DonShirer said:I grew Stupice (spellcheck insists this is Stupid) several years ago. It was ok. I got better results last year from Matina and Moravsky Div, both of which didn't do as well in a new location this year. Bush early girl was a bust. Next year I'm going to try Kimberly (or Kimberley?) which one commenter says is better than Stupice. All have medium or small fruit, so if you are just looking for similar results, there are many cherry tomatoes with 60+ day maturities.

I did Bush Early Girl myself this year. Decided it try it instead of Early Girl. Next season will be back to Early Girl. The Bush Early Girl was no earlier and really I don't like the hard tasteless tomatoes it sets.

Matina is one I have seen mentioned and recommended so possibly I might try it next season.

If you want to play with a relatively early round red. Try Jetsetter. It is medium size good disease package taste equivalent to Marglobe or Rutgers. https://www.totallytomato.com/... I have grown it in the past. Week to 10 days earlier than most maincrop cultivars and quite a bit earlier than the large beefsteak types.

farmerdill said:If you want to play with a relatively early round red. Try Jetsetter. It is medium size good disease package taste equivalent to Marglobe or Rutgers. https://www.totallytomato.com/... I have grown it in the past. Week to 10 days earlier than most maincrop cultivars and quite a bit earlier than the large beefsteak types.

I have never tried it. Is it earlier than Early Girl? What I like about Early Girl is that in spite of that being that early it does just keep on producing a lot till the end of the season. I can always count on it.

Of course would have to get seeds as they don't have plants locally. They do have Jet Star which I tried one year and didn't think was early.

I'm going to get some seeds and try a few of these you folks have mentioned in my own garden, as a test this fall. See how they bear and how they taste.

Part of the attraction of the old heirlooms that have developed in colder climates is that they keep setting fruit even if the nights get cold, which they do occasionally here in FL. I cover and protect all my tomatoes and peppers through the winter, but still it's not exactly warm under the frost cloth.

dyzzypyxxy said:Anyone growing an old European heirloom called Stupice? ...

@RickCorey Speaking of short days, Rick I did find that although it was generally warm enough to grow a lot of things up there in the Pac. NW ( I came from Vancouver BC originally) the problem I had was not enough sun. When the days are SO short and SO dull grey the plants just sit there and look at you sadly.

So, along with row covers or tunnels, maybe you'll think about some supplemental lighting as well?

I have thought about that - how to get a lighting fixture out to the plants without electrocution.

I grew Stupice one year. Very poor, bland taste, at their best. Then we had some cold nights, and they tasted even worse (like cardboard). Won't grow them again!

Watermelon Beefsteak and Purple Calabash. First of the season. Next year they will get out earlier so they might actually have a chance to give me fruit on time.

Taste test not performed yet.

pepper23 said:Watermelon Beefsteak and Purple Calabash. First of the season. Next year they will get out earlier so they might actually have a chance to give me fruit on time.

Taste test not performed yet.

Wow, did you weigh that Watermelon Beefsteak one.? That sure looks like one huge tomato.

I hope it turns out to be really tasty as it surely is really big.

It's about palm sized. Women's palm size.

I hope they're tasty too since I've waited all season for some!! I have some other tomatoes out there turning too and judging by the shape and the smoothness they might be Dad's Sunset which I thought all had been ripped out. I'll take them though!!

pepper23 said:It's about palm sized. Women's palm size.

What? Looks like a monster size.

It's a good size but if I had gotten fruit earlier this year it would have been double the size.

Both tomatoes kind of bland. May have needed more time to ripen but I'm just happy to have fresh tomatoes.

Disappointing to be bland after the long wait.

dyzzypyxxy said:Thanks, Don. I'm looking for something that matures in less than 60 days but still tastes good. I have a grape tomato called "Sugary" (a hybrid) that says it is 60 days, we'll see . . . It's very different here growing them in the fall, with the days getting shorter. If we get some cold nights before the holidays they just put on the brakes and take a rest for a couple of weeks.

I think it's the shorter days and weak winter sun that is mostly to blame for lack of taste, but let me know any really quick bearers you try that taste good. I'll have a report myself on Stupice in December or January. I mostly tried it because it said days to harvest was 52 days.

