I tried several differant tomatoes this year, Had them in ground by march. I ordered the seed from Tomatoe Growers, supply company. P O box 2237, Fort Meyers, Fl. 33902. There catalog is just loaded with every kind of tomatoe there is and also peppers hot or sweet. Well anyway I planted,Brandwine, Big Bite, First Prize,Double Rich, Arkansas traveler, park whopper, celebrity, jersey devil, The results were, First Prize is out doing itself, there big, well formed, juicy, and smooth, and don"t seem to care about the heat or humidty.Brandwine did fair, had great flavor. and celebrity did fair. the others just were terrible, rotted on vines, and didn"t tasted good and were hard to peel. I do a lot of canning of tomatoes, and was wondering what ones you folks who live in the hot humid south have the best luck with. and how do you keep stink bugs off of them? Thanks Irene

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2001

Answers

We are experimenting with a few new varieties this year. Still to early to tell, but the first ready is Sophies Choice, which has awkward bushy plants, fruit droop to the ground, and has poor taste! Next along is Paul Robeson, one of our favorites, which does well here in AR and when we lived in WI. Excellent flavor and texture, but also tends to load up low and droop to the ground. We'll keep you all posted as the season progresses. We never had much success with Arkansas Traveller, and didn't even bother planting it this year.

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2001

There's a tomato you DIDN'T plant?

Hey, that reminds me, where is Sharon?

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2001

Here in North Alabama, we planted Early Girl, Beefsteak and Roma this season and last. Yields were great and I like the different varieties as added protection against a blight wipe out.

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2001

Yeah, Sharon, I know you can't resist a question like this.

If you like Brandywine, try Caspian Pink. They are similar, but in my garden have been more vigorous and productive. I've also been growing Sophie's Choice because they're early, and Principe Borghese for drying. I love the wild Mexican tomatoes (like a small cherry tomato), but don't have to plant them anymore because they've become a common weed.

-- Anonymous, July 01, 2001

Roma, Homestead, Rutgers, Early Girl, and if you want to make sure you have tomatoes no matter what, Porter or Improved Porter. I've also had excellent luck with Heinz and Campbell tomatoes planted as fall tomatoes. They are both determinate types but load up heavily and all come off at once so the canner is full. Good luck from normally hot, humid East Texas.

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2001

Next year try Totally Tomatoes, 335 S. High Street Randolph, WI 53956 get their free catalog. (tons of peppers also) Our first year using them they sent us a 3 free packet of seeds, one was tomatoes which got very little care, Andrew Rahart's Jumbo Red's, they were beautiful thick plants with tomatoes galore! They also were very disease resistant, and an heirloom variety with great taste. We have tried growing Brandywine and others in that catagory, they were more of a novelty, took alot more care. A german variety of Brandywine was much better for here, I could find it if you would like.

For a hybrid here we grow Beef King Hybrid, course it is resistant to VFFT, but the biggy with it was that even with rains like we are getting right now, nearly an inch every evening, they don't crack or have green tops. They also continued producing during the heat of our July's and Augusts! They also have big stiff stems which are important for us with the winds in the evening. They have a whole page just for Hot, Humid Summers...The tomatoes are smaller and don't have the flavor, also have very thick walls, which are fine for canning or making into paste, but for fresh eating we love Beef King Hybrid and Andrew's jumbo reds, with this one being a non hybrid we grow it away from the peppers and the hybrid tomatoe. I have never grown a "found at the feed store type" celebrity, big boy, big girl, that is anywhere as good, pretty plants, or taste, as Beef King Hybrid. Vicki

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

thanks everyone, I am sending for catalog, and I am going to try the new ones you have told me about. Its real hard to get good crops down here, If its not the wet humid days its the bugs. thanks again Irene

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001