Best tomato varieties for hot/humid climates?

I am interested in some feedback from some of the DG members that live in the hot and humid areas in the U.S. about what tomato varieties work best for you. i know its too late in the year to get another batch of seed going, but theres always time to plan for the next go around. I also love trying to grow at least one tomato plant from each part of the tomato color spectrum. So far i have had better boy to work out pretty well, and im trying a new (to me) cherry variety this year called "blue berries" that seem to be pushing out the fruit pretty well.

Over the years I've had pretty good luck with all the tomatoes I've tried. I grow mostly O/P medium to large tomatoes with a few cherry and saladette tomatoes. Brandywine is the only variety that didn't ever do well.

Sioux. NOT Super Sioux. Just "Sioux".

I grew them was during the Houston drought of 2011-2012, and ended up ripping the vines, because I couldn't take the heat anymore. They just kept on growing in all that heat, but, I couldn't take going out in that scorcher to water them.

They just wouldn't stop!!!

I have had the best success with Cherokee Purple (an heirloom), Sun Sugar (yellow) and Sweet 100's if you want a cherry type, Better Boy is a hybrid but always tasty and I roast and freeze them for sauce. Big Boy is similar. I also am growing Black Krim and they are doing well so far this year (none ripe yet) and so are Momotaro but I'm so-so on the flavor of those just now. Will report back on the Momotaros later in the season.

I have tried various Brandywines and won't do it again. Not much yield. I wasn't thrilled with Sioux. Didn't care for the texture or taste. Edited to add Lemon Boy (yellow) which really did well for me one year and is a nice size yellow. Didn't do so well another year but I may try it again sometime.

This message was edited Jun 25, 2016 11:33 AM

that is the exact same situation here with one of my plants. I grew kentucky beefsteak last year and i got a couple monster sized fruit out of it, but then it died out towards the end of the summer. This year kentucky beefsteak is just not a happy camper with this crazy hot humid summer that we have had so far: no blossom set so far and now the whole plant is yellowing up. the other plants are doing just fine except for a little blossom end rot here and there.

I know, crazy how some people swear by the variety but it just doesn't work for me. Taste is always a personal thing but I want my plants to give me some bang for the buck!

I forgot about growing Mortgage Lifter a few years back. It produced very well one year, not so good another. I also liked the flavor, so I am going to give it another chance, probably next year.

I got some new free seed this year, called Dixie Red. It is supposed to do well in our hot summer heat and humidity. I planted 2 plants but had to pull up one due to some weird black spot in the top of the plant when we returned from vacation. The other looks fine and has lots of medium green tomatoes. Nothing ripe yet to report about.

Mortgage Liifter is one of my favorites. Some yrs it produces more then other yrs but it always tastes great. I also love Black Krim. Every year is different.

My favorite is Great White. It's a large, juicy, low-acid tomato, great for slicing, on sandwiches, or in salads. Pale yellow/ivory in color, this tomato is not a prolific producer, but it has been very reliable in all kinds of weather every year. I grow mine in large containers so I can control moisture and fertilizer.

My favorite is Tomato on the Vine, it has done very well with me . On one of my plants I have three bunches and they are looking quite healthy.

Reporting back. I grew Dixie Red's which were supposed to be a good plant for hot southern climates. They are good and I just (finally) picked a huge one yesterday. I guess I forgot to check the maturity date but it really seemed long compared to others I grow. Will eat it tonight and report back on the flavor but it's a pretty tomato.

My all-time favorites are still Cherokee Purple and Better Boy for slicing. Those two have never let me down for both flavor and production. My Sun Sugar and Sweet 100 cherry type also are two big producers and between these four I have more than enough to roast for sauce. I also grew Health Kick hybrid roma type again this year. They are supposed to be a high lycopene tomato also. I picked a huge basket full and then some so I have had a busy weekend putting up sauce this weekend. These make the prettiest sauce and I mixed in some of the Better Boys, cherries, and CP's with it and the sauce is yummy this year. I also grew Momotaro based on some rave reviews. It's more of a pink tomato, medium sized. It's tasty but not one of our favorites. Good to throw in the sauce though. May not make my cut again.

I do like the Black Krim and it has produced well but it does have more of a green core to it. It looks and tastes very similar to Cherokee Purple IMO, and of all my plants, it's been the first to show signs of disease (fungus), so it will be going soon. I typically have to spray for fungus, but have not done so this year very much except early in the season, so maybe this is partly my fault, but the other plants have not suffered like this variety.

Sorry to be so long-winded, but thought this might be helpful to some.

some great varieties mentioned here. so far this year i have lost 3 of my 5 plants to this crazy tropical like weather (rain nearly every day, or every other day, the plants just cant take it anymore!). so far the better boy tomatoes and the "Blue berries" tomatoes are still doing well, they appear to be more hardy than the others were