This year I began with 19 types of seeds, both those I purchased and gifts from seed collecting friends. Along the way I also bought two plants of favourite varieties from last year, the saved seeds of which had been lost.
If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you know that 2022 was a bizarre growing season. Very little rain in the spring, but constant downpour in June. it was cold right through to the second week of July. Seedlings struggled to grow in the spring and plants were still spindly right up to July.
When it finally became warm, they grew with a vengeance. It was still mid-September though before there was a ripe full-sized tomato, and only a few cherries as well.
Although late, it was a large crop, so we picked as they were beginning to colour up rather than wait until they were fully ripe. They were red, black, gold, or striped, depending on the variety. Nevertheless, we picked nearly 4 bushels, with 200lbs of 3oz weighed picked tomatoes. Possibly we missed about 2-3lbs, but not likely more than that.It’s sort of a lot, but we had over 40 full sized plants going, plus 20 miniatures.
Although late, it was a large crop, so we picked as they were beginning to colour up rather than wait until they were fully ripe. They were red, black, gold, or striped, depending on the variety. I grew several dark and black tomatoes: Black Krim, Chocolate Striped, Dark Galaxy, Indigo Rose, Paul Robeson, and Purple Ukrainian, A few were standout favourites.
Dark Galaxy is surprisingly tasty. When you cut into it, the salmon orange centre contrasts beautifully with the deep eggplant purple exterior. It isn’t very prolific, so it’s not really a market garden candidate for me, except as a special item in a large basket perhaps.
I liked all but one of the tomatoes from 2022. Golden Nugget however, was a bomb,.Despite that it was incredibly prolific for a cherry tomato, Golden Nugget is totally forgettable. There were at least 10lbs on each of two plants, but they were flavourless and so low to the ground that picking them was like trying to milk a corgi. I won’t grow them again.
In addition to the 18 listed below, I also bought starts of Sasha’s Altai, and Oaxacan Jewel, two favourites from last year. Oaxacan Jewel is a juicy large beefsteak, and Sasha’s Altai is a uniformly shaped tomato that mostly (at least for me) has 4 lobes, and tastes sweet like persimmon when very ripe.
Waiting for the final bushel to ripen so they can be canned and made into ketchup, tomato sauce, dried tomatoes, and salsa. There are already several litres of roasted tomato sauce in the freezer, and a jar of dried cherry tomatoes.
Frost finally arrived and the plants are fully done. Will be taking them down today to get ready for the winter…and next season!
(Note) Tomatoes continued to ripen through December, and the last were finally cooked in mid-January.
A list of all of the tomatoes with photographs follows the articles and recipes below:
New Arrivals!
Edit January 19, 2023: I’m currently waiting for some NEW seeds because I was given an Etsy gift subcription and I’m ever so slightly tomato obsessed.
On order are Sgt Peppers Tomato Seeds, Mar Azul Sanish Heirloom Tomato, Crushed Heart. and India Stripe . I made these late purchases after a friend gave me an Etsy gift certificate for Christmas. These tomatoes were spendy, but well worth it.
Name | Type | Plant habit | Description | Source | Days |
Ardwyna | Red paste | Indeterminate | Great multi-lobed heavy | Full Circle Seeds | 75 |
Black Krim | Red to brown, smokey flavour | Indeterminate | Makes a great tomato sandwich | West Coast Seeds | 70 |
Black Sea Man | Olive to brown/pink | Determinate / Small | Big dark tomatoes, nice flavour | Gigi | 75 |
Brandywine | Large pink fruit and plant | Indeterminate | Great for sandwiches, large meaty | Saanich Organics | 80 |
Chocolate Sprinkles | Cherry / Prolific | Indeterminate | Pretty to look at, olive to dark red, sweet/acid | Gigi | 70 |
Chocolate Striped | Beefsteak | Indeterminate | Pretty with a good flavour | Full Circle Seeds | 80 |
Costoluto Florentino | Large flat ribbed fruit | Indeterminate | Beautiful, perfect soup tomato | Baker Creek | 75-80 |
Dark Galaxy | Speckled | Indeterminate | Deep purple top, bright crimson bottom, red flesh. Delicate skin and sweet flavour | Gigi | 90 |
Gold Nugget | Small | Not my favourite. Tasteless and hard to pick. Won’t be growing these again | Gigi | 60 | |
Indigo Rose | Black Cherry | Indeterminate | Deep purple top, shading to red. Delicate, easily bruised skin and sweet flesh | Gigi | 90 |
Jolly Elf | Cherry | Indeterminate | Oblong fruit, bright vermillion, sweet like fruit | Saved | 65 |
Juliet | Cherry Plum | Indeterminate | Sweet small cherries | Saved | 60-70 |
Mary’s Austrian | Paste | Indeterminate | One of my favourites, a meaty large plum tomato | Saved | 70 |
Mashenka | Beefsteak | Indeterminate | Have not had one sliced | Sweet Rock | 75 |
Matina | Midsized red | Indeterminate | Have not had one sliced | Full Circle Seeds | 58 |
Paul Robeson Black | Beefsteak | Indeterminate | Large dark fruit with a good flavour | Full Circle Seeds | 90 |
Purple Ukrainian | Paste | Indeterminate | Pretty and l | Gigi | 80 |
Riesentraube | 1″ grapes early | Indeterminate | Similar to the Jolly elf, there were not a lot of these this year. | Sweet Rock | 80 |
Rosy Finch | 8″ – 10″ plants | Micro | A very small plant | Gigi | 55 |