Tomatoes: What tomato do you just hate?

I love to hate things. Sometimes when I hate a plant, I find out later that the emotion was love the whole time, but I just misinterpreted it. This is usually how it works out with me so I pay close attention to my negative emotions.

So, what tomato are you currently growing (or previously grown) that you just can't stand? Which tomato are you sorry you ever grew, and just wanted to get out the tiller and plow the daggone thing under?

For me, hands down, it's the Yellow Currant. It looks like a wild volunteer tomato with its tiny little fruits, bland taste, dry pulp, and spiny habit. Furthermore, the fruits are red when completely ripe, not yellow.

Who's next?

Dave

I hate my tomatoes that are in the garden right now..only because they are all dead from the flood...sigh..methinks I should not visit the tomato forum because i get depressed..

Store tomatoes. Across the board (except maybe the ultra-expensive grape ones. In the middle of winter when I've forgotten what real tomatoes taste like, and they have something resembling a taste other than cardboard.)


But I guess you posed this question somewhat seriously. Well, I don't have experience with enough varieties to out and out hate any that I've grown. Not too fond of Mr. Stripey, but that's because he didn't like me first! (he wouldn't set fruit no matter how much I pleaded and begged.)

Well, obviously, we all hate storebought tomatoes. :-)

I guess it would have to be the cherry tomatoes because they have so many seeds, volunteer too easily and cross breed with the other good tomatoes and ruin all the seed for saving. The indeterminate plants get HUGE and produce literally thousands of the tiny, seedy, juicy fruits which fall to the ground too easily.

Hmmmm...definitely would have to be the yr I grafted a mater plant onto a tater plant...the "po-to-mato"....thought I'd get taters underground, maters up top. The taters didn't fare so well...were a bit mushy, like an over-ripe tomato. The maters grew with something that resembled "eyes" on them and were a bit mealy. I tried my best to hide that experiment, and that part of my mindframe, but alas to no avail. Last spring I caught my DD planting marshmallows to grow a marshmallow tree. Oh well, my blood-line lives on.

Dave~ The tomato I hate is called "Bragger". I only hate them because I lost the seed and can't find it now. (This was back before, in fact it was the cause of, my policy of never planting more than half the seed you got left) They came from "Totally tomatoes" and they were huge. But you couldn't pick one , you had to cut the vines w/ sidecutter. They didn't have that cell layer that lets you snap them off. Guess it's more of a love-hate thing after all. :)

Horseshoe...ROTFL!!!

ROMAS!I truely hate Roma tomatoes. There is no reason to even continue the variety in my opinion! xxoo's Amy.

German Johnsons, they crack and split on me every time, before they even get totally ripe, this year I have a plan, I'm going to get even, I'm going to fry them and eat them green.

mmmmmmm - fried green tomatoes!!!!!! What a wonderful childhood memory THAT is!!! I do love those things!!!!!

There are no BAD Tomatoes; the season is just to short here in Michigan I savor EVERY vine ripened Tomatoe I can get my hands on.

I know _exactly_ how you feel, Lisa!
http://davesgarden.com/showthread/50470.html

What tomato do I absolutely hate? Well, that would have to be Tigerella. It's taste is too tart to suit me and I will _never_ plant it again.

I just picked the first tomato that I can honestly say that I hate.It is called Zomok and I got it in a trade from Hungary.The plants are dwarf and determinate...no big deal,got lots of those that are just fine.I knew I had troubles when I picked the first one and held it in my hand.
They're small...that's ok too. What I object to is they're harder than rocks and I believe a rock would taste better!
I have grown a vine ripened tomato that has all the appeal of a mid Jan.'cardboard wonder'.It must be a variety that is used in greenhouses in the winter.That's all I can figure out.So,now I know.....the vine ripened 'cardboards ' are just as bad when you grow them yourself!

I will never again raise Mr. Stripey, Yellow Pear, or Roma.

Only half of the Mr. Stripey variety had any tomatoes set on. The Yellow Pear variety tasted bland. The Roma variety is next to a winter store tomato in cardboard taste ...... on my taste buds anyway.....although I know it is a favorite of many people *rolling eyes*:)

And those tiny....so small you can barely see em.....variety of cherry tomatoes are nothing but a nuisance.

I agree on the Yellow Pear. I'm growing them, and they have almost no taste. They are valuable, though, as a good color variety for salads.

I know this is little off topic but I just have to mention it. Those Santa grape tomatoes I planted are _delicious_! I'm thoroughly addicted! I'm planting _lots_ more of them next time.

I have to agree with you Owen, Roma isn't exactly the tastiest paste tomato. I'm much more impressed with Amish Paste. Have you tried that one?

