes like Campbell’s tomato soup LOL its awesome!
Matt's Wild Cherry is a tiny flavor packed currant style tomato that I'll have every year. Seemed very disease resistant too and here in the south that's a big deal!
I grew white currant tomato last year & they were an instant hit at my house & my work. They were the first & last to produce and stood up well to the diseases we see here in south Texas.
White tomatoes - interesting!
I just watched this and wanted to comment about how you sold out a bunch of these varieties at Bakers Creek with this video!
Cherokee Purple, Sun Gold, Hillbilly and Currant. Those always have a place in my Summer Garden.
I'm gonna have to try some of these varieties!!
I tried Dr Whyche and Kellogg breakfast based on your recommendations last year and you were NOT wrong lol sooo good! I wish I could insert pictures! And mind you I’m a novice gardener with limited space, if I can do it guys trust me you can too! I hope it gives others hope because I know it was God’s hand in it all, it’s crazy how He teaches us a d His word comes to mind gardening, sewing and harvesting. I know you can get Cherokee purple anywhere BUT this was the first tomato I ever grew, the moment I tried it, my very first home grown tomato, I loved it so much, and it’s still to this day my favorite tomato. But I love Dr Whyche’s too, it’s one of the best tomatoes, and the very first tomato I’ve ever grown from seed 💕 (Cherokee purple was grown as a seedling from Lowe’s) Sorry this comment is so long, I really appreciate all you do and thank you so much for sharing with us. God bless you friend! 💕
I’ve chosen a quite a few on your list! We’re very excited to try Paul Robeson this year. He used to stay in the house my husband grew up in, when the original owner lived there.
Dwarf Purple Oxheart totally WOWED me last year on flavor and beauty. Chocolate Cherry is my new favorite cherry.
I bought kellogs breakfast tomato seeds and sunrise bumblebee seeds because of this. I hope they grow well for me!!
Have you ever grown orange roussolini? Also cherokee purple, red brandywine, mortgage lifter, carbon, and brandyboy are my favs! Its hard not to include better boy, but that one seems so routine here in the midwest I always feel like Im telling nobody anything when I mention it around here.....thanks for the vid
Just started by tomatoes... I’m a little late starting because we’re in Florida. Trying Cherokee Purple, Mortgage Lifter and Green Zebra this year. Loved watching your methods and I’m giving it a try😊🌻🍀
We grew Baker Creeks Mushroom Basket tomato and it was extraordinarily delicious to myself and several guests who got to try them. However, I will also say that this is one of the first seasons in life I have really become invested into growing our food and do not have a ton of experience tasting such an array of flavors. so my love for it might be being fueled significantly by sentiment. But others even said it was their favorite and begged me to grow it again this year. It looks beautiful. My three year old says they look like baby red pumpkins!
I love, love, love the Cherokee Purples!! To myself and my husband, it has the most amazing, rich tomato flavor we've ever tasted!!
Me too. I was gobsmacked by them here in Mo. They were my sit down in awe tomato. They were beautiful inside too but the flavor! Did you have a cherry variety that wowed you? Mine was Isis Candy. I did not care for the skins but will grow them again for the taste.
@@VickiTakacs. We're in MO too!
@@sherrymurphy-kleine4592 North or south?
Vicki...south central. What about you?
Cherokee Purple is noticeably less vigorous than other varieties. I had one last year that was a runt compared to the others even though it was in front unobstructed facing the sun. This year I put one in at my friends garden up in Michigan along with a White Tomasol and Terra Cotta and the Cherokee Purple is noticeably smaller than the other two so seems characteristic of the variety.
Hi, Last year was the first year I tried heirloom varieties because you were so passionate about them. I had 34 varieties that I tried and grew 3 of each variety. My absolute favorite of all of them was called a Lucid Gem. They are a yellow tomato with purple shoulders. I believe they are a Brad Gates tomato, and grow to about 8-10 oz. so they weren't huge, but not small either. They were the first to ripen here in Massachusetts. The flavor is sweet and salty.. and I loved to make lettuce wraps with them. I gave some plants to friends and they have requested them again this year.
