27 Amazing TOMATO Varieties I'm Growing In My 2023 Garden

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 Growing Tomato Seeds Introduction
1:12 Cherry Tomatoes
4:04 Determinate Tomatoes
7:22 Paste Type Roma Tomatoes
8:35 Beefsteak Indeterminate Tomatoes
12:35 Dwarf Tomato Project Tomatoes
14:31 A Chart Of All The Tomatoes I'm Growing
14:50 Tomatoes That Didn't Make The Cut
16:57 Adventures With Dale

[@Mrs.LadeyBug]

I was blessed to be given an inheritance of amazing unique and heirloom tomato seeds from a long-retired small business greenhouse owner, who discovered that I was someone who loved tomatoes. She gave me almost 50 varieties, many that she had just kept propagating for years, without sharing with customers. She was in her 80s when she heard about me and my tomato sales (I was selling my garden produce at the time) and called me out of the blue, saying that she believed that I would keep the seeds going for generations, while her kids and grandkids didn’t show interest in it… I feel so honoured and I cherish these seeds SO much! I have every colour, size, and shape that I’ve ever seen on the market or online. It’s tomato heaven!!

[@jamielindmeyer]

Love your content and I appreciate all the work you put into making it available!

[@eviemarino3562]

Just absolutely love your videos. Full of helpful information, I’ve learned a great deal. The way you present and explain the topic is complete and easy to put into practice. And the humor thrown in is great. And let’s not forget Dale, he’s the real reason I watch 😉.

[@fareebug8439]

From one seed addict to another, happy spring shopping. Thanks for all the information! Definitely gonna add a few of these to my order this year!!!
Hello, Dale....hope your having the best day, Bud! 🐾💕

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm glad some of the varieties sounded interesting! Dale says hello and sends his love ❤

[@jaretthacker9058]

Here’s the one I’ve been looking for thanks

[@JulianJP21]

Super vid friend as always 👍💪 sowing...best time!! Thanks for the information

[@TheHappybaby2008]

Don’t underestimate the black plum tomato. It’s the best hands down workhorse in my garden. From fresh eating, salsa, thick sauce, to drying in a dehydrator. I live in hot Southern California and it takes heat like a champ. If your weather is not to wet be prepared for bucket loads. Grow two to three plants, and allow four to five stems grow cause it’s a large cherry. Put down plenty of calcium at planting and every month to prevent blossom end rot.

[@michaelmcclenon6663]

Its a junk tamatoe compared to others

[@PeaceLoveandPrepping]

@@michaelmcclenon6663 What do you mean? I'm a new gardener

[@williamkennedy6423]

It was extremely prolific for me, but it was tasteless. I was given free seed as well and ended up wasting hundreds, if not a thousand tomatoes, because nobody liked them. They had thick skin and were horrible for fresh eating, even with a dash of salt. They just sat on the vine and rotted. Gold Nugget, although not a plum tomato, was also prolific and very sweet and tasty.

[@annanabity152]

My black plum tomato plants produced a ton (purchased seed, not free seed) but they cracked a lot for me. I think I’ll grow it again but will want to keep a closer eye on them to pick them before they crack. They’re also smaller than what I think a typical plum tomato is

[@jwilson086]

This is my first year growing and I already have a sizeable binder full of seeds. It’s half the fun! You have me intrigued by the dwarf and determinate varieties, I am going to try a plant or two next year. Thanks for he great content.

[@bradwiles295]

I enjoy all your videos. I’m trying out new tomato varieties this year too. Can’t wait

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! Spring will be here before we know it!

[@sylvia10101]

Wow! Lotsa varieties! Great video! Thank you for sharing 😊👍Dale! 😊

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You are very welcome! Dale sends his love ❤

[@Kaz_NZ]

I'm watching this in New Zealand - thank you so much for putting the temperature conversion to Celsius up on the screen! Really love your content, cheers from NZ 🇳🇿

[@teenagardner3623]

Thank you for sharing all the varieties of tomatoes you're testing and growing. This year, I'm going more paste varieties for canning, cherries for snacking, and salads.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! I've also scaled back the beefsteaks I grow and I replace more and more of them with cherry and paste types each year. They grow better here.

[@georgestewart5814]

Hello. I am trying a couple that you have recommended in the past. I grew Purple Reign last year here in PA and they did well, were beautiful to look at and very tasty. Two others I discovered and LOVED last year were Heidi, a sauce tomato and Lehrertomate, a nice big tomato. They were both absolutely loaded with tomatoes. Good luck and thanks!

