Finally got all of my tomatoes planted. I started 12 types, 4 seeds of each. Of course, they all germinated (I was planning on only planting 10 plants for us). I ended up planting 12 today; the remainder were donated to our MG plant sale (where people who had no idea of what they were buying bought them). I do all heirlooms, and try new varieties each year. I think people were intrigued by some of the names (although I did include descriptions of the tomatoes and growing habits on each).

once when i went to our local nursury i saw a young boy changing the labels on the tomato plants. some people were in for a surprise. LOL

I can envision that happening....too funny, Frank!

yes it was.

Last year I started a bunch of tomatoes and have many seeds left over to do a few of each this year.
Paste: Mamma Mia, Roma VF
Grape: Sweet Mojo, Juliet
Heirloom: Oxheart, Brandywine, Green Zebra, Striped German, Black Prince, Stupice, Mr. Stripey, Matina, Chocolate Cherokee, Purple Cherokee, Chocolate Cherry, Cheeesmanii, Red Robin, Carbon
Cherry: Sungold, Sweet 100
Small: Tumbling Tom
Medium: Manitoba, Super Fantastic, Early Girl, Bonny Best
Large: Celebrity, Mortgage Lifter, Ultrasonic VFT, Cobra
XL:Big Beef, Ultra Sweet VFT
XXL: T&T Monster

My plan is 3 or 4 of each, unless some friends & family want more of a specific one.

My little son (8) sowed Torbay tomatoes which is pink and I've sowed Lemon Boy tomatoes - I like having a variety of colored veggies for my children because it just makes it so much more interesting and they are more likely to eat something colorful. So this year we'll have pink and yellow tomatoes, Orange & purple peppers & purple & lime green cauliflower !!

Very cool. The Green Zebra tomatoes would be a nice addition to your collection. They are an Heirloom variety.

i ahve decided to skip my seed starting for this seasn beczuse in april my wife deb and i will be driving down to florida for a week because her niece has asked her to be her god mother. normally when my son was living with us it would be o.k. swince my seeds were under lights and the lights were on a timer so all my son had to do was give them some wate now and then. he has is own place now and while it is close i don';t want hm to haveto come over to check on the seeds since he ges up at 3:30 a.m. to go to work.

i guess this year i will just buy some plants when i get back from the trip. i will miss growing my ulta hot peppers though.

So many choices, so little space.
My lineup for this year (unless I change my mind again) is:
Berkeley Tie dye
Chocolate Cherry or Black Cherry (decisions, decisions....)
Paul Robeson
Goose Creek
Moreton Hybrid
Giant Beefsteak
Roughwood Golden Tiger
Stump of the World
Principe Borghese
Azoychka
Carbon or Bloody Butcher

I would love to grow twice this many, but it's just not possible. My only "repeat" from this group is the Paul Robeson--it did really well last year in spite of the difficult growing season we had last summer.

maybe i spoke to soon. i may just go ahead and start my seeeds and ask my son to chick them once or twice.

Frank,

One week shouldn't be too much trouble to look after them. Hope it works out.

me too

I don't start many because it's just my husband and me at home now. I also supply my Mom (with Tomatoes, not plants) who lives at a retirememt center. I even put bags of tomatoes at their main desk at the center last year with a sign reading "Free home grown tomatoes". I ate tomatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My husband and I both took bags of tomatoes to work to share with co-workers, and we did it pretty often. That was all from 8 plants.

For this year:
Snow White- my must have, favorite tomato
Matina- short DTM, very tasty small early tomatoes
Aussie- my husband's choice
Beefsteak- don't remember the name, another one my husband chose

I also have black cherry seeds, that one's a maybe. My husband doesn't eat cherry tomatoes (don't ask)

Karen

karen - if you grew sun golds i guarantee you he will not only eat them but ask you to start two plants the next year.

Franklin: unfortuntely, his dislike of cherry tomatoes seems to be based on the size, not the taste. He doesn't like any little cherry type tomato.

Sound stupid? How about this one: He'll eat any other kind of noodle that I've tried, but he will not eat couscous. What's couscous? A noodle. Tastes like any other noodle, but he won't eat couscous.

He likes big, beefsteak type tomatoes. Any big tomatoes. Even if they don't have much flavor, he likes them. I can only conclude it's the size of the tomato, not the taste, that determines his preference. Much like noodles.

Karen

oohh I know what that's like.... mine doesn't like peppers but eats toquitos (sp?) and my taco dip .. and some other Mexican foods.. just whacked!!!

hahaha, it is just a new peppercini with a thicker skin or color. (my next reasoning to the kids)

oops, back on track. burgermaster, delicious, mortgage lifter

Seems I am very fortunate in that my husband will eat any tomato, any pepper and pretty much anything else I offer. In 20 years, I don't think he's ever asked me to not make anything again.

Karen--some of the big tomatoes are wonderful....what would the world be without diversity?

karen - if your husband is into big tomatoes may i suggest you visit www.tomatogrowers.com and look for their big tomato collections which consits of
goliath
delicious
bull's heart
german giant
virginia sweets.

they advertise that these tomatos will be 2 to 5 pounds each.

i eat anythng my wifes puts in front of me but since she is having her first cookbook published i know everything is good. LOL

Franklin, tomatogrowers.com is where I've bought my seeds for several years. They have a great variety of tomato seeds, good service and I, too, like the layout of their website. For this year I picked Matina and Snow White. My husband picked Aussie and another larger beefsteak type but I don't remember which.

Karen