Tomato talk 🥰 I'll share 2 that I'm not sure you mentioned. Last year I grew Indigo Blueberry cherry tomatoes and holy moly, that plant was a tomato factory!! Even after I splinted 2 of its main branches that were damaged by a wind storm! They were pretty and tasty also. The other variety, and our reason for growing, I think you'll appreciate. My son chose to grow Lemon Boy tomatoes to make yellow ketchup. Is it mustard or is it ketchup? Lol I saved seeds from both to plant this year.
Such great tomato info and great to find out the differences.. exciting!!!
The most Jessica video ever and I am HERE FOR IT! ♡♡♡ 🍅♡♡♡
Your boys would love this tomato. I bought it at some home store and it just daid Grape Tomato. It had 2 plants in the little pot and even though i planted both kind if late and my hundred plus tomato plants performed poorly in this first year garden for this space, those two grape tomatoes produced heavily, very delicious red grape tomatoes. Really didnt have cracking, disease or other issues. Sweet, full tomato flavor. Produced 100% better than all the sungold, sun sugar, sweet 100, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate cherry, etc. They grow easily and prolifically with no special attention at all. Pretty much ignored. Cage or stake but dont prune. Ben and the boys would love how easy they would be to grow in their garden.
I am a year +1/2 seeing this and responding, but here goes. A gentle, modest tomato called "Peach Blow Sutton" is dear to me because it tolerated terrible growing conditions to provide lovely fruit for me, and because green ones sat on my counter and slowly ripened 'way into autumn, gifting me with treats that I didn't deserve. Yes, its skin looks oddly peachy.
We loved sunrise bumblebee last year - so now I have to try the purple bumblebee! This was my first year growing anything other than basic cherry tomatoes (starts from big box store), and it was so fun! We grew Dr. Wyche's based on your recommendation and it did not disappoint! I also determined that I love the purple varieties, so I am going to add Cherokee Purple and Paul Robeson along with a bunch of others. I am also super excited to try the Wild Boar berry tomatoes!
Cherokee Purple, Brandywine Red, and Sun Gold are always in my garden. Last year I had one called Dester that was good. I'm trying a few of your top 10 this year because you love them so much. I bought your Store Bought Tomatoes Taste Like Disappointment T shirt and amuse my friends who are gardeners.
Also my 3 favorites. Love Sun Gold. So sweet
My favourite heirloom so far has been Mennonite! They’re really big beautiful delicious orange tomatoes. I added Cherokee purple and cherry falls this year! 😃
Thank you Jess ❤️🙏
Mortgage Lifters and Cherokee Purples are favorites! The hardest thing is trying to beat the squirrels to them!
I agree! I grew mortgage lifters in my car in for the first time last year and they were so hearty and all giant tomatoes! Really enjoyed them!
Debbie Hester you are right about the squirrels we lost on average two + tomatoes a day all season long. It was a race to see who got the tomatoes first as soon as they ripened or got close. The Roma’s and German Johnson (the squirrels got the first and biggest ones) were the worst.
Thank you!
I grew both of these last year and oh my they tasted absolutely amazing, they just didn't produce very much. I only got 2-3 of each one off of the plants. I'm not giving up on them though will be trying them again this year.
I tried both of these last summer and neither of them produced well. My cherokees produced nothing but fused blossoms. The mortgage lifter didn't put on many blossoms at all. The bugs got the few tomatoes that it was actually able to set. I would say maybe I did something wrong but I grew these plants under the same exact conditions as my other 25 tomato varieties that did well. 🤷♀️
This winter I have 3 potted tomatoes growing indoors (because of Jess's encouragement) 2 volunteer beefsteak and one dancing with smurfs that I started from a sucker. The smurfs that grow against the window are dark and the ones that grow in towards the room are streaky and shouldered. I have never managed to grow a beef steak bigger than a golf ball. I think I will have to add painted lady to my list!!
Thank You for sharing your Top 10. Now I need to narrow down which ones I want to try. I don't have a lot of space but will grow some of these. God Bless and Peace Be With You All ☮️ 🙏❣️
This is the first time coming across your TH-cam channel. I had to stop the video at the Black Beauty tomato and write this comment for you.
First and foremost, I love your enthusiasm for growing. I can tell that even with all of its trials and tribulations growing still brings you so much joy. I love seeing that.
