I have been planting tomatoes in the same spot year after year, and unfortunately, my soil has become contaminated with Fusarium. I've been battling this issue for a couple of years now. As a result, my top criteria for selecting the best tomato variety are as follows, in this particular order: disease resistance, taste, and productivity.

After careful consideration, the winner in all these aspects is the Uluru Ochre variety, which I obtained from TomatoFest seeds.

For me this year in my limited experience and garden would be dwarf mahogany then Cherokee purple.

Probably the top 2 for me were Wherokowai and Hannah's Prize.

Sungold- while the one plant hasn't looked all that great, it daily gives me a handful of sweet fruit.
German Lunchbox - can't say it's especially tasty, but this is my second year of a couple plants that keep on putting out fruit all season, where other tomatoes are failing. I think the cherry and small, clustered tomatoes like this have a better chance of long life. They are a nice size to halve into salad, and dehydrate into tasty chewy bites.

OK - I'm going to clarify that what I list as my favorite is for this year only. That is, I know that I will always return to the Costoluto di Fiorentina as a favorite but it's not new to me so doesn't count. Equally, last years 'new to me' favorite was Julia Child and so it can't count this year. Thar said:

This year's winner as a 'new to me' variety is Ruth's Perfect.

I had a challenging year in the garden and these plants still produced modestly, very pretty medium size fruit with excellent flavor. I'd say they blend old fashioned tomato-iness with a fruity sweetness, but not too sweet. A very nice tomato.

My favorite this year is one that apparently crossed last year. I saved seeds from Pink Honey which is a really large, pink oxheart & when I grew it this year what I got were tons of golf ball-sized pink, extremely delicious, slightly oval, perfect tomatoes. The plant took up almost all of two cattle panels, has had no disease problems, started producing early, & is still going strong. I'm going to save seeds & try growing them next year to see what kind of results I get




The larger tomato is Black from Tula.

Favorite here is Sleeping Lady. Two plants produced in excess of 100 medium tomatoes. They had a sweet, mellow taste that tasted great raw or when cooked. Everyone I shared with raved about the flavor and some asked if I would start seeds for them next year.

A second favorite was Hillbilly. Again a mild, sweet tomato taste.

These may not be the only two I grow next season but they are at the top of the list.

I only have 4 tomato plants this year. . all but one are favorites that I've grown over and over again.

The one that's new-to-me this year is the winner this year as the others have struggled with the erratic weather.

Jung's Wayahead is an early producer (DTM 63-5?) and has been extremely prolific, unfaxzed by the erratic weather! Too hot? No problem! cool? never minded. Repeatedly drenched? No blight here! Dry spells? Eh what?

And this heirloom's fruit is so VERY juicy and flavorful!

This photo was just taken Tuesday: laden with different sizes of growing green tomatoes, still blooming (see a few at the top) and setting new fruit daily.
**(it's the short one in front of an other tomato)

I found a new to me cherry tomato this year that I acquired at the Chicagoland plant swap called Igor. It is very productive, very tasty, zero splitting even after a long drought followed by a two-day heavy rain. It also did not have any disease problems.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Igor')

I have so many great ones that it is difficult to chose just one top of the season. But taste wisz Uhure Orche certaonly is a very favorite. I just love the flavor.

Funny thing is that I love swet tomatoes and it is not at all sweet. But very great complex flavor.

Another standout this season has been Chefs Choice Bi Color. The entire CC Series is a standout but this season the Bi Color out produced them all. And the flavor is great, Not at all bland jus because it is a yellow.

Uhure Orche looks & sounds very interesting, Rita

antsinmypants said: Uhure Orche looks & sounds very interesting, Rita

Its great!! Reminds me very much of another strange off color tomato that I grow called Terra Cotta. Very much that flavor profile. And of course I simply love the flavor of Terra Cotta.

Both these are extra special winners in my book.

I may have to try at least one Chefs Choice next year.
I may skip the beefsteak I grew because it seems to be bug magnet- most are covered in white bug spots.

Girl Girls Weird Thing must have IMHO. Not new to me for this year.

sallyg said: I may have to try at least one Chefs Choice next year.
I may skip the beefsteak I grew because it seems to be bug magnet- most are covered in white bug spots.

This year I am growing a nice beefsteak that I have grown many times in the past. But not these last years tha I had my own from seed. But I always used to buy a ceellpack of them when I bought tomato starts.

It is called BeefMaster. Large tomatoes, many nicely large ad taaty. But it is a hybrid.

I did grow this years BeefMasters from seed myself. And I plan to have them again next season.

While we talk about favorites I want to say that the old stand by Better Boy is always a reliable favorite. Last year and this year I got seeds and tried one called Best Boy. Totally Tomatoes said it might be even better tasting that Better Boy.

Nothing wrong with it but I still like Better Boy. Next season going to skip the Best Boys and stick to the Better Boys.

Rita, I've grown Terra Cotta & I liked it

antsinmypants said: Rita, I've grown Terra Cotta & I liked it

I love it. It is fabulous!!!

Elena999 said: I have been planting tomatoes in the same spot year after year, and unfortunately, my soil has become contaminated with Fusarium. I've been battling this issue for a couple of years now. As a result, my top criteria for selecting the best tomato variety are as follows, in this particular order: disease resistance, taste, and productivity.

After careful consideration, the winner in all these aspects is the Uluru Ochre variety, which I obtained from TomatoFest seeds.

• Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Uluru Ochre')
• Uploaded by Elena999

I grew Uhuru Ochre for the first time last season and I loved the taste. Simply loved it.

Not at all very productive for me so not sure if I will plant it again.

Rita, what was your productive dwarfs?