2018 Tomato Harvest - A Look at Ten Varieties and the Challenges They Faced
The 2018 tomato season was a challenging one, with mold decimating most of my plants and record heat and humidity killing flower clusters. Despite the difficult conditions, I managed to sow 2-3 seeds per variety of ten different varieties, including Whiskey Jack (WJ), Golden Cherokee (GC), Silver Fir Tree (SFT), Tasmanian Chocolate (TC), Maglia Rosa (MR), Bulgarian Triumph (BT), Indian Stripe PL (ISPL), Daniel Burson (DB), Margaret Curtain (MR) and Omar's Lebanese Heart (OLH).
By May, a rag tag collection of plants had gone into the ground, and by mid-June some were in much better shape. Mid July saw Golden Cherokee amazingly still alive, while Maglia Rosa (bought from nursery) proved to be the best all rounder for production, taste, no cat facing and heat support. First fruit picked on June 23rd, it kept pumping out fruits during August despite the high temperatures and humidity. Tiger (plant bought from nursery) was early but not as productive as Maglia Rosa, with a citrusy taste like green prunes.
Silver Fir Tree also fared well, being unaffected by disease and producing beautiful fruits and leaves. It has a lemon taste which I didn't particularly enjoy but my wife loved it - she certainly has better taste buds than me! Bulgarian Triumph was another success story, surviving and thriving to produce perfectly shaped sweet fruits that held up well during the heat before exhibiting cat facing at the end of September.
Finally, Lucky Tiger (got it via exchange with a friend) grew tall in a container and pumped out small yellow pear shaped fruits until the very end. The mild taste was creamy but not a hit in the family. Meanwhile WJ produced heavily cracked fruits with an ok taste; however its performance was eclipsed by other varieties.
Overall, 2018 was a challenging year but there were successes too - thanks again to those who generously shared their seeds! Here's hoping 2019 will be even more fruitful!
What varieties were planted in 2018?
Whiskey Jack (WJ), Golden Cherokee (GC), Silver Fir Tree (SFT), Tasmanian Chocolate (TC), Maglia Rosa (MR), Bulgarian Triumph (BT), Indian Stripe PL (ISPL), Daniel Burson (DB), Margaret Curtain (MR), Omar's Lebanese Heart (OLH), Black Krim PL (BKX), Kumato, Lucky Tiger, Maglia Rosa, Cherokee, and Yellow Pear.
How did the 2018 season go?
The 2018 season was challenging, with mold decimating most of the plants and record heat and humidity killing flower clusters on many plants.
What was the performance of Maglia Rosa?
Maglia Rosa was the best all around for production, taste, no cat facing and heat support. It had a fruity taste that everyone in the family loved and kept on pumping fruits during the heat/high humidity in August.
What about Lucky Tiger?
Lucky Tiger had a citrus taste, like eating green prunes, very special but not as productive as Maglia Rosa.
How did Silver Fir Tree perform?
Silver Fir Tree was not affected by the disease, it was a champ! It produced perfectly shaped fruit, sweet and tasty.
What about Whiskey Jack?
Whiskey Jack produced fruits that were not uniform and heavily cracked at the end of September. Limited production due to flowers dying during the heat. Taste was ok but all in all the plant was eclipsed by the performance of other varieties.
How did Yellow Pear do?
Yellow Pear grew into a monster and pumped out small yellow pear shaped fruits until the very end with a mild taste and creamy texture. It was not a hit in the family.