What you said about the Black Beauty and how it’s tooooo precious to just process and throw in a jar with every other tomato. That it’s not necessarily the flavor that compels you to grow it, but instead it’s the joy and excitement that keeps bringing you back to include it in your growing regimen.
You go on to say it’s because you love sharing and giving the oddity to the world to also enjoy, so they too can experience a little bit of what you experience and how it makes you feel. That’s so heartfelt and it hits home on so many levels.
Congratulations :) you have a new subscriber and I have a new channel to keep up with and to look forward to.
Thank You, this video and your passion made my day.
Welcome ♥️♥️
Awesome video with lots of great info...thank you so much for sharing this!!!
Dreaming of the day I harvest a tomato Ive planted on my own, ill make a video and show you all! This helps me get to the right variety for me, thank you!
Hello dear how are you doing
hi jess, im an eastern ky farm raised hillbilly woman and have gardened all my life from 6 years old up to a ripe old 56 , i have raised 5 children and fed them from my gardens, that being said ,i always watch you on youtube because i value your opinion and knowledge. you make growing an adventure and I cant wait to try all the new things this year . i just got my seeds in and am just bursting at the seams to get started . thank you for all the work you put in to this endeavor . keep em coming girl have a great day hun. lisa bray
For a green- my first unusual heirloom,i like Green Zebra for the complex tangy tartness of the flavor and how over the top productive they are for me! I know you like sweeter flavored varieties, but this is always one I grow .I'd recommend this one for sure!
I had Green Zebra last year and thought it was really good. An "umami" flavor. I think the color makes us misinterpret it's flavor which was very similar to a good red. It was not at all like fried green tomatoes which I think are very similar to eggplant in flavor, this one was green but tasted like a good zingy red tomato.
I love it! Made a salsa with this and cherokee purple.
I have grown Juliet tomatoes for the last couple of years. I’m in north central Texas and they do well and produce a lot. I haven’t grown them from seed, but buy starts at our local feed store.
Hi! My favourite tomato last year was indigo pear drop.
I ordered the Terra Cotta Tomato seeds from Baker Creek this year and have 3 plants growing. I have a small garden so am limited to the amount of plants I have space for. I did notice the variety is not yet stable as others have noted. All the tomatoes are green right now and not ripe here in Champaign County IL but each plant looks different. One of them looks sort of Siberian with dark green shoulders sort of like an unripe Black Krim or Purple Cherokee, one of them produces peach shaped fruit with a point on the bottom, and the third is sort of beefsteak shaped. I also planted two White Tomasol as those are the free seeds Baker Creek sent out with the order, both are very similar. I gave a White Tomasol and Terra Cotta plant to my friend in Michigan and she has them growing well in her front yard so will be interesting to see if they also differ from mine. None of the plants are showing any disease, last year I had blight take out one of my two Brandywine in September, but so far these two varieties look healthy here at 40N 88W where we had an extremely humid week in late June with 8 days of rain where my Golden Zucchini suddenly wilted and dropped dead from healthy in just two days. Strangely the white Pattypan Squash is still healthy and starting to fruit.
Thank you. This will be my first year I’m going to work on going tomatoes 🍅 and I’m going to try 12 different types. Hopefully some of them will grow and will give me something to harvest.
I love tomatoes in foods,on sandwiches and salad but last season was the first time I've eat a standard size tomato or 1/8 of a slicer.
Last summer I ate 2 whole Thourburge Terracotta it's delicious and most of the people in my circle agree.
My neighbors from Central America loves them especially for Guramouolli side dishes.
Terracotta are as you say all delicious and very in size.
Me and wife eating steak burgers She has Brandywine her favorite and started eating first, said she steak burgers are dry,I was eating mine and thinking WOW! The juiciest stake burger I've ever tasted and best flavor tomato .
Terracotta is delicious and my favorite.
This season I'm planning 34 types of tomatoes
Thanks
Thanks
I grew the summer sunrise tomato from Hudson Valley seed last year and absolutely loved it! It was very disease resistant for a potato leaf and was just so beautiful and delicious. I will always grow this veriaty.
Earl of Edgecomb was my fave new tomato last season. It's a 6-10oz orange tomato with a delicious flavor. Very similar to Kellogg's Breakfast and Dr. Wyches but in a side by side comparison of the three, it beat them out!