[@marciawarden5021]

Yes this video was helpful. I took your advice in where to get my seeds. Determinate this year also.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Nice! I’ll be curious to hear how you like determinates.

[@jeanniemann4571]

Great information! Thanks

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You’re welcome!

[@bigtitan27]

I grew Carmelo last year. Its the most disease resistant tomato I've ever grown. Im in middle Tn and we have a terrible time with foliar diseases from all the rain and humidity. Carmelo stood up to it all and kept setting fruit. Its also a massive plant. I grew Purple Reign as well. It made it through our record heat and set fruit again in the fall. And its absolutely delicious. Also take a look at Bradley and Atkinson. Two great tomatoes that were bred to perform in the southeast.

[@barco581]

Another very educational video. You got us to try a few determinate tomatoes this year. Best of luck getting some outdoor tomatoes by Easter. Looking forward to that video if you can pull it off. Oh, and the winter tour of your sunroom too!

[@charonjimenez82]

Thank you very much for the wonderful video, just like all your content, last year I had many tomato failures and that's how I got to you, I already have my silentz, margaret, Roma 111 vfff tomatoes and most of the varieties you mention. You help a lot to know how, when and what vegetables we can grow in our climate, best regards from Georgia and I love seeing Dale so happy I also have my puppy 🙌🙏❤️

[@meshab6049]

The Brandywine yellow is a true stunner!! I'm in love.

[@PackRatManiac]

I'm very excited to see how your tomatoes do this year. I purchased the rosella purples for my own garden. I struggle growing beefsteaks because of the heat and humidity. I'm hoping the dwarf varieties will work out better with a little help from shade cloth.

[@figsinisrael1043]

Thanks, that was helpful!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@hamletharris7729]

Very informative, thank you

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ThatgirlinSeattle]

I love your channel! I’m an obsessed gardening lady 😊 and I love that you get into the nitty gritty of gardening. Great channel, it’s a wonder that you don’t have a million subscribers. Keep it up though and you will!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the channel. I'm almost 1/3 of the way there, but the first 1/3 is the hardest! 😄

[@valoriegriego5212]

That's a lot of tomatoes! I will enjoy watching you grow them and taste test them.👍Hopefully, you will have another amazing year of gardening!😃
Hey to buff Dale!🐕

[@kevinyoung9301]

Were do you buy your doworf tomato

[@thomasstarling7934]

As someone who lives in Wilmington these videos are VERY helpful!!

[@DeadeyeJoe37]

Excited to see how everything turns out this year. Don't forget to do a walkthrough before the crazy heat & rains come

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I always try as long as there is normal weather. This winter has been erratic, so I’m not sure what to expect.

[@marciawarden5021]

I planted my tomato seeds end of last week. I got my seeds from tomato growers in Fla. I’m growing my tomatoes in grow bags. I’m excited for this season! Thank you for all you do to help us!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Nice! I recommend #20 bags minimum for indeterminates and #7 bags minimum for determinate and dwarf tomato varieties. Although, super vigorous determinates like Celebrity will prefer a larger bag. I usually start my seeds now, but I delayed them this year. I have a feeling this is going to be a bad late frost year due to the way the weather has been weirdly warm, followed by extremely deep Arctic air outbreaks. I think we're going to get April frost this year.

[@marciawarden5021]

@@TheMillennialGardener thank you so much for that info as celebrity is one I’ll be growing! I’ve only planted one of each seeds which are the ones you mentioned in the video, seven plants. I believe you’re correct about the frost so I’ll be moving mine in and out of greenhouse or garage to driveway. Hopefully I’ll be able to successfully secession plant. Also my son and I are curious about what you may think about planting our onions with our tomatoes and peppers in bags? My onions, bunching onions and leeks are up and looking great!

[@Cardioqueenmom]

“And it died a very young death” was the theme of my 2022 garden, my first one on the east coast. So relieved to have found your channel, it’s been SOOOOO HELPFUL! Thank you!!! I am feeling way more confident about this year!

[@theangrycheeto]

What's the theme of the 2023 garden so far?

[@Mommyslittlegarden]

I seriously didn’t need to see this, now I want to go purchase some of these varieties. I really enjoy your personal description of these selections.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

These are some of my favorite types of videos - variety selection. It’s so much fun browsing and ordering seeds 🍅

[@Mommyslittlegarden]

@@TheMillennialGardener The nThe most most n word word Nu

[@donnaraynes6337]

Mr Stripey did well for me last year here on Hatteras Island. Thanks for the great videos!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I tried that 6 years ago. It died before it set any fruit 😂 Maybe I just got a dud. It was a transplant I impulse-purchased.