Terri

Terri.....No I haven't tried the Amish Paste tomato, but sounds like a good one for next year.
Haven't gotten my first ripe tomato this year yet....am getting very close though with Silvery Fir Tree and Juliette.

I'm growing the Amish Waste (I mean Paste) here. I have two plants given to me by GrannyLois. They have been the poorest performers in the garden, but the season is still young. :-)

I hear that they do not perform well in the south.

I planted the AP last year dave and I'll have to agree...the few that I got were prone to cracking and the vines were pretty weak. The few fruit that did make it were very tasty tho.I just couldn't put them in the 'lineup' again this year.

I planted some Juliet's too, Owen. They are pretty tasty but not as tasty as my Santa grape tomatoes. Give Santa's a try next year. I think you'll like them.

Dave, my Amish Paste tomatoes are producing pretty well considering the hell they've been through and are going through with all the rain I've been having. They're really a tasty little paste tomato. I'm going to skip the Roma's next year and plant more of them. Just goes to show you that tomatoes perform differently in different parts of the county and even from one garden year to another.

Terri

Haven't tried the Santa tomato yet.....may give it a try next year, along with a couple dozen other varieties I want to try yet. Have a few Isis Candy, Large Red Cherry, and Riesentraube set on but none ripe yet.....hoping at least one of those varieties pleases my taste buds:)

August 10th now....my best tasting cherry tomato turned out to be a vine from one I call 25 yr. cherry cause the lady who sent me the seeds said her neighbor has saved from this one for last 25 yrs. It looks just like the Large Red Cherry variety, but is much sweeter with no tangy taste. I love it! Not nearly as vigorous as the Large Red Cherry, but I will sacrifice vigor for taste any time:)




This message was edited Friday, Aug 10th 10:52 AM

I've got Isis Candy growing, too! Sounds like we planted lots of the same tomatoes, Owen. We'll definitely have to compare notes.:)

Terri

Sounds good to me Terri:)

I just posted a list of present varieties I am growing this year. Have already started compiling a list of ones I need to buy and try next year to try. We generally get our first ripe tomatoes here around 2nd week of July, unless we "cheat" and raise plants to very large size in the house....so am still waiting on a ripe one:)

Owen

Weeeelllllll. Let me get controversial here. All these years people have hooted and hollered over Brandywine. "Oh and did you know there are pink Brandywine, and Yellow, and....."
This is the first year I've tried it, since EVERYONE says it's so great and that it produces like a zucchini and they all bring in basketloads to the nursery to share.
So. Why is this beautiful, bloomladen plant just dropping the flowers? The place is loaded with bees. Plenty of pollenators. It's been blooming for weeks. The others are setting just fine. But if this darn thing doesn't begin giving me some fruit, I've got plenty of bean seed for that spot!!! darnit. (and I don't work at the nursery anymore...)
is it the @$#&%*!!!! heat? (100s day/ 50s night)?

perLite...you've hit the nail on the head...Brandy's don't like heat!Hard to grow here in the South too.I don't even put them in the lineup anymore.There are a great number of Potato Leafed pink tomatoes and there are strains that do better in hotter climates.
Brandywine has a deformed flower also..that is why you have so few pollinated.And it's not the bees fault.Besides,tomatoes are self fruitful and don't require any outside stimuli to pollinate themselves.Most will pollinate all by themselves before the flower even opens.
I've got some called Hungarian Giants that seem to be doing well in the heat and will be putting seeds in my trade list shortly.Pruden's Purple is another similar one that I have that you may want to research.I've got a family heirloom that is used to the heat here in West Ky.that I'll be putting in the trade lists also.You may want to change the kind of tomato that you are trying to grow,but similar to the Brandys.There are a great many similar tomatoes and all you have to do is find one that likes your climate.You may even want to try Brandy seeds from another source...there are several strains of them going around too.
Alas,It looks like the ones you have just don't like where you live.but don't give up hope!

So you want some controversy eh? ROFL Well, I actually _did_ pick a Pink Brandywine tomato and had a taste. Please don't ask me how in the world I got one to produce but I did. I have to say that I don't think Pink Brandywine is anything to write home about. I am definitely _not_ impressed. Okay, go ahead and call me weird but I like the taste of Rutgers better. I know I'm not the only Southerner that's grown a Pink Brandywine. Debbie from SC has been growing them with no problem. I do have to say that my summer temps are below normal for this time of year. It's in the 80's still and that's _most_ unusal. But, I'm sure my success in growing Pink Brandywine is probably a fluke.

Yellow Pear tomatoes are evil alien invader out to rule the world. Why else would they pop up all over my gardens---even in the rose bed???? The vines get to be 10'-15' and collapse any support unless it's 5/8" steel rebar. They grow under drought conditions, under flood conditions, in the heat, and in the cool. THey're the pod people that we've always feared in those science fiction tales.


