Prolific Southern Tomato Recommendations Needed

[tucsontomato]

I’m needing some help down here in Arizona. This is the 3rd summer of trialing tomatoes in Tucson. I have learned a whole lot from the process and I think I have the process down to a science. But I am still not satisfied that I have found a good heirloom variety for this area.

I have tried the following tomato cultivars: Buckbee's 50 day, Cold Set, Fireworks, Glacier, Neptune, Super Sioux, Zhezha, Tropic VFN, Siletz, Rio Grande, Roma VF, Mule Team, Red House Freestanding, Costuluto Genovese, Mortgage Lifter VFN, Arkansas Traveler, Atkinson, Super Sioux, and Ozark Pink.

After years of tomato trials the only variety I have had some small amount of success is with Ozark Pink. They have incredible foliage disease resistance, they produce a consistent mid-sized fruit, and they take the heat very well.

What I’m looking for is some advice for open-pollinated varieties that are really good for the South (deal well with heat and disease) yet are prolific. Although taste is important to me I grow to feed my family and how much usable fruit the plant can pump out is very important. The only plant I have grown so far that has produced any quantity of decent sized fruit in my area has been Celebrity. Combined, all the heirloom/open-pollinated varieties I am growing now (including Ozark Pink) do not produced anywhere close to the size, amount, or have the disease resistance of the 2 Celebrity plants I have.

I really need as much help as possible in this area. The more suggestions the better - and if you agree with someone else’s recommendation- please let me know that too!

Thanks!

-Jay

[jcm05]

Jay, I realize its not exactly an "heirloom" but have you tried Big Beef?

[tucsontomato]

No, I haven't yet, John. Are you talking about the de-hybridized version or the hybrid version?

I would be happy trying out anything that has been "de-hybridized" as well. I'm looking for anything open-pollinated that is stable- if that makes sense. Pretty much open to anything that I can grow, harvest seed from, then grow again would be the key.

Also, if any of you think I should retry something I already have, I'd be happy to hear that as well. All reasonable responses are warmly welcomed.

[PVP]

Jay, while I grow tomatoes in hot, humid conditions, I also have a daughter in Austin, so I know of conditions farther south and west of mine that are far more rugged and demanding for a tomato grower. That means most of what I might recommend would be useless to you in Arizona.

I will say this though. This year, among the varieties I'm growing are Ozark Pink, Tropic, and Neptune. To date, and after some initial high heat (mid and upper 90s) and extremely humid conditions even for the lower Ohio Valley, the following varieties are setting more fruit than those three named above:
"Not Purple Strawberry" a somewhat stable cross of Cherokee Purple x German Red Strawberry.
"Burson Special" which is Indian Stripe, aka Indian Zebra, originating from seeds out of Clyde Burson, Sr.'s freezer in 2008.
Bicolor Purple Haze F4 which in PL and RL now is pumping out large pear and plum shaped tomatoes that look to go 2 ounces or more, so those are more for salad than canning.
MoCross, which is Mozark x Sioux now both indeterminate and determinate plants in the F2 and F3. This one strickly is a production canner/salad and sandwhich tomato. Mozark parent throws 40 tomatoes in a concentrated set. Sioux enjoys its own reputation.

Ozark Pink is doing well, but not like those other four types. Also worthy of mention is something that looks very promising in the F2 ... Big Beef x Indian Stripe, the F1 done by Jcm05. And I don't know why he didn't already mention Big Beef x Eva Purple Ball which did very well for me last summer (F3) considering our high heat and severe mid to late season drought.

edit: Forgot to mention 2 things. Celebrity now comes in an improved version called Celebrity Supreme, available from Rupp Seeds Inc, 17919 County Road B, Wauseon, Ohio, 43567. And I saw some plants for sale labeled "Carnival" while I thought that variety seed became unavailable 3 years ago. It's a sister F1 to Celebrity, and is a bit shorter and more heat resistant. Maybe selectedseeds.com knows more about its availability. The Celebrity Supreme has uniform ripening gene (no green shoulders) and I think maybe it's on a jointless pedicel, but I may be thinking of another var.

[tucsontomato]

I got the catalogue Mule & PVP.

Anyone else have any suggestions or luck? Please!

[garf]

If anyone has any recommendations for the swamps of Miami, Fla, I'm listening.

[elkwc]

I have a very hot, windy, low humidity, dry arid type climate here in SW KS. But I imagine my nights are cooler than yours. Which helps with fruit set. We've been having highs in the 100's as high as 107. But our nights have been in the upper 60''s and lower 70's which allows for some fruit set. I will list some that have done well for me here. What I've learned and most other growers around here have is that the smaller the fruit the better a tomato will usually set and produce. I have grown most of the ones you listed and none have stood out here. One I'm surprised that PVP didn't mention that has did well for me here last year till the TSWV got it and looked great again this year till the hail got it is one from him named Big Cheef. I have a late plant of it coming on now. Another I got from him that did good last year and looks good so far this year is Purple Haze F5 now I think. Black from Tula, Carbon and Cherokee Purple do ok most here most years. I grow 3 Heinz varieties that have done well here. Heinz 1439, 1350 and 2653. They produce a large set at once. Glick's 18 Mennonite, Amish Canner and Atkinson are all around types that usually produce well for me. JD's Special C-Tex is another that sets well here. Dana's Dusky Rose was a new one last year that pumped them out all season. Punta Banda and Prescott are 2 varieties I grew last year that came from your area. Both set very well and produced heavy. Taste was on PB had a thick skin if memory serves me correctly. Both around hen egg size. Being you said op's I won't mention any hybrids. If you want to know of some hybrids I'll be glad to list a few I grow. I'm growing several new op varieties this year that so far have set well and look good so far. So this fall I should have an update on some more. Most cherry types set and produce well here. If I think of anymore I'll list them later. Jay