[@evaczarnojanczyk1432]

Woo-hoo, Tassie gets a mention! ❤️🇦🇺

[@JoelNisly]

I had the same problem with cracking in Black Cherry. A great crack-resistant alternative is Chocolate Cherry. I've found it to be very vigorous and productive as well.
The best preformer for me overall through heat and up to frost has been Blush, a cherry roma type with a sweet fruity flavor when fully ripe.

[@Cardioqueenmom]

Gonna have to try the chocolate cherry, thanks!

[@marygrott8095]

I just subscribed to your channel for the simple reason that the Sun Gold cherry tomato made the top of your list.

[@MeowMeowKapow]

If there is a gardener alive that doesn't have "some weird addiction to buying seeds, I just can't stop," I haven't met them, yet. Just found a whole bunch of seeds that I'd 'lost' from 2017, and I had a good chuckle at some of my choices. When all I had was access to one single window, about 2 square feet, I can not tell you what possessed me to buy brussels sprout seeds. =>.

[@lynettetucker544]

I had the Super 100 they lasted until the middle of October I’ll be trying the Sungold tomatoes I also had the Roman tomatoes last year they were really good to I’ll be trying different ones this year haven’t made up my mind yet thanks again for sharing with us.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! I hope I gave you some ideas.

[@lesliealvarez2967]

Do you have a guide on grow bags; what size works best for what type of plant, do's & don't's, etc.? Thinking of using for some of my transplants when I run out of containers & raised bed space. Love your channel, thank you!

[@brycestucki8163]

The Red Pisa Date cherry tomato plant was vigorous and the fruit was sweet, but not too sweet. You may want to check that one out. I'm in northern Virginia and it loved the heat. I'm trying the Super Sweet 100 this year.

[@matthewkheyfets1309]

Been waiting for this video

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I hope it was worth the wait!

[@matthewkheyfets1309]

@@TheMillennialGardener can't wait to see how they do. Im growing Big beef for the first time this year as well as Lemon Boy Plus and Better Boy Plus. Super excited!

[@marksturgeon6140]

I'm growing Plum Regal and Burpee Supersauce this year for my paste tomatoes. Plum Regal has resistance to both early and late blight. For cherry type I'm growing Tommy Toe. Tommy Toe is an heirloom large cherry with excellent disease resistance and great taste.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Sounds good. Let us know how they work out come late summer!

[@nancynesytofreske]

Ha! Had to laugh at the part about the retail therapy. I, also, love browsing the seed catalogues and websites. I have more than enough seeds, but I always get hooked by a great description! Not a fashionista either. Loving your videos. Very precise without the babble.

[@nealbrand4813]

I've grown tomatoes for farmer market in Central tx. My favorite indeterminate is big beef, determinate is the Tycoon it sets good in very hot weather.

[@dlr978]

Black Plum is an awesome cherry-ish tomato! I'd be SO STOKED to get a packet of those for free! They're delicious and productive, and may be the last tomato you're still harvesting in chilly October. Good Luck! I'm quite sure you'll love em.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

TomatoGrowers is still giving them away free with an order of $19 or more, as well as the Super Khi hot pepper. It's tough to beat. Let me tell you, it's reaaaally easy to spend $19 on that website 😂

[@MyLadyAmalthea]

For a good determinant paste/roma type I’d suggest Martino’s Roma. It was a standout in my 8a SC garden. Great production, fairly early for me and little BER.

[@ahlamabufaraj]

Thank you so much for all the info, I don’t know how many video I watch for you just today, I love tomato a lot so I wanna start growing this year what’s your best call in for a beginner? And where You buy your seeds? I will start with 4 types, Help me please ( I live in New Jersey zone six)

[@BigfootExp]

I give this video a 10/10

[@famousseamus17]

I've grown Jersey Devil for many years, and love it. But I now also grow Sarnowski Polish Plum, which is just as tasty, but the fruit is bigger, the plant more hardy and productive.

[@peterhall2810]

One Determinate plum tomato you might like to try is Heidi. Originally from Camaroon in Africa, Heidi was still setting fruit at 40C in the UK in 2022. Good crop and taste and can be used sliced in salads, sandwiches or for paste.