And, they don't even taste good.

I raised pink brandywine a couple yrs. ago and was not impressed with the taste. Figured I would try the Joyce's pink brandywine strain this summer. So far, beautiful vines but very few green tomatoes set on. My granddad used to raise a large pink tomato that was mild but still flavorful....and produced very, very abundantly...would not know where to find seeds now, darn it. He called it the McCutcheon Special.

Hey, how about someone starting a thread called "WHAT'S YOUR ONE FAVORITE HYBRID, HEIRLOOM, AND CHERRY TOMATO" hmmmm, I mean your single favorite in each category:)

Say Melody: thanks for the suggestions. A reminder goes into the seedbox.
About pear toms: My Gramma always left a couple of the volunteers for me when I was a little kid. I ate them like candy. Comfortable memories there. Thanks for reminding me!

Um, had to jump in. I don't grow tomatoes, wish I had room and patience and a siamese that didn't eat every vegetable I tried to container garden...

But, Roma's were originally bred to be machine picked. That is all they were bred for. Unhappily to say, they are about the best brand of cardboard to be found out here, so tomatoes just don't exsist in my diet. I am waiting to raid MIL's fine, fine plants. Should have ripes by the end of this week, and I have been earning my share by culling suckers every time I stepped onto her property.

But I still find Romas to be as close as those sweet warm treats just rinsed, straight from the vine as it's possible to find without growing my own.

Cena, tomatoe deprived for TOOOOOO long

Cena honey, Tomato deprivation can get really serious!! Lissen to me now, I'm a Medical Person!
I prescribe immediate Tomato therapy. Get yerself one of those dwarf varieties and put it on the patio. If that possum eats THIS plant it will get a good tummyache. There's now a dwarf EarlyGirl on the market, and there are also small varieties you could have in a hanging basket.
I hope you are cured soon! :) perL

Brandywine happens to be my personal favorite. Obviously none of you have tried the ones that I grow!! Out of the hundreds of varieties that I have grown, it is still #1 in my opinion. It grows very well up here in the north, those cooler nights are key. This year I am trying 6 different pink strains to see if there is a difference. I have grown the other colors but still like the pink the best. What have you Southerners, (and Westerners), liked and grown successfully that compares? I will try it next year! Amy.

This message was edited Sunday, Jul 8th 6:07 PM

I know that I am getting my two cents in late but I know about the problem with Roma tomatoes. The riper they get the better the taste,if you let them get almost soft they will taste more like the tomatoes that you are use to getting from the garden. I usually let them get soft and then wash and vacuum seal and freeze them for my chili and spaghetti recipes. During the winter months when you can't get fresh they taste wonderful.
I hate the bland taste of hot house store bought tomatoes, they have more grit than sand. There use to be a yellow pear heirloom tomato that tasted wonderful, I have been trying to find it again with no luck. If anyone knows where I can find the seeds for these plants please let me know.

If I have a room, and nlimited power and heat, can I grow real summer tomatoes in January in washington state?
what is involved here.
Obviously power is a premium now, but tomatoes taste so good...

What should the temperature be at day and at night and how many grw lights will I need and for how long?

Anyone willing to "invent" a fictitious growing room that will grow beefstakes?

thanks

Cena, where did you get the siamese possum?

Amish Paste and the Brandywines do well here.
Melody...I also have Zomok, probably from the same gardener in Hungary. The plants are beautiful...almost ornamental. I'm sorry to hear about the lack of taste. I'm about 3 weeks away from ripeness on most of my tomatoes.

I have a particulary nasty strain of yellow plum--mealy and flavorless. I have 3 other similar tomatoes that taste wonderful.
It's great to see so many people experimenting with new varieties.
Scott

Scott,
My Zomoks are beautiful little plants too and I was so dissapointed in the taste.My Uncle Joe got some plants from me this season and he is raving about them.He is right on the Tenessee River and I'm south and west of him about 25 miles.It may be the soil.So don't despair,yours may be great.

I hope to be growing tomatoes next year and I cook lots of Italian food so a good tomato is essential in my sauces. I also like to dry them and make paste. Any views on the best variety for this. Bought some great tasting home grown at a little store here so must find out what they are.

Melody,
I got seeds for the Hungarian Giant too this year, but I had an accident with the plants and I ended up losing all the seed and plants. How did they taste?
I'm also growing the Japanese tomato tree variety, but haven't tasted them yet (from the same hungarian person). Does anyone know if these are supposed to perennial or something? I'm wondering why they got their name.
Louisa, I'm growing Principe Borghese this summer. They are supposed to be the best variety for drying, but I'm still waiting to find out myself.
Birdie