Yeah, with over 5,000 cultivars, you have to try new ones. I am trying a yellow rare tomato this year called Sasha's Altai. I got it from @sequoia last year in a swap. It is a yellow saladette tomato.

Also new is Fargo Yellow Pear, Dakota Sport, Big Zac, and Belmonte Pear.

Returning are cherry tomatoes Pinl Princess, and Honey Drop from Fedco seeds.

Rita,
It's not really warm here by the first or second week in June. If they are going to just sit there I might as well get them out later.
Me too! I planted just enough paste to try, and see what to do with them when they are ripe. Last year the Opalka did poorly so I just juiced them. I've never made my own sauce. Bout time to try. Aren't your nights too cold for tomatoes?

Reid,
I waited till the third. Now I wish I had April Fool seedlings too!

Sandy,
We don't wrap, but I've been tempted. It's hard enough to plant, cage and stake 15 to 18 plants. I do set a red plastic coffee can over them to water. I can use a watering can that way instead of trying to thread a hose thru the plants.
If I had won that Lottery I'd buy the neighbor's place and set up a greenhouse. WITH a walkway from my house directly to it! Maybe a tunnel. I'd love that!

Don,
If you wait long enough there will always be improvements or disprovements.....

Hem.
Our last hard freeze is around the third week of April. Then we can still have frosts.

Sandy,
Yep, the hoop house would make a huge difference!
YUM, all those tomatoes sound good! Especially for slabbing!!

Rita,
The tomatoes really don't ripen later. They just don't have to slow down or stop with the cold nights. It evens out.

Reid,
I didn't try Taxi, but I did do Wisconsin Peach. Bland and a big nothing for me. It went into the juicer.

Since I can juice and had seed left over, I went with Early Girl and Rutgers. I need to use seed up before I order more. I'm always looking for that sweet/tart blend, salty - and they really are, and tangy. If I do sweet it's the cherries. I am planting Indigo Rose too. I don't see it on my list. Now I'll have to check my markers and see if I did plant her.

Last year

Reid:
I was very interested in the yellow tomato you mentioned called Sasha's Altai, since in another forum I was looking for saladettes with colors other than red. But all the references to Sasha's Altai I found describe it as an early red 5oz tomato. Could it be that it was mislabeled by the supplier? Anyway, let us know how it grows out. Maybe you could produce a new variety (a give it a different name)!

Anderwood said:Yeah, with over 5,000 cultivars, you have to try new ones. I am trying a yellow rare tomato this year called Sasha's Altai. I got it from @sequoia last year in a swap. It is a yellow saladette tomato.

Also new is Fargo Yellow Pear, Dakota Sport, Big Zac, and Belmonte Pear.

Returning are cherry tomatoes Pinl Princess, and Honey Drop from Fedco seeds.

I have Honey Drop this year. I am really looking forward to trying it

Anderwood said:Yeah, with over 5,000 cultivars, you have to try new ones.

Exactly! Every year DH wants to know why I don't just stick with the ones that we really like... and every year I ask him how he thinks we would have found those favorites if I never tried anything new!

Weedwhacker said:

Exactly! Every year DH wants to know why I don't just stick with the ones that we really like... and every year I ask him how he thinks we would have found those favorites if I never tried anything new!

Have to find those new absolutely favorites!
Still it surprises me as to how many I try that just don't make the cut to be brought back again.

That always surprises me, too, Rita -- especially the ones that have such glowing write-ups in the seed catalogs!

The description of Sasha's Altai probably got mixed up in my memory.

I will let you all know how it grows out.

Sandy,
How true! I do tends to stay with certain canning varieties for juice, but, if I didn't listen to people I too would never try anything new. If it's a bust you can pass that on too

Deciding to grow a tomato again (after it hasn't done particularly well) is such a tough decision. If it's something I think might have been affected by weather or other growing conditions I will try them again. Since I grow in Earthboxes, I find that I sometimes have a problem with blossom end rot in my really new boxes until enough dolomite is mixed in. Sometimes just switching to a box that isn't new makes a difference for me. Weather can also be such a variable--some tomatoes do better in heat, while others just wilt if the temps stay high.

If it does badly a second time--time to move on.

mom2goldens said:Deciding to grow a tomato again (after it hasn't done particularly well) is such a tough decision.

If it does badly a second time--time to move on.

Plenty of others to try.

Yep--every year, too many tomatoes to choose from.

mom2goldens said:Yep--every year, too many tomatoes to choose from.

So true.

Oh no -- there can never be "too many" ! (just "too little" room in the garden )

Linda,
When I had blossom end rot it was always just the first tomato that came on. The rest were OK. I use lime. Not quite the same thing as dolomite. The neighbor's dogs are always over here so I don't think I'll use it.

I agree with all of you, lol!!

billyporter said:Linda,
When I had blossom end rot it was always just the first tomato that came on. The rest were OK. I use lime. Not quite the same thing as dolomite. The neighbor's dogs are always over here so I don't think I'll use it.

I agree with all of you, lol!!

I have used Lime on the tomatoes and it seems to work really well to protect again the blossom end rot. At least on years I used it, I didn't get BER and in years I forgot to put the lime I have gotten it. But yup, it often clears up after those first few tomatoes.

Weedwhacker said:Oh no -- there can never be "too many" ! (just "too little" room in the garden )

There always seems to be too little room in my veggie garden. And I keep expanding!!!

Last spring I expanded and last Fall again I expanded the veggie areas.

I need to expand into the neighbors lawn spaces!

Rita,
If I could invade the neighbors with garden I would!! Since we've staked I don't see too many problems with the tomatoes I grow. But one year I had a Brandywine that had to just sprawl. I was lucky to get a tomato to eat. They rotted so fast.
.

billyporter said:Rita,
If I could invade the neighbors with garden I would!! Since we've staked I don't see too many problems with the tomatoes I grow. But one year I had a Brandywine that had to just sprawl. I was lucky to get a tomato to eat. They rotted so fast.
.

If you leave them to sprawl instead of some sort of support it is just like an invitation to the bugs to come and have a feast.

Weedwhacker said:Oh no -- there can never be "too many" ! (just "too little" room in the garden )

I like your way of thinking