[@Galiazure]

You are going to love Celebrity Plus. I grew it last year for the first time and we had the most challengingly painful garden year last summer that I can remember. It went from too chilly to too hot and drought all growing season. Most of my tomatoes did poorly or just died. However Celebrity Plus, keep going strong. It was one of the only ones (along with Sun Gold) that gave this Texas girl fruit. Can not wait to hear how this variety does for you. Took your advice and giving Bella Rosa a try here. Happy Gardening!

[@SiriusScientist]

I tried several Chef’s choice on your recommendation last season and they were amazing! I’m going to give them a shot again this year, though we had a lot less rain last season than typical, so it might not go as well this year. I hope you’ll do this type of video for everything you’re growing! Dale’s been lifting while you’re out of the house, haha.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I’m glad they worked out well for you. They’re fantastic, but my miserable summers destroy the fruits. It is so hard here 😖 I will try to film a tour before the rains start when everything looks relatively good. The only thing Dale lifts is his head to his food bowl 😆

[@beverlyboyce1041]

I really like Chef's Choice Bicolor the best

[@rastamole]

Black Cherry was by far the best plant I had and best tasting tomato I grew 2 years ago.Took last year off due to a new kitty. Here in Las Vegas zone so ya Black Cherry loves the dry heat.

[@jem6070]

This year gonna try growing Honey Drop it is supposed to crack less then Sun Gold in wet weather, think got it from Fruition Seeds or Fedco Seeds. Thanks for all the recommendations. Now will need to try the yellow Brandywine too.

[@cleverhonky7186]

I grew several purple reign plants last year here in north Al and they did well for me. Horn worms loved them but other than that the flavor was stellar. I grew one that was at least 1 lb

[@3coins.]

I love the Arkansas pink tomatoes. A great sandwich tomato 🍅

[@daniellebailey6802]

Hey, I came back to this video to let you know that Botanical interests have a Cherokee carbon this year that is supposedly the best of both worlds. It's a bit pricey, but It could be fun to try. I ordered some to try this year.

[@cherylboeschen4744]

Goodness that’s a lot! Do you can a lot of tomatoes? Love your videos! I have learned a great deal! Thanks!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

My climate is very miserably wet in the summer, and I lose most of my plants to the torrential rains. It's a lot of plants, but flowers no longer pollinate after Memorial Day, and most fruit is lost from the 10-15 inches of rain we often get in a single month. It's not unusual to accumulate 40-50 inches of rain from Memorial Day to September 15th here, unfortunately. I have to over-grow to get harvests.

[@katherinecornette5315]

Last year was tough on tomatoes and peppers. I will definitely be putting good hybrids with disease resistance in my garden. I also have some of the dwarf varieties and will take note of the ones you’re growing. I’m in NE Raleigh so not too far from you.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They're all tough here in Wilmington. I know it's hard to believe, but some months we get 4-5x the rainfall that Raleigh gets. I can't tell you how many months since I've moved here I've logged over 10 inches of rain. Every year, we have at least 3-4 rain events where we get 4-5 inches in one afternoon. It's tough. Really tough. I need to find a way to keep my plants dry. I wish I could have a high tunnel, but HOA's are what they are.

[@tttarms1970]

My pepper beds did fantastic last year....I'm in Chicago suburbs.....adding 3 new beds this year, cannot wait....

[@katherinecornette5315]

@@TheMillennialGardener I guess living near the ocean has some definite challenges, especially in the weather. But we like challenges 😉

[@sadoxell5462]

I'm getting obsessed with your channel

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad to hear it 😄

[@jamesstewart3285]

Sun gold is hands down my favorite tomato on planet Earth. It's very very productive for us, year after year. Best tomato 🍅

[@silverfoxes65]

I have been growing dwarf and micro-dwarf tomatoes in my basement hydroponic garden. The production has been incredible. Tiny Tim, Pinnochio, and Red Robin so far, but I have 5 more that I will be trying shortly. Thanks for the suggesions.

[@oregonpatriot1570]

I tried the Cocoa (F1) last year, and the number of fruit wasn't worth it.

