Fouth of July is a great tomato for both the spring and fall garden. This photo is the copyrighted property of William D Adams and cannot be published without written permission from William D Adams.
I continue to be amused but somewhat aggravated by the tomato descriptions in catalogs and on seed packets. For example, Royesta, a European hybrid that is described as having “wonderful flavor” was my hope this year for a tomato to replace Dona and Carmello. It is a strong, productive plant but the tomatoes aren’t worth eating. “Flavor Challenged” would have been a better description. The tomatoes are big, and tempting, but they’re compost fodder in my opinion. Now I realize that rain or overwatering could have diluted the flavor, but I’ve been eating them all season and they have been consistently lousy. Perhaps the long summer days and milder nights in Europe improve the flavor, but I doubt it.
Royesta was a disappointment this year. While it produced big, vigorous vines the tomatoes were not worth eating. This photo is the copyrighted property of William D Adams and cannot be published without written permission from William D Adams.
Mountain Magic, a North Carolina variety sounded promising. It is described as having “wonderful flavor”. The plant is a healthy monster, with lots of Campari-size (golf ball) tomatoes that are sort of edible but a little too acid and lacking the complex tomato sweetness that makes for a good tomato. In short they are not worth picking in this busy season. Also tried a Campari seedling—a little better but not worth the effort.
Mountain Magic was another disappointment in the taste category. While it grew a mammoth bush and lots of tomatoes they were just too acidic. This photo is the copyrighted property of William D Adams and cannot be published without written permission from William D Adams.
Gregori’s Altai was my big effort this year. I ordered the seed twice before it was shipped and I planted two plants on their own roots plus two grafted on Emperador rootstock from Johnny’s Seeds. It is supposed to be a pink beefsteak but mine are shaped more like an Oxheart. The flavor and texture are good and I’ve harvested quite a few but I’m suspicious of the seed. Heirlooms can be rather variable so the seed may be a mix-up. May have to try another seed source as a couple at one of my Arbor Gate lectures really raved about it.
Gregori’s Altai has been a great pick, however I am not 100% sure of the seed I used to produce this very nice tomato. This photo is the copyrighted property of William D Adams and cannot be published without written permission from William D Adams.
Kosovo is very similar and also good—maybe I mixed up the seed—not likely, I’m a professional, though I do enjoy an occasional brew. It did produce one of the most erotic tomatoes I’ve ever seen—in fact I’m blushing now. Think of it as something Georgia O’Keefe might have painted when she was feeling really naughty. My wife says I can’t show anyone the pix and I’ve already consumed the fruit—slowly and sensually.
Kosovo turned out to be a pretty good tomato. This photo is the copyrighted property of William D Adams and cannot be published without written permission from William D Adams.
Amsterdam is a new hybrid, small plum tomato from Seminis. It’s touted for high Brix levels (sugar indicator) but it is also rather acid, almost sour and that seems to mask most of the sweetness in my taste tests. Amsterdam is very pretty but not sure I would plant it again. Also have Yaqui, a flavor challenged saladette type, Caramba an Italian, green-shoulder type (haven’t tried it yet) and Poseidon 43, a pink tomato (also waiting for the taste test).
Nyagous-a black, plum-shaped tomato-suffered from a lot of fruit rot this season. It has been a complex sweet favorite in the past but not quite as good this year. This may just be a different seed source of a variety that isn’t very genetically uniform.
Nyagous has been a favorite in the past but suffered a lot of fruit rot this season. This photo is the copyrighted property of William D Adams and cannot be published without written permission from William D Adams.
Super Boy was a disappointing addition to the “Boy” series. Apparently it is “boy” in size—a little larger than a golf ball, angular, fairly tasty (the stinkbugs love it) and hard. Hard like almost crunchy. Apples I like crunchy, tomatoes I like at least medium-soft, never grainy, preferably with a melting flesh.
Super Boy is a disappointing ddition to the “boy” line of tomatoes. This photo is the copyrighted property of William D Adams and cannot be published without written permission from William D Adams.
Sun Pride was a nice, determinate-sized plant with a few medium-size tomatoes that weren’t very tasty.
Sunpride produced a nice determinate bush but their flavor was little flat. This photo is the copyrighted property of William D Adams and cannot be published without written permission from William D Adams.
My next blog entry will be more uplifting with raves for the good varieties this year. In the meantime if you’re contemplating a fall tomato crop you should have good luck with Juliet, a small, saladette-type tomato or Burpee’s Fourth of July, a campari type with great flavor and production. If you just have to try a slicer in your fall garden, go for the early varieties like Early Girl, Black Krim or Moskvich.
