Judy:
I've successfully grown Pruden's Purple, Momotoro (a Japanese Hybrid), Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Virginia Sweets, Eva Purple Ball. The PP, Black Krim, and Momotoro are my favorite challenges.
I grew my best crop ever last spring, in a 3'x10' raised bed. I grow everything from seeds started inside under fluorescent lights. This year's seeds will be sowed December, 20-21st, and transplanted out February 15, 2015, in the middle of our Zone 9a winter.
The more I grow, the more I learn. In the past, my harvests were simply pitiful, to marginal, because I was starting long-season heirlooms too late. I had to learn for myself that I truly could plant the tomatoes out that early, and protect them from our infrequent dips below 30° and rare sustained freezes.
Once I put my frost contingencies in place, these plants were (finally) a total joy to grow. I had loaded vines by late April, and ripening fruits by late May, long before our Texas Hellfires were lit, LOL! I was ripping the last of the vines by the end of June.
Most backyard tomato growers here don't even think about setting out a tomato plant before late March. They also mostly grow short-season patio tomatoes, and the tried and true Early Girls and Big Boys. I cut my teeth on long-season, beefsteak heirlooms.
Never have grown a patio tomato. ..
I have PVC hoops over all my beds, and cover them with perforated plastic greenhouse sheeting (Territorial Seed Company). Next step is to throw old sheets or lightweight blankets. More contingencies include using old-fashioned Christmas tree lights that get warm or (extreme measure) shoving a small space heater under the hoop, if we expect to have sustained freezing temps for more than 3-4 days in a row.