Plus it has a great story. :) It's an English heirloom dating back to the 7th Earl of Edgecomb. When the 6th Earl died, the next in line was a sheep farmer in NZ. When he came to England to claim the title, he brought these seeds with him.
What area are you in? In England I bet, lol. I've been looking for a seed exchange place in England.
What an intriguing concept: the idea that how a tomato tastes depends on the time of day that you harvest. I'm wondering if you tried testing this idea?
You're such a natural speaker and so lucid when sharing your experience and always with a smile.
I've had the 'I just had to sit down' experience wondering if I would ever taste a tomato like that again. That was a Brandy Boy. Like you I grow a few for their yield and appearance such as Mortgage Lifter and Ananas Noir respectively.
Thanks Jess
Something I noticed which seems strange is that I grew a Cherokee Purple in a 15 lb grow bag and I stuck 2 more tomato plants of a different kind in with it as I had no more bags, and it grew monstrous huge with monstrous size tomatoes. Other plants of Cherokee Purples alone also did well but not like this one and it lasted the longest too. It either made buddies with the other 2 plants or it was the extra eggs as I put an egg in first before setting each plant.
Jess! You "made me" run over to the rareseeds.com site and buy more seeds. Of course I HAVE to try the Terra Cotta tomato and while on the site found several other things to try. After removing a few things from my basket I ended up with 9 packs of different seeds--took a lot of self-control (ha) to eliminate that 10th packet which would have gotten me also a free packet variety #2. I don't save a cent by gardening, to be honest, but that's okay. Every year I tell myself I have enough seeds and varieties and now it's time to cut down to a few tried and true types. Hasn't happened yet. Thanks for the video. I know we all loved it!
Hey Jess, I rarely ever comment, but you are my heart buddy because I feel the same about tomatoes. I have tomato sickness which is like home sickness when you are away from home so tomato sickness is when I don't have any fresh garden tomatoes. I live in zone 8a...hot, steamy Georgia. I actually had fresh tomatoes on Thanksgiving day and some that ripened inside at Christmas. My number one tomato is Cherokee Purple and I am truly sad when I've eaten the last one. I will always plant it every year...dark red, purpleish shoulders, rich, low acidic taste YUM! Last year we harvested over 200 pounds of tomatoes and yes I do can. It was my first year to start from seed and it was not only successful but thrilling. One that did well for me was "Granny Cantrell"...a very large beefsteak tomato. I sold tomato starts and people here constantly asked for Beef Steak so that is very popular. It also has a very interesting story behind it if you have time to look it up. Thanks so much for your enthusiastic and inspirational videos.
Hi! I know it’s an old comment but…I’m from GA as well, zone 7b. How much do you struggle with blight? How long do your tomato plants last? Just curious about others near me 😉 I did get a pretty huge crop, more than we could eat and cook, still getting cherry and some Rutgers….but like you, I’m always sad to see them go when supposedly they last till frost for some ppl.
Totally agree on Cherokee purple, it’s so delicious 🤤
Black Krim as well 👍
@@cherylk1518 Blight is terrible here. I’ve finally just decided to accept that this is how it’s going to be in this region. I’ve used sprays but it seems that with so much rain it really doesn’t stop it. So I usually just plant A LOT of tomatoes and do succession planting throughout the summer.
@@lauriehines8518 I really appreciate your reply, good to know I’m not alone. I’ll try the succession planting next year, thank you 😊
Ps. Cherokee purple is one of my faves as well
I highly recommend a variety called Sioux. It looks like a basic red tomato, but the flavor is unbelievable. I also love Box Car Willie. Many of your varieties are also on my must grow list 😊
My favorites are Mortgage Lifter, Wild Cherry and Opalka. Olpaka is a paste tomato and the skin peels off super easy when you cut it open. Makes amazing salsa!
Last Summer I grew Indigo Apple from Baker Creek. They were delicious! Smaller than the big slicers you like growing. But they are beautiful with purple shoulders fading to red and very healthy long lasting plants.