[@emkn1479]

Totally understand the addiction. I tried White Currant from Baker Creek last year and they were incredibly delicious.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I rationalize the addiction by thinking of all the worse things out there I could fall into 😂

[@emkn1479]

@@TheMillennialGardener Precisely my reasoning 👍

[@sarahkirbach5040]

Great, now I have to buy more seeds! 😅 Thanks for sharing - & cannot wait to try Sunchocola - sounds yummy! One thing, people are suggesting to try chocolate cherry- I live in VA zone 7A & chocolate cherry did almost nothing but drop blossoms all season last year - it was so disappointing! Bc they really are delicious. So I’ll try sunchocola. I also got seeds for Reinhard Kraft’s purple sugar cherry. Again, thanks for sharing and I’m sure we are all here suckers for seed websites & catalogues 🎉

[@roccoconte2960]

Nice video the trouble with a lot of the seed companies is they make outrageous claims and then the plants dont produce true to description , i only grow one kind now and i get my seeds from Johnnys Seeds , expensive but grows true .

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I tend to buy from the same providers over and over, because I find their descriptions to be accurate. Part of marketing is to get excited, so there's nothing wrong with a little polish as long as it isn't too much of a misrepresentation, in my opinion. Some people rush new varieties to market before they're properly stabilized. Surprisingly, the most frequent problems I've had getting mislabeled seeds or plants that don't grow true have been from seed packets at big box stores. I have had 4-5 packets that weren't even close - wrong colors, wrong sizes, totally wrong.

[@darlenereisterer5653]

Have you tried the Husky Red Dwarf/ Bush Tomato? I also Love the Husky Red Cherry.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I have not. There are thousands, maybe tens of thousands of varieties out there, and I'm just scratching the surface.

[@tomknack]

What do you do for long-keeper tomatoes that you can eat throughout the winter? That's usually my highest priority in tomatoes. The best I have found by far are late-season grown SunGolds. If you pick the whole spray of green ones that have reached a little bit of size right before the first frost and bring them inside, they will gradually all turn orange and be still very good to eat. Our first frost is usually around the 1st of November, and, in the past, I've had some of these SunGolds last, in a cool area inside, all the way to April. I'd grow several SunGold plants if I were you. One is never enough.

[@aperson1181]

Curious where are you located, even approximate. I am in Oregon, NPW and today, mid May we reached 95F, never before, as I can recall. So much for Siletz.

[@meshab6049]

The yellow Brandywine tomatoes are delicious especially on sandwiches. It was love at first bite!!

[@orandachildren1051]

I Love those.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They're incredible. I just wish they'd set fruit. It doesn't matter what I do. 80% of the blossoms drop. They're brutal to grow, but the handful of tomatoes you get are out of this world!

[@meshab6049]

@@TheMillennialGardener Yes here in MI they take forever to ripen. I will be starting some indoors soon.

[@SalFernandez1]

@@TheMillennialGardener have you ever tried grafting? It will apparently increase the vigor and yield of heirlooms.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@SalFernandez1 no. I do not see the value in grafting tomatoes. Tomato rootstock is incredibly expensive, the process is very time consuming, and all tomatoes will be dead here by August 1st. Spending so much money and time on that would not provide any real value. The only time I would ever see any value in grafting tomatoes is if you grow indeterminate tomatoes inside a climate-controlled high tunnel. In perfect indoor growing conditions, indeterminate tomatoes can live over an entire year, so maybe there would be value there. In an outdoor garden, it would be an enormous waste of time and money in my opinion.

[@brianjones1679]

I'm in zone 8A just west of you and I've had good results with Sweet Tangerine a Burpee hybrid. Best tasting low acid that I've grown.

[@markmason3535]

For the varieties that crack on you, I would recommend an Earthbox or any version of Mr. Leon’s wicking tubs (Texas Prepper 2 and many others). Since the earthboxes have bonnets & you can easily make a bonnet for a wicking tub, YOU control the water intake-at least from a rain standpoint. I think you would have better luck with cracking. Also, I can recommend Burpee’s Crimson King Hybrid. They did the best for me last season here in Chattanooga and the fruit tastes good.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It is difficult to explain how much rain we can get in our summers. There is, literally, nothing you can do unless you can grow them under covers. It isn’t just the water uptake. It is the extreme drenching the plants and fruits get, and all the moisture that lags behind. We usually get about 40-50 inches of rain from June 1 to September 15, and sometimes, we will get 4-6 inches per afternoon. You’d have to live through it to believe it.

[@carlsutherland3730]

I watched the whole video and really liked it.
I hope this helps with the to much water problem on your chefs choice. Pine bark and pine straw is added to certain types of potting soil to increase air and reduce moisture. Pine doesn't readily absorb moisture.
So! You could do a test area in your garden where you build up a soil mound consisting of a pine based soil. You would definitely have to tinker with the mix.
Or just use air pruning grow bags!

