"Mutti Pie" wrote in message
...


Dr. wrote:

Is it worth giving this plant a chance? I have enough (15) tomato plants
that I don't really need a huge harvest off of it. It, along with about
a
dozen other heirloom varieties, I'm growing for the first time this
year.
I'd at least like to get a few tomatoes off of that plant to see how
good
they are.

You bet! Every year we put in about 35 varieties for a total of 90-110
plants. One year we dug in this hard clay like soil which was pretty
dry with a post hole digger about 18" deep. We then put in our plants
to the top two leaves. Some of the tomatoes had almost snapped stems
due to the "help" of our 5 and 1 yo children. Then we received
unexpectly 3" of rain in a 24 hour period. The tomatoes sank until they
were (some of them) in a 6" hole. We did what we always do - caged them
(6' high cattle fencing), newspapered around them and in the 4 foot rows
between them, then heavily strawed. Our plants were about our average -
7 feet tall by 4 feet wide and the yield was great.

Well, I've received some very positive replies regarding my topped plant. It
still looks just as healty as the rest of them, so I think it will be just
fine.

I'm rather new to gardening. Bought the house 4 years ago, and have had a
garden for 3. This is the 2nd year I've started my tomatoes and peppers from
seed. Last year everything turned out great. Hopefully this year will be
good also. The only concern is the size of the seedlings. After 7 weeks,
they were gigantic. Not leggy, just huge. I left them on the heat mat the
whole time, which may have caused that. Next year, I'll either start them
later, or take them off the mat after germination.

'
If anyone is interested in which varieties, and would like comment on
their
experience with them, they a

1884
great flavor

Agreed. I grew this one last year. I never knew tomatoes could taste that
good.


Brandywine Red
love all the brandywines
Costoluto Fiorentino
difficult to clean

Green Zebra
Love them - make great "green tomato pickles"

Also grew this one last year. All the rest I listed I'm growing for the
first time.


Also you might like -

Ivory egg (bushy, very prolific, duck egg size ivory)

Chocolate Plum (Tall, water tolerant, make the best paste I have ever
eaten or dried)

Snow white (beautiful large slicer that makes wonderful "ivory" tomato
sauce)

Orange Oxheart (very low acid, huge. Literally the size of an ox heart.
Beautiful slicer moderate producer)

Thanks for those suggestions. I've taken note of them. Next year will
probably be mostly new varieties, along with a few favorites from this year.
The 1884 I believe will always have a spot or two reserved for it.


Gary


Good luck,
Mutti Sabo
Illinois