I grew white currant tomatoes last year. They were the best tomato I have ever ate, any size. Will differently grow them this year. And also chocolate cherry tomatoes. Loved them too. Cant wait to get gardening this year. Want to do alot more this year. Did plant 30 tomato plants last year. Got to can all my own spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce. With my own tomatoes. This year lots more. I live on the southern oregon (orygun) coast. So it is more of a challenge to get them to ripen earlier than the end of September. Last year i did get them ripening in early August. Garden on! 😁🍅🍓🍆🥕🥔🥦🥬🥒🌶
where did you get the white currant seeds ?
@@katlinhaley332 I bought the plants last spring at territorial seed company in cottage grove, oregon. They probably have the seeds too.
We had an unnatural random sunny day in the low 50s here in Washington today! I was so happy to get out in the garden and clean up and fluff up the soul in the garden beds. Sometimes it’s the small things😭
One of our favorites Cherokee Purple tomatoes. It's definitely our go to , has a smokey umami taste. I'm definitly going to give the Thornburn's Terracotta a try this year and the Dr. Wyches.
I was super excited for this! Although I do get in a bit of trouble hearing all your amazing ideas... I now have 25 chicks coming in a few weeks and just ordered more tomato seeds that I'm not sure where I'm going to fit them in with all the others. You are the worst influence in the best way! 🙈
Thanks for sharing all your wisdom!💗
Black cherry was my favorite cherry tomato this past year! Kellogg's breakfast was by far my favorite slicer! And who could forget Brad's Atomic Grape!!! Gorgeous, delicious, and, funny story - I bought 1 brads atomic plant from you Jess at the Shindig, drove halfway home with it in the bed of my truck (by accident), then planted what was left of it (it only had like 2 leaves left) in the garden and it still out produced half of my other tomato plants!
Tonya Wiley did you like them? My Atomic grapes had the thickest skin! Very off putting
@@ratgirl44 I didn't find mine to be overly thick-skinned. About normal I guess. Of course I cut them into rings for salad so maybe that helped. The flavor was very good!
Snowing here today...ordering my seeds today.
I really enjoyed this video. Thanks for your hard work and time. It was a blessing.
Hello dear how are you doing
Have you ever tried True Black Brandywine from Baker Creek? This was the first EVER tomato that gave me that wow factor. Last year was my first year giving it a try. It was so good it made my eyes roll. Kind of the way you felt about the Paul Robeson when you sat down and finished eating your tomato knowing that within a few seconds it was going to be gone. I had to pick another tomato to see if the next one was going to be as good as the first one and it was and so were subsequent tomatoes from that bush. You know this was one I bought again for this year.
On a different note, because I am knew to growing big tomatoes, how many tomatoes - on average - can I expect a plant to yield? I only have experience growing cherry, pear and globe. I think I only got 8 tomatoes off the plant. The same with Dr. Wyche’s Yellow.
Also I noticed the first tomatoes to ripen on those two plants were huge, but the subsequent tomatoes were smaller. Is this normal too?
Is it normal for the tomato plants to stop budding new flowers when it gets really hot? Mine did and I didn’t understand why since tomatoes are suppose to be heat loving. Last year it was brutal here in central NYS with mid to high 90s and high humidity so the heat index was over 100 a lot. But once the heat wave broke in September and the temps were back in to 80s and low 90s the plants started producing again. If this is normal, do you do anything to help the tomatoes along during brutal heat so that they keep producing?
Last, I noticed they take a really long time to ripen. Is that true of the big slicers? The bigger the tomato the longer it takes to ripen? Baker creek doesn’t put on the back of their tomatoes the maturity date for the fruits. So once you see a tomato forming on these big tomatoes how long, approximately, should it take before they are ripe?
I’m going to thank you in advance for your replies to my many newby questions. I look forward to learning from you.
Not sure how it would do in your climate, but I always grow the Willamette tomato. Cultivated at the university of my hometown (Oregon State University). It is a saladette... Super sweet and rich red tomato. Pretty meaty even though it's small, so I have always processed them if I had extras. Though I rarely do because it's always the first to get eaten. Does amazing for folks growing in the pacific northwest, though sometimes hard to find. Would really recommend it. Also a really hearty tomato for beginner gardeners.
Non tomato question - love your butterfly poster!
Hello dear how are you doing
I've been following Jess for at least 3 years now and have her to thank for all of my garden. I wanted to mention that I adore Green berkeley tie dye for its flavor. Abe Lincoln is one of my go tos for meaty delicious red tomato. Solar flare has been a fabulous producer and tastes great too.