Black Krim is a very tasty addition to the fall garden. This photo is the copyrighted property of William D Adams and cannot be published without written permission from William D Adams.
Juliet is always a great choice for the fall garden. This photo is the copyrighted property of William D Adams and cannot be published without written permission from William D Adams.
Bought your book after hearing you with John Dromgoole on the radio this past summer. You discussed splicing Gregori’s Alti onto hybrid rootstock, and it is something I plan to attempt in February/March 2013. Usually start seed under lights and then move to larger pots, then to early planting outside near downtown Austin, Texas. Looking for suggestions that you might have, including a seedsman in addition to Tomato Growers in Florida. Rototill compost into 4X20-foot plots that are irrigated from our 800-gallon rainwater collection tank. Not very successful the past two years.
Seed Savers Exchange might be a better place to look for Gregori’s Altai. If you are looking for hybrid tomatoes with nematode resistance go with something like Celebrity or Johnny’s Seeds has some tomato grafting rootstock varieties and grafting supplies. The specialty rootstock is quite expensive so I’ll likely try a hybrid like Celebrity or Better Boy this year. Marianna’s Peace was a standout for production/size/flavor in 2012. Want to try it plus, Cherokee Purple, Persimmon and a few others as grafted plants in 2013. Have Fourth of July in the Fall garden with Juliet, Viva Italia and Gregori’s Altai (or something)-this last one on nematode resistant roots- coming back in the fall.
Bill
Bill, How did the Caramba and Poseidon 43 turnout?
Folks, Thanks for the tip about Seed Saver’s Exchange.
FYI, say they will offer a tomato grafting kit, including a dozen rootstock seed. Am planning to start tomato seed about the middle of January. Hope to graft at least a dozen. Also will experiment with a canner seed that is resistant to virus carried by whitefly. In our small Austin garden, we have a single, knee-high, volunteer tomato of unknown heritage, budding inside a cage covered by a large clear drum liner. So far, it has resisted the cold and the whitefly that flourish from my neighbor’s hedge. Harry.
Glad you liked Seed Savers Exchange; they are a great company. Good luck witht he grafting. Let us know how it worked out for you.
A third attempt: http://betterheirlooms.com/contact-us/
Thanks Harry. I will definately check out the website.
Just went to your website! I was so excited to see many pictures that I recognized. I have been familiar with (and loved) the Carlton Fisk photo for years. I have also seen the Mexican dancers many many times. You have some photos in your gallery of the poppy that I grow. Absolutely stunning! As you can tell, I am no photographer. Hope to meet you some day and get some tips from a real pro! Thank you for reading.
Jay, Thanks for your good words about a bunch of old photos. Perhaps we might get together sometime and talk photography and tomatoes. Aim to start seeds in about a month…can hardly wait. Harry.
Jay, The tomato grafting kit is offered by Heirloom, sorry the cut and paste information did not paste in the previous reply. Again, it is: Laura G
I am new to your blog. Why did you need to replace Dona and/or Carmello?
This post was written by one of my guest bloggers. Let me forward your question to him and i will get back to you when he responds. Thanks for reading!
Just heard back from Bill. He had to replace Dona and Caramello because he ran out of seeds and they have not been on the market for over five years.
The Gregori’s Altai grafted to Maxifort has grown out the top of its cage, if stretched out, would be seven feet tall. Has several clusters of fruit, sent photos to a few folks. The volunteer, of unknown origin, now covers five cages and appears to look Porter(ish). Received two inches of rain which filled our storage tank. So far, this is the best crop, ever…and only a dozen plants. Hooray for the fertilizer formula by Steve Solomon in “Mother Earth News,” via Judge Harley Clark’s mention in a sheet handed out by the Natural Gardener.
That is great news Harry. I will have to look up that fertilizer in Mother Earth!
Organic Fertilizer Recipe: 4 Parts Cottonseed meal; 1/4 Part Gypsum; 1/2 Part garden lime. Plus, for best results, 1 Part bone meal or Rock Phosphate; 1/2 to 1 part Kelp meal. I added 1/2 part Epsom Salts. Apply four to six quarts of this mix for every 100 square feet, and reapply every four to six weeks. Credit goes to those mentioned on May 13. Sure would like to meet Judge Harley Clark someday.
Thanks for the recipe! Seems simple enough and according to your results very effective