This is a fairly self indulgent post really, see the thing is my memory’s not too good. Which means by the time I get round to sowing my tomato seed next season I’ll have forgotten which varieties had the best flavour and yield. So I plan to write a short post about the tomato varieties I grew this year and how I found them to be.
Tomato Varieties I Grew This Year
Gardeners Delight
This is an old favourite and I mainly grow them for my grand daughter she absolutely adores them. I find them to be a good yielding cherry tomato, very juicy but with a tough skin. The flesh can be a bit pulpy and to my mind the flavour is ordinary.
I’ll have to keep growing them as they get consumed quicker than we can pick them and my grand daughter loves them. I grew other cherry tomatoes this year that I prefered and I’ll just decrease the gardeners delight.
Micro Tom
This was a new one on me this year and the only determinate variety I grew. For a small tomato they were juicy, tangy, and fleshy if a little acidic. The plants looked poor from day one but it didn’t prevent them producing lots of fruit.
They all ripened over a 2 week period and then the plants just gave up, being completely over shadowed by the basil companion plant. I might give them another go next year but I’ll need to grow more plants.
Tiger Blush
A small plum type with yellow and red stripes this one was exceptionally sweet but lacked a tomatoey flavour. The skin was also quite tough going back to the size they were about 2 inches long by an inch diameter. The fruit looked really pretty and I would give them another go but only if I have the space.
Golden Bumble Bee
Another cherry tomato this one with red and yellow stripes and a heavy yield. Really sweet and looked nice both on the plant and the plate. Tasted like a tomato should, sweet juicy and morish definitely on the list for next year.
I’ll probably increase this one to replace the gardeners delight as I like these so much more. I’m not going to lie, I’m a fan of these. So sweet and juicy yet still keeping that tomato taste.
Black From Tula
I’d never heard of these before this year but I’m pleased I have now. The only criticism is they weren’t black, more like maroon. Other than that black from tula have the most intense tomato flavour and a soft skin. They are sweet and juicy with a slightly pulpy flesh and they grow to quite a large size.
I will definitely be growing these next year and every year from now on. Probably the best tomato I have ever eaten and I’m not exaggerating. For me black from tula is top of the pops this year.
Virginia Sweets
All I can say about this tomato is WOW!!! The largest fruit came in at one pound five and a quarter ounces, that’s the biggest tomato I’ve ever grown. It has a full flavour which I’d describe as sweet and tart at the same time.
Full of juice and yet it also has pulpy flesh I will definitely grow this one again. I am a complete fan of Virginia Sweets.
Gigantomo
Another beefsteak, heirloom variety, this one grew well and produced quite a few fruits per plant. Not particularly large for a beefsteak (nothing like the Virginia Sweets anyway). The fruit was fleshy, juicy and sweet with a slight acidic after taste.
It’s another one I’ll be regrowing next year but I need to keep my eye on it. Late on in the season the plant developed some sort of illness, I wouldn’t have said blight but something similar. It never affected the fruit however and that’s why it’s on the list for next season.
I’m wondering if it was because the plant was situated by the door of the greenhouse and we had some really hot days(37 C). Possibly it was either the wind or the heat that did the damage as I say the fruit wasn’t affected at all.
Indigo Blueberry
This cherry tomato was a strange one for me, and definitely not like anything I’ve grown before. The fruit starts life green then the top turns blue and as it ripens it changes colour. The top becomes brown and the underside goes a dark yellow almost khaki colour.
A bit tart for my tastes but I will grow it again next year for the novelty value and because I have some seed left. I don’t think I’ll be replacing the seed when it runs out though.
Big Boy
Another beefsteak variety that never lived up to its name but the flavour was really good. The only problem was the size, which could be my fault as I grew them in 2 gallon buckets. But I grew all my tomatoes in 2 gallon buckets and the Virginia Sweets did exceptionally well.
A sweet, juicy, fleshy, full flavoured tomato with a pleasant colouring and ribbing. I will definitely give these another go next season and hopefully achieve bigger fruits. Not that they were small just I imagined something called “big boy” to be larger than they actually were.
The Biggest Tomato I’ve Ever Grown
I mentioned it earlier but I couldn’t finish this post without showing you the actual footage of the one pound five and a quarter ounce Virginia Sweets. So please indulge me a little longer and watch as I pick this record breaking tomato (well it is for me anyway).
The Pick Of The Crop
In their own way all the tomatoes varieties I grew this year had good points but the one that stood out to me over and above all the rest was … Black from Tula. Yeah, I know, I’m beginning to sound obsessive but they are everything a tomato should be. In the image on the left you can see the various stages of ripeness, from green to red to maroon.
So there it is the tomato varieties I grew this year, which varieties did you grow? How did they do? Let me know in the comments below.