[@MorganFlynn-qr1bu]

I suggest you grow a cherry called braveheart. It is a hybrid, believe tomato growers has seeds. Excellent taste, sweet with some acid, giving it that classic red tomato flavor bomb. Also good production, disease resistance and best of all very crack resistant. Give it a go, I think you’ll like it.

[@metalcatmom5891]

My baby Rosella Purple are a few inches high (and now that my grow light problems are resolved) they look healthy and wonderful. I'm trying Cherokee Carbon as it is supposed to be similar to Cherokee Purple but a tougher plant. I am planting Big Rainbow again because even though it takes forever to ripen and it is a bit fussy, the fruit are so beautiful and that slight peachy flavor so tasty that I deem it worth the trouble. Big Rainbow makes my canned tomatoes truely lovely. When I can Purple tomatoes, the look rotten...lol. And of course my faithful Better Boy and Yellow Pear!

[@karunald]

Suggestion for next year or so:
Cherry: Try Ron's Carbon Copy (aka Carbon Copy). omg.
Darn - I had success with Brandywine Yellow actually (oddly) and it tasted amazing. I nixed it for this season. sigh - Guess I'll add it back. Doing Sudduth this year. My 2 Chef's choice hybrids died instantly last year from disease.
Did you try Stump of the World?
Oh Dwarf: Have you tried Boronia & Maralinga? Really good! (agree on Adelaide - good one!)

[@Gardeningchristine]

I used homemade compost for my seed starting and now have 7 tomatoes. I don’t know what they are but I’m not complaining 🍅🌱🌝

[@Gardeningchristine]

I didn’t plant tomatoes, the seeds were in the compost…

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Unless you're hot composting, the seeds will definitely grow on you!

[@hellokimmy68]

I'm also trying Celebrity Plus this year (and Better Boy Plus.) For hybrids, they're both pretty tasty. One heirloom you might consider for production and flavor is Dester. I found it to be pretty reminiscent of the classic Brandywine with big, delicious red fruits, but with much healthier plants. I did Rosella Pink last year and this year will grow Rosella Purple and also the Green Giant dwarf. I actually started growing dwarf tomatoes based on some of your previous videos, so thanks for the tip there! I doubt that I'd have thought to try them.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I’m glad you’re liking the Dwarf Tomato Project selections. They’re a lot of fun. I have avoided Dester, because large fruited tomatoes just don’t do well here. I would be surprised if it could set fruit past May 15. It gets so hot here so early.

[@hellokimmy68]

@@TheMillennialGardener Ahh, man that is a shame. I grew it based on Craig LeHoullier's recommendation and was NOT disappointed. It's a delicious tomato and I couldn't believe how well it did here. I love Brandywine, but it consistently breaks my heart, so I've finally just given up there.

[@amythinks]

Oh man, Mark from ... I can't think of his channel and he hasn't posted in over a year ... practically writes a lovesong to Dester. And so does his neighbor in a video they made together reviewing tomatoes. His farm is in North Carolina. I'll see if I can find the video. If he can grow it, maybe you can, too.

[@amythinks]

Okay, so this must not be the video I'm remembering because I think he must taste it again later and sing even more praises, but here is a video of him going over a bunch of tomatoes, including the Dester which he says is amazing. This guy grows tomato bushes unlike I've ever seen. He has the best tomato variety reviews. ruclips.net/video/roVeh3lh8jA/видео.html I so wish he'd keep posting. He is a nursery owner, so I guess he's busy. Again, he's in NC.

[@hellokimmy68]

@@amythinks I think he's actually in Maryland, if I'm not mistaken. I enjoyed his tomato review videos as well.

[@dr.j5642]

You have to try growing Momotaro if you're looking for an amazing Roma like flavor but much more elevated.

[@lynnlovessoil]

Next year you should try Federle tomatoes if the La Roma3 doesn’t work out. I have been growing Federle in Atlanta zone 7b for the last couple years in 15 gallon grow bags. They have good production , little disease and great taste.

[@amystarnes1779]

Do you have a taste preference between Brandy Boy and Big Brandy? I have seeds for Big Brandy that I didn't try last year because I'm a sucker for heirlooms.
Also, the Purple Reign dwarf is delicious and productive for us here in Southeast Tennessee zone 7b. I hope you love it.