Have you ever tried Sophie's Choice? It's a small determinate tomato, very early (54 DTM) and is a good producer (at least in our zone). Some reviews I've ready said it does better in cooler climates, so perhaps it would do OK during your fall? I think the taste is good for an early tomato, too. I've grown it several years, and it's been very successful at our Master Gardeners plant sale, with many people asking for it.

#dyzzypyxxy

I dimly remembered another thread about early tomatoes, and after a little research found it here:
The thread "extending the tomato season" in Vegetables and Fruit forum

Rick Corey especially had quite a few recommendations for early cold-hardy tomatoes.

I've never tried them so I can't recommend them, but Extreme Bush and Fourth of July are both saladette size reds listed at 50 days by at least one supplier.

Mom2goldens
This is my last year for growing Sophie's Choice. It is a shortish plant so the chipmunks and rabbits got to the fruit before I could protect it. Flavor was ok, not great.

Stupice (Stoo PEACH kuh). Russian Heirloom.

I've grown it before. Very prolific. But, it's a tart little bite, and, I'm not into tart. Pale to golden yellow.

Another stinkbug magnet in my yard. For some reason, they seem to be drawn to the yellow tomatoes I grow...

DonShirer said:#dyzzypyxxy

I dimly remembered another thread about early tomatoes, and after a little research found it here:
The thread "extending the tomato season" in Vegetables and Fruit forum

Rick Corey especially had quite a few recommendations for early cold-hardy tomatoes.

I've never tried them so I can't recommend them, but Extreme Bush and Fourth of July are both saladette size reds listed at 50 days by at least one supplier.

I grow 4th of July nearly every year -- but the heirloom Bloody Butcher (which I have grown several times) is very similar in size but invariably starts ripening for me before 4th of July. Bloody Butcher is also thinner skinned. Both have a decent flavor for early tomatoes, in my opinion.

Interesting, Linda the supplier I got my Stupice seeds from has it listed as a red tomato. (and thanks for the pronounciation!) Wonder what I'll get?

I'll have to try a lot of tomatoes in the next year or two, to choose the best short season bearer for here. I just do need something that will keep setting fruit as the weather gets colder, since I'm planting them in September for a December/January harvest. Unlike you northerners that start them early, and have your weather getting warmer as they start to bear, these babies will have to ripen in shorter days and cooler nights. We also have to deal with late blight diseases that sometimes show up in November and that's where the heirlooms might fall by the wayside.

Gymgirl said:Stupice (Stoo PEACH kuh). Russian Heirloom.
I've grown it before. Very prolific. But, it's a tart little bite, and, I'm not into tart. Pale to golden yellow.

Linda, the Stupice I grew were definitely red. BakerCreek and SeedSavers both say they it comes from Czechoslovakia.

My Stupice had small red fruits. I bought the plant from a reputable nursery, so I believed them.

They were so good to their customers that they went out of business!

Today's tomato picking included two varieties of yellow slicers.

First off I picked 5 nice Harless Creek Golds. I have been picking the Harless Creek Golds steadily ever since they started getting ripe this season. They are late and take awhile before you get any tomatoes. But they more than make up for it by keeping up the production of nice large really excellent tasting beefsteak type slicers. And the tomatoes stay large even this time of year.

I also picked quite a few Azochka. Now these were not as large as the ones Azochka set earlier in the season. But it is early, gave me lots of nice tomatoes early in the season. Then it quit production. Only started up again late in the season after taking the hot part of the summer off.

But it is a winner for me as I liked the early production and the fact that I am picking late tomatoes from it now. I had plenty of other tomatoes in the main season so didn't much miss it.

Both of these are coming back next year. Will start seeds like I did this spring.

I pulled all of my tomato plants yesterday--they were really done a few weeks ago. I still need to clean out the roots and leftover fertilizer from the Earthboxes to prep them for winter. I filled up two 55 gallon yard bags with tomato vines for trash pickup tomorrow.

Just 2 plants still left--my poblano pepper and my Ping Tung Long eggplant. Everything else got pulled yesterday along with the tomatoes.

Today I'll be planting garlic--bed is all ready to go, and the cloves have done their overnight soak in a solution of water, baking soda and fish emulsion.