Here in Southern Utah we have a grower that created some hybrid. Dixie Red is one, delicious. Phoenix is another we grow here, that do well in the heat. We reach temps upwards of 115 in the summer and it's a dry heat. We absolutely have to use shade cloth and mulch.
Thanks for the tomato referrals, got on the WBF site and ordered 4 tomatoes. Love those rare colors, but glad to know they will taste great. Thanks again, this rounds out my tomatoes this year.
You mentioned growing some tomatoes in pots - I'd be super grateful if you did a video about how to do this, which varieties are best etc. You've inspired me to start growing tomatoes but I have to be creative since I live in the city - thankfully I have a balcony that I'm planning on turning into a mini-garden.
Rachel McClenaghan you can grow any tomato variety and really any vegetable in large pots. I used to only grow in containers and as long as the container is big enough you can grow any variety you want. Just make sure to provide support for them. I use fencing similar to Jess’s cattle panels, but it’s more flexible and make a circle with the fencing, for indeterminate varieties, I sometimes have to make a double row of fencing. I use 3-4 6’ bamboo sticks per container and weave them through the fencing and push them into the soil to hold them in place.
If you’re just starting a great size to start with is the large round toy bins with the rope handles, they’re about 24” high and about 24” across and only cost about $5. They’re plenty large enough for 2 smaller determinate tomatoes or one large indeterminate variety. Growing in containers, they need more water, so make sure you’re feeding them regularly with an organic fertilizer with extra calcium to prevent blossom end rot (BER) as containers are prone to getting BER as a lot of the minerals get washed out. I learned all this the hard way and struggled with BER for two years in a row. I now use Epsoma Tomato Tone and add a little extra Epsom salt also, when first planting outside and throughout the growing season. I’ve yet to try Jessica’s trick to add an egg in the bottom of the hole when planting, but I will try and remember this year. 🙃
@@weloverescuedogs2820 Thanks for all the info! The fertilizer part definitely has me worried though. I want it to be organic but every article I see disagrees about what kind/how much/when and I'm getting so confused
@@rocketshiptomars8 Don't read articles. Watch gardener vids instead. I used fish emulsion and Black Kow. I did very well and it was my first time. You must use a very thick layer of mulch to hold in moisture as containers dry out quick. Stops weeds too.
Thank you so much for this information! It will really help me narrow down what I'm growing. I've only ever grown what I can buy at the big box stores, and while I've had some good tomatoes, nothing has really blown me away. This year will be different!
Cherokee Purple they come up every year from seeds that fall to the ground bunny chewed fruit and the bunnies enjoy them as much as I do!!
Chocolate Sprinkles cherry and early girl for canning and slicing because our growing season is so short.
Jess I would love it if you did a best of series. Maybe one about beans, brassicas/greens, root veggies, maybe even flowers? I really enjoyed this detailed video.
I LOVE the purple bubble bee! They were the most hearty, longest growing of my tomatoes last year, and they're so chubby and delicious 😁
Hello dear how are you doing
Your home is beautiful!
Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed your detailed descriptions. This year I'm growing sunrise bumblebee, paul robinson and cherokee purple. Cherokee purple is my absolute favorite tomatoe but I'm excited to try the other two for the first time!
Chika red cherry. My favorite red cherry. It's a hard to find Japanese variety. Really good tasting and prolific . Grows great in containers.
ok, well......since I have already spent a Ton on seeds, I will use this list that you suggest to add to my NEXT years list of seeds, however, there are a few that i knew you grew and did purchase for this year....I will use them and try to find others similar if I don't have the ones you suggest....last year, I honestly was proud of how many tomatoes I got with my yard being mostly in the shade...THIS year, I will be benefiting from having some trees removed, so I am very excited to try the slicers you suggested. I really have to say that my favs last year were Abe Lincoln and Kelloggs Breakfast but because of the shade they really only made it to about a softball size. Delish though all the same. I am excited to grow more okra this year, and have purchased different kinds along with the star of david I grew last year and loved. =)
Mortgage Lifters, Gold Medal, Black Cherry, Paul Robeson, San Marzano Gigante, Amish Paste, Green Zebra and Japanese Black Trifle. Blessings and thanks!
