Rita, I was unable to find Uptown Funk in the database, was curious about days to maturity (I have a short growing season so this is often a deal-breaker for me). Perhaps you can add it to the database with whatever info you have, plus photos.

I can't add it to the database. I would love too but they ask for an web page addy for reference. I got seeds from J&L gardens last season and this year they don't carry it. The only place that carried it.

Maybe you can snap a photo of the seed packet and offer that as proof of existence? Or e-mail one of the admins to see if they can enter it without a web address. I did a small search myself and while it did come back with hits, none of the nurseries in fact offered the exact variety you have. Seems a shame to not be able to enter a valid plant, especially one you are so highly recommending. Sounds like you could sell the seeds if you have a mind to.

Bonehead said:Maybe you can snap a photo of the seed packet and offer that as proof of existence? Or e-mail one of the admins to see if they can enter it without a web address. I did a small search myself and while it did come back with hits, none of the nurseries in fact offered the exact variety you have. Seems a shame to not be able to enter a valid plant, especially one you are so highly recommending. Sounds like you could sell the seeds if you have a mind to.

I am trying to save seed so that I can plant it again in future years although I have plenty for next season.

I have seed fermenting of Uptown Funk an d of Kakao but don't know if the seeds will be good. Will try taking a picture of the seed packet but it doesn't show much.

Is Uptown Funk open pollinated, Rita? I wonder if it will be back with a different name, maybe there was a conflict with that.

Speaking of which -- how did that "Niagra" tomato do for you last year, and did you grow it again?

Weedwhacker said:Is Uptown Funk open pollinated, Rita? I wonder if it will be back with a different name, maybe there was a conflict with that.

Speaking of which -- how did that "Niagra" tomato do for you last year, and did you grow it again?

It did well. Made lots of rather smallish tasty tomatoes. But I did not grow it again this season. Maybe next year.

Yes, Uptown Funk is Open Pollinated.

J&L Gardens sells seeds of certain Joe Rarus (hybridizer) varieties but Uptown Funk not in the list this year.
http://jandlgardens.com/xencar...

Maybe they'll bring it back in a year or two.

Weedwhacker said:Maybe they'll bring it back in a year or two.

If I can save seeds I wouldn't care if they bring it back or not. But I really want to keep on growing it so need seeds!!

I've always liked the notion that saving your own seeds will also be the strongest grower for your particular micro-climate. A bit of natural selection in practice. Good luck, hope you get some good ones. Seems it's a bit of a process with tomato seeds, right?

Deb, it really isn't difficult -- just squish them out of the tomato into a bowl (or something similar), add a little water, cover, let sit on the counter for a few days, add more water and stir things up, drain off the water, add more water and stir, drain off again - repeat that until the seeds look clean -- then dump them out onto a paper towel, or, in my case a coffee filter on top of a paper towel on top of a paper plate, because they don't stick to the coffee filter like they do a paper towel. Let dry thoroughly.

I've posted some info on Uptown Funk on the Tomato Chat thread.

DonShirer said:I've posted some info on Uptown Funk on the Tomato Chat thread.

I see it!! Will respond, thanks.

Here's a weirdness. I have grown SunSugar orange cherries for the past 3 years and found them to be the absolute sweetest cherry tomato. I also grow Sweet Million for a red cherry. This year, the Millions were noticeably sweeter than SunSugar, which were a bit tart and acidic, kind of made my mouth pucker up. I grow my tomatoes in different spots every year, and this year was in a raised bed against a rock wall facing west. Good sun, watered frequently, they all grew well, but... ? I'm kind of wondering if the plant was mislabeled, although it was definitely an orange cherry in a grapelike cluster. Or perhaps something else affected the taste this year. Could just be one of those mysteries of life.

For sure a mystery. I have never had Sungold or Sunsugar not be nice and sweet. But growing conditions sure do count but yours sounds good to me.

This year I tried a cherry tomato called Big Sungold Select from Wild Boar Farms. Supposed to be like Sungold but I found it to be not sweet at all and had an acidic kick to it.

I just updated my personal tomato log (a Word file I keep) and noted that I am influenced by not only the reviews from folks here, but also the name of the cultivars. For example, who can resist 'Sweet Baby Girl,' a delicious red cherry that produced well for me. 'Lemon Drop' was another success that put a smile on my face. 'Better Boy' on the other hand sounds boring to me. With so many to choose from, a fun name is definitely a factor for me.

Whatever works for you.

For me I like to go for some beautiful tomatoes. I like metallic looking and lots of swirls. Of course I want the tomatoes to taste good also.

@Bonehead
      Deb: Other Lemon Boy reports on the web vary widely in descriptions of taste (very good to poor) and yield. Can you tell us more how it behaved for you? Flavor, fruit size, plant size, yield etc.
      Other web reports on Sweet Baby Girl are better (VeryGood to Good) on both taste and yield.
      My best small tomato this year was Husky Red Cherry. I have two plants still producing fruit after almost every other tomato has given up the ghost.

I grew Lemon Boy in 2014 and my notes are: yellow salad, rather bland. Rating: Meh

I grew Lemon Drop in 2012 and 2013 and my notes are: yellow green cherry, sweet, ripens in cool weather. Rating: Yum I haven't been able to find it since as a seedling, might have to try seeds.

I have notes back to 2009 but they are rather sketchy, just a quick note on how they did and if I liked them or not. My goal is to identify a handful of reliably productive and tasty tomatoes that thrive in my coolish climate (although that is noticeably warming up in recent years).

Deb:
      Glad you had good results with Lemon Drop, since many web reports vary widely from Very Good to Poor. (I mistakenly typed Lemon Boy instead of Lemon Drop in my previous post). Seeds are available from Burpee, Totally Tomato and Trade Winds among others.

Don, funny - I didn't even remember that I'd tried Lemon Boy until I read through my tomato journal. So, responded to my experiences with both Lemon Boy and Drop. I may just try seeds this next season, as I've rather narrowed down my favs and they are not always easy to find as seedlings.