[@TnT_F0X]

The Tomatoes I'm growing for sure crops are Black Brandywine, Roma, and Old German. Cherry I'm doing Tiny Tim, Yellow Pear, and one I grew from a sandwich tomato last year and produced 100+ 1"+ tomatoes. NEVER give up the opportunity to plant a seed from an extra tasty fruit! ;)
The Secondary/Experimental varieties I'm doing are Beefsteak White, Delicious Red, Rosella, Cherokee Purple, and Cherry Varieties are Crimson Blueberry and Red Plum.
I love trying new Varieties because you never know what the best Variety for your garden is till you grow them. Old German Surprised me the most,beauty and yellow flesh.
I will have to look up some of these seeds now too, especially the Brandys! Not only that I got a 'rainbow' tomato freebie last time I ordered seeds. (Aka any variety they aren't sure of mixed together) I mean, how can I not try out 4-6 of those?
Thanks for the tips, unfortunately I might need to buy a second 20x10 greenhouse purely for tomatoes now.

[@petyrbaelish1718]

The one cherry plum tomato that you simply MUST get to try this year is Apero F1. It was outstanding last year in terms of vigour, yield, taste, resistance to splitting, disease resistance. I think it even beat Sungold. A deep red, plum like cherry appearance. I would eat handfulls at a time straight off the vine. Probably my 2nd best tomato last year out of about 30 varieties. You simply cannot miss out on this one. I will grow it every year alongside Sungold. They look great together side by side. Anyone not growing this one is missing out.

[@marks.2814]

Have you tried Hilling up your tomatoes and covering the soil with black plastic around the plants to keep the soil from being water logged. Seems to work better for me in alabama. Awesome video, thanks

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I don’t think I can do that with raised beds. If I had earth beds, it may be possible. What I need to do is find a way to build a roof around my perimeter beds to keep them dry.

[@davidhalldurham]

Nice video! Do you have any experience growing tomatoes indoors under grow lights? I've been wondering about experimenting with tomatoes along with the other plants I grow under lights. I might give it a go with one or two of the hardier varieties.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

No. I absolutely can't stand grow lights. We can't have basements where we live due to the water table, so the concept of having some giant shelf in my room full of lights and chains colonizing fungus gnats is just not feasible. I also have the luxury of having fairly sunny winters with UV indexes in the 3-5 range even in late December, so I'm able to carry what I need outside in the day and not have to deal with the grow light setups. If I lived much further north and had a basement, I'd probably set up some type of growing station, but I left the Northeast averaging 15 mph over the speed limit and never looked back 😆

[@misscandicern]

Seeds n such sent unicorn tomato as a free seed the year before. I grew it last year & loved it. It's very well balanced.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's good to hear! I'm optimistic.

[@misscandicern]

@@TheMillennialGardener yeah, I'm growing it again this year. Really good

[@JaeOnasi]

My favorite paste tomato is now Kenosha Paste (different from the Kenosha tomato). Super sweet and productive. They don't create a lot of seeds, so it's harder to find seeds. I got mine from Seed Savers (individual growers).

[@Negrodomaus]

I'm actually from Kenosha (once upon a time) and I've never heard of this tomato! I would love to try and grow it; can you point me in the direction of a source please?

[@JaeOnasi]

@@Negrodomaus Seed Savers--you might have to become a member to access the seed trade section. I got mine from Tatiana's tomatobase, but she's retired now. Curzio Caravati has them (follow his instructions carefully on obtaining them). He was the original seed saver for that variety. He also sells his produce at the downtown farmer's market during the summer time, including those tomatoes, although he sells out fast. I have some but they're 8 years old and not good for trading right now. I'll have some at the end of this year's season that I would be willing to trade. I grew up there myself, but didn't start growing tomatoes until I'd been gone a long time!

[@Negrodomaus]

@@JaeOnasi Thank you so much, i will look into it!

[@lloydheck4322]

If buying seeds is a weird addiction, I’m an addict too

[@TheMillennialGardener]

There are worse addictions out there. I'm glad I have one that gets me fresh air, exercise, sunshine and healthy food 😆

[@Psi105]

Can confirm, Super Sweet 100 is totally nuts, so many tomato's and they just keep coming.
Also had good luck with Solanum lycopersicum ‘Early Girl’ it's really fast to get fruit and you get a good yield before typical problems set in.

[@mrs.w5539]

What about a diy greenhouse tunnel made with cattle panels over one of your beds? You could definitely control the moisture.