You need to put affiliate links in. It dosent cost us anything and it can help us get this awesome content!!!
So Nicely done thank you !!
I love for that true old fashion tomato flavors are the Joe Bratka's line. Box Car Willie and Mule Team are globe. Red Barn and Great Divide are beefsteak so much so you just like to take a slab to put on your hamburger.Jere Gettle even gave me Mule Team out of his own personal stash. I dont get great production but thats just my zone. (Lower Alabama). I also grow an OSU Blue I got from Praxxus55712 channel years ago. I think it was the 1st blue to be sold publicly. It's always 1st to bloom but last to ripen. But, if you can wait the Smokey rich flavor is well worth it.
Cherokee Purple blew my socks off for flavor. Plus they were huge, mauve colored, prolific, and kept on growing long after disease killed the rest. This was in NW Missouri. The flavor was sweeter, more smokey or umami and my favorite for tomato sandwiches. My favorite cherry was Isis Candy but you had to leave them on the vine until they were dark golden, long past when you would think because it really made them sweeter. However the skins were too thick for me as were the Blue Berry Cherry tomatoes. I won't grow the Blueberry ones again but the Isis Candy yes. Both of these kept producing though even after a couple of hard frosts. I had tomato horn worms but the only plants they attacked period were the Isis Candy and that says something doesn't it? They preferred the taste of them. They also grew to 8 ft but they took the longest to set fruit and ripen. Well worth the wait.
Was dreaming of my garden while shoveling 6 inches of snow in the rain. Gotta love ohio winters 😁🌿🌬❄
same, I'm up in door county WI... these videos and the seed catalogs are what get me through the winter
Indiana here....winter.....ugh
Don't we tho!!! Lol. I live in Massillon how about you?
Haha here in new England super super freezing winters and falls and unbearably hot summers and unpredictable springs it's insane here
@@karenlemley8656 we're in Columbia Station now. Moved about a month ago from parma😊 big garden planning this year
Green Zebra was the best tasting tomato I grew last season. Some like to harvest this variety when it's still completely green (but ripe), but I thought it tasted best when you let it ripen to the point where it was slightly turning red. Very nice coloring.
Please do an updated version of this ❤️
Jesse I just have to tell you that watching your videos make my heart happy and my face smile
I've already decided to add another bed this year so I can up my tomato plants from the usual 3 to 6.... which I thought I had picked out, but now I want to grow even more!
Hello dear how are you doing
Perfect timing! I've been staring at varieties for days trying to figure out what to plant. I am craving tomatoes so badly now!
Mmm, tomato seed planning season. You didn’t have any of my top-10! I will try some of these, but my lifetime tomato love is Jaune Flamme. If I could only grow one, this would be it. Other must-haves for me are Earl of Edgecombe, Matt’s Wild Red Cherry, Costoluto Fiorentino and Azoychka (a yellow tomato that has a bit more sweet / tart tang).
Have you grown Sun Sugar cherry tomatoes, and if so, how do they compare to the cherry tomatoes in your top ten list? If not, I would recommend them for you to try. Absolutely the sweetest tomato I’ve ever tasted. Would like your feedback.
I don't know about Dr. Wyches, but Sam Wyche's son (of Sam Wyche's Sporting World's owner and pro football coach) went to school with us. He pronounced his last name with the 'ch' sounding like a 'k'. It sounded exactly like the word 'likes', only with a 'w'. Thank you for the tomato information. My husband loves...loves....loves tomatoes. He'll find this video very interesting.
I was so ready for this video. I’m still listening and taking notes. Thank you.
I would love to know the tomato varieties that you would probably never grow again.
Agreed.
vernnissage 🤣🤣
My thoughts exactly!!!
Oooh! Yes that would be good to know!!!
Morgan, I agree that would be interesting but, it would be a bit unfair to give a plant the kiss of death because it didn’t light your candle. It may be a taste someone else prefers or even be more prolific and healthy in a different climate.
Loved this video Jess as for many, many years I failed at growing tomatoes until last year & wow I did so well- canned heaps & provided neighbors with plenty. I think this year I am going to try some different varieties & see how I go ( with your help of course)- Cheers Denise - Australia
@@johnsonfidel5554 never in a million years mate