Talking Tomatoes? In January?

This volunteer tomato - blooming, even - and the week's rain got me thinking about tomato varieties to grow this coming year.

This species poinsettia - the original long-legged one - "blooms" at the "right" time of year, but keeps its color coming for months.

King Tut edible peas are growing strongly. Other varieties are already putting out blossoms.

Rio Oso Gem grapefruits are getting bigger with all that wonderful rain.

Meiwa kumquat still has a couple of over-ripe fruit among all the new green globes.

First alstroemeria blossom.

Yellow bulbine will be in color for the next 11 months! A great drought-tolerant succulent.

Rosemary in color. When not in bloom, the plant provides cuttings for drying for culinary use.

Artichoke sends out many new "pups" that will bear fruit.

Encelia keeps on blooming year-round.

Deep maroon chard loves this weather and is great in salads, stir-fries, soups, and sautes. Yum!

Self-sown calendula color.

Baby bok choy ready for harvesting.

Lucille Ball rose supposedly is the exact color that her hair was!

     That wonderful week of rain – 5 inches here in Pasadena – got me reading Amy Goldman’s exceptionally informative The Heirloom Tomato from 2008.  I made a list of tomato varieties according to her judgements as fresh-eating with excellent flavor and a pleasing balance of acid and sweet.  Although the book is from 2008, and she grew her crops in New York, I feel that her scientific breakdown of the Brix (sweetness) values equaled my subjective assessments from many of the varieties that I have grown, so am willing to accept her determinations about others I’m not yet familiar with.  At least until I grow them myself!
      I usually give a new variety three chances in my garden before I either add it to my must-grow list or don’t-bother-anymore lists for future years.  This extensive in-the-garden experience proves to me that either the variety is consistently good or it isn’t worth further space and effort in the garden. Consequently I’ve grown many MANY tomato varieties over the years and have a definite sense of which qualities my family prefers. 
 
Why Now?
     Why bother thinking about summer’s tomatoes at the beginning of January, when our nights are barely above freezing and daytimes are at best in the 60s?  Mainly because I’m already enjoying eating my overwintering cool-season crops and love planning for summer’s reason for gardening! 
     For you, if you’re someone who starts your own tomato seeds for transplanting in February and March, my lists may help you determine which varieties to choose.
     Or, perhaps more likely, if you’ll wait until you can purchase 4” seedling plants when they become available at local nurseries or upcoming Tomatomania locations or online, my lists may also guide your choices.
 
Tomatoes In Amy's Book That I’ve Grown and Will Again

• Big Rainbow, 5.5 Brix
• Black Cherry, 9
• Black Krim or Black Crimea, 5
• Flamme or Jaun Flamme, 6
• Green Doctors, 9.5
• Green Grape, 7.5
• Japanese Oxheart, 5
• Marvel Striped, 7
• Pruden’s Purple or Peruvian Black, 6.5
• Yellow Brandywine, 7

 
Tomatoes In Amy's Book That I’ve Not Grown But Will Try to Find

• African Queen, 6 Brix
• Aunt Gertie’s Gold, 6
• Aunt Ginny’s Purple, 5
• Aunt Ruby’s German Green, 5.25
• Believe It or Not, 5.25
• Bicolor Mortgage Lifter, 5.5
• Big Ben, 5
• Black Russian, 5
• Burpee’s Globe, 6
• Dixie Golden Giant, 6
• Gold Medal or Ruby Gold, 6.5
• Goldman’s Italian American, 7
• Great White, 6
• Green Giant, 5.5
• Hugh’s, 5.5
• Hungarian Heart, 7
• McClintock Bog Pink, 5.5
• Pink Salad, 6.5
• Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter, 5
• Red Brandywine, 7.5-9
• Red Rose, 7
• Sudduth’s Brandywine, 6
• White Beauty, 5
• Wild Sweetie, 10
• Yellow Peach 7

 
Varieties In Amy's Book That I’ve Grown, Didn’t Like, and Won’t Grow Again
(Amy listed their flavor as poor or fair)

• Ailsa Craig, 4.5 Brix
• Big Zebra, 5
• Black From Tula. 5
• Black Prince, 5
• Black Zebra, 4.5
• Copia, 4.5
• Costoluto Genovese, 5
• Green Zebra, 5
• Marmande, 4
• Persimmon, 5
• Purple Calabash, 6.5
• Red Zebra, 5
• Rutgers, 5
• Tiger Tom or Tigerella, 6

 
My 2021 Results:  Not Considered in Amy’s Book
     In 2021, I harvested 1013 tomatoes from 30 plants, 828 small ones and 185 big ones. 

• Varieties I’ll definitely grow again because of their high yield and flavor:
  • Isis Candy
  • Stupice
  • Cherokee Purple
  • Sungold
  • Celebrity
  • Cherokee Chocolate
  • Cherokee Purple

 

• Varieties I tried for the first or second time and may or may not try again:
  • Paul Robeson
  • Cherokee Carbon
  • Brad’s Atomic Grape
  • Atomic Fusion
  • Pineapple
  • Kellogg’s Breakfast
  • Indigo Gold Berries
  • Brandy Boy
  • Carbon

Happy Tomato-ing!

For more of what to do this month, see January’s Monthly Tips
 
For more main-topic articles from past blogs, see Home Page