[@kprairiesun]

I wonder if grafting dwarf varieties susceptible to disease to disease resistant stock could help keep d I sense down? I grafted about 16 tomato plants in 2021 and one was Big Beef, lol. Picked 17 ripe tomatoes and had about that many still on the vine. Also grafted Amish Paste because I love the flavor. Also, Classic Beefsteak and several others from seeds I got from Jim Wyant

[@karunald]

My Emerald Giant got over 6 feet tall. My Fave Green is now Malachite Box (used to be Cherokee Green) so I've decided to just run with Box.
I'm trying Purple Reign this year also. My flipping Chef's choice Pink TWICE got instantly sick. When my Heirlooms were healthy. Literally my Heirlooms did better.

[@amythinks]

Look forward to your tomato roundup every year. Let us know how things work out in the end.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I hope to have a good tour this year. Pray for a dry May 🙏

[@TheGRUMPSY]

I'm going to try the Arkansas Traveler this year. Zone 9A southeast Texas

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They’re unusually tough for an heirloom. They’re one of the few that can still set some fruit when nights are 75 degrees.

[@hellokimmy68]

I'm in Chapel Hill, so not too far from you. I was one of the ones who recommended Black Cherry to you, and just wanted to offer some input. It had always performed well for me in previous years and been so delicious, but I don't know what was going on last year. Mine didn't do well either, and the taste was lackluster. I'll try them again this year and hope that the yield and flavor will be better. Since it's an heirloom, you're obviously not going to have a huge harvest, but last year was just ridiculous. Another dark cherry type that I like a lot is Chocolate Sprinkles. I had it at a friend's house and loved it. Very sweet and complex. I'll try it myself this year and report back!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

We just get too much rain here. It isn’t unusual for the Wilmington area to get 4-5 times more rain in July and August than the Raleigh area. It can be just merciless here during summer. Storms will just sit on us for hours dumping inches of rain and the rest of the state will be bone dry. It is very frustrating.

[@hellokimmy68]

@@TheMillennialGardener I lived up near the Asheville area for years, and grew up just across the TN line. That is the most perfect gardening zone ever, I feel. I do miss the bountiful harvests I used to get up there, though the advantage is, I can grow a few perennials here that would never make it up in the mountains. We suffer from much greater drought conditions in the Triangle than I ever experienced in the mountains, but it sounds like you have the opposite problem. If only we could take some of that rain off your hands!

[@tttarms1970]

I always plant chocolate sprinkles, I have so many clusters....

[@doublecrown2757]

I’m curious to see how Carmelo does for you. It’s my number one pick near Houston. No cracking perfect skins. My SIL always thinks I bought them in the store.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Interesting. We have opposite rainfall patterns, since late July-August is your driest season and it's my wettest season, so there may be some changes. However, that's uplifting. I hope they hold up.

[@goodelleric]

When are you starting your seeds? I’m in a similar growing zone in GA and debating when to start indoors.

[@CIB8282]

I thought I bought enough seeds, but after watching this I needed to buy 4 more tomato varieties.

[@melindaroth5796]

OH MY, DALE IS SO PRECIOUS. SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU DALE 💓 I LOVE YOU DALE. ❤ YOU HAVE AN AWESOME MOMMY AND DADDY. YOUR DAD HAS SO MUCH INFORMATION ON GARDENING. I NEVER KNEW THEYRE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF TOMATOES 🍅 😳 TELL YOUR DAD THANKS SO MUCH AND TELL YOUR MOMMY HI FOR ME. TALK TO YOU LATER DALE. LOVE YOU BUDDY. ❤

[@TheMillennialGardener]

There are, literally, tens of thousands of different varieties. You could grow 100 varieties a year over an entire lifetime and only scratch te surface. Seed catalogs can be addicting! Dale sends his love ❤ He's a lucky guy to have his own garden, but we're lucky to have him, too.

[@thecrumpeffect]

Have you worked with any of the varieties from Wild Board Farms? They have hybrids with wild species that have some amazing results.

[@michelle34224]

Hi! Try making a simple small greenhouse with metal or wooden poles and cheap clear plastic. It made a 10000% difference for our tomatoes, which usually die quickly from disease.

[@steveviau7159]

You should try Big Rainbow from MI gardener

[@emdeejay7432]

I love the way tomatoes looking growing, I just wish I liked that way they tasted haha 😅 i love them cooked but raw, blehhhh, so nasty. But my bf loves them so we're growing them. I can't wait to see them, we got a variety called Mr. Stripey they look so beautiful I'm the pictures, also some pear tomatoes, those are so cute. I wanna make one of those arched trellaces you see a lot of on RUclips gardeners and Instagram and all that, they're so cool. I can't wait to have tomatoes hanging off of it and walking under it to pick them 😃