Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

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tranquilDoe
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Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#1

Post: # 30785Unread post tranquilDoe
Thu Sep 17, 2020 4:17 pm

Hi,
Wanted to start a thread for Very Early tomatoes and/or ones that do well during Cool Weather.
Keep in mind that Very Early tomatoes = 55 days or less to maturity from transplanting.

I am in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle, and as [mention]Growing Coastal[/mention] and [mention]farmersteve[/mention] have mentioned, it has been getting cooler and less predictable here. And with global warming, I figure it makes sense to plan on that getting worse.
So I appreciate all of your help!

Please mention when you list tomatoes if they are Very Early/V.E. (55 days or less to maturity from transplanting),
do well during Cool Weather/C.W., or both!

(Also, just so you know, I did see [mention]Blackbear[/mention] 's thread on 'Best early early varieties for 2020,' but being that people also listed early varieties (longer than 55 days from transplanting), I figured I would start this thread for clarity on Very Early varieties).

(I also saw [mention]TomHillbilly[/mention] 's thread on 'TEST----Is any Super Early varieties useful in zone 7 ?.' I am happy to test out varieties that claim to be Very Early, but of course experience is king! So any experiences shared with growing Very Early tomatoes would be greatly appreciated!).

Thanks in advance!
Just joined yesterday and am delighted to be a part of this community!
Shannon

eyegrotom
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#2

Post: # 30791Unread post eyegrotom
Thu Sep 17, 2020 4:58 pm

Hi Shannon Welcome to the Junction
Here is a couple of V/E cool season Tomatoes

Czus Agrais red 1 oz small 3 ft plant. 53 days
Glacier red 2 oz small 3 ft plant 55 days

P S I will be sending seeds for these to the MMMM. Mike

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tranquilDoe
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#3

Post: # 30796Unread post tranquilDoe
Thu Sep 17, 2020 5:19 pm

[mention]eyegrotom[/mention] Sweet! Thanks!

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wykvlvr
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#4

Post: # 30799Unread post wykvlvr
Thu Sep 17, 2020 6:17 pm

Stupice is my most reliable tomato here in Wyoming. They are early about 60 days, set fruit in cool weather, and have come back from being hail damaged so badly I doubted they would survive and give me ripe tomatoes by Sept.
Matina is another early cool tolerant one.
Moskvich is one I tried this year that also did well but was a bit later for me then Stupice.
AND SHOCK Tigerella has was so thick it survived the snow we had and is still growing!
Wyoming
Zone 5
Elevation : 6,063 ft
Climate : semi-arid
Avg annual rainfall = 16 inches

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bower
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#5

Post: # 30802Unread post bower
Thu Sep 17, 2020 7:07 pm

Hi Shannon and welcome to the Junction. We have the same situation in the East here (or worse!) with Greenland melting and being surrounded by very cold water or bergs, summers are getting more unpredictable with lots of cold weather and shortened seasons, unless it's too hot of course! In between times. Very tough for tomatoes which are the 'goldilocks' of things to grow, no doubt.
There are lots of early small red tomatoes, but of the many I've grown only a few were really worth eating. You may find it different in your springs if they are at all warm, so don't take my word for it but try as many as you can and find what works.
In the parthenocarpics, both Cold Set and Siletz produced decent quality fruit but they weren't that early compared to others.
Alaska was very tasty although they did poorly in my greenhouse, they might do best in full sun without too much competition (too many matos).
I have to give a shoutout to Moravsky Div, first to fruit this year and many others. Ditto at my friend's farm. They are downright reliable and a decent ordinary red tomato taste.
Same goes for Oaxaca Jewel PL, which was my second to fruit this year. So nice to have a bicolor that's early. Fruity and sweet.
In the early beefs, we had success with Pervaya Lyubov (earliest) and also Chernomor.
Ironically, Pervaya L is very early but she does suffer from the cold and miserable weather. She may even do better just planted later. Chernomor will set fruit early guaranteed no matter how cold. They are susceptible to grey mold though - worse in greenhouse than outdoors.
Zolotoe Serdtse is a Beta orange heart, very cold tolerant and productive with firm and sweet fruit. Semi-determinate.
Belarus Orange is Beta round, even earlier than ZS and again, cold tolerant as well.
As regards earliness there is about a ten day span for first ripe, in the ones mentioned (not counting the parthenocarps).
There are quite a few tomatoes that fall into this early or early-mid window. The more you try, the more you will find that suit.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

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wykvlvr
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#6

Post: # 30809Unread post wykvlvr
Thu Sep 17, 2020 7:48 pm

oh nice to hear that about Moravsky Div. The seeds for it were included as a gift in a recent seed order I was debating if I should try it next year... sounds like it is a resounding yes try it.
Wyoming
Zone 5
Elevation : 6,063 ft
Climate : semi-arid
Avg annual rainfall = 16 inches

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Shule
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#7

Post: # 30820Unread post Shule
Thu Sep 17, 2020 10:34 pm

Welcome! :)

Days to maturity is kind of subjective, since it depends on the year and the growing conditions, as well as the variety. So, very early varieties might be later than very early some years, and in some places.

The earliest tomato I've ever grown (out of many) is my early Galapagos Island tomato, not to be confused with the later Galapagos Island tomatoes. It tends to be about a week earlier than the next earliest tomato I've ever grown, if they're transplanted at the same time.

Others that might be able to be very early in my garden, include these:
* Sweet Orange Cherry
* Matina
* Early Girl F1 (for me, it was about 52 days as a purchased plant, in 2014)
* Bloody Butcher
* Jackie
* Chocolate Pear (it's not supposed to be very early, however)
* Coyote
* Husky Cherry Red F1 (for me, it was about 52 days as a purchased plant, in 2014)

For early season cold-tolerance, I liked these, this year (they don't necessarily ripen early):
* Insurance_1
* BSX
* Isis Candy
* Chadwick's Cherry
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

farmersteve
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#8

Post: # 30882Unread post farmersteve
Sat Sep 19, 2020 12:34 pm

Hey how's it going! I want to clarify one thing you said. I wouldn't say it's getting colder as a trend, this year was weird. I track the Growing Degree Days at the WSU weather website. This year the numbers aren't that much cooler than the average, down slightly maybe 10% of the heat, but we had a very wet June that set us back quite a bit. I was harvesting my mid season tomatoes in the first week of August in 2019. This year it was a month later. Something else was going on and it's not just me. All my neighbors are having similar problems. Next year is supposedly going to be a La Nina year with cooler than normal temperatures so I would lean more heavily on short season varieties. But in El Nino years, we can easily get Mid and Late season varieties to ripen around the beginning of August.

Cherry tomatoes always seem to ripen earlier. Sungold did great for me this year. I didn't plant any "early" tomatoes this year but I am going to next year. Probably Stupice and 42 day and a couple of others I haven't figured out yet.

BTW, I am out in Woodinville which is about 10 miles east of Seattle. It does get a bit warmer here in the summer days.

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Tormato
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#9

Post: # 30884Unread post Tormato
Sat Sep 19, 2020 1:21 pm

wykvlvr wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 6:17 pm Stupice is my most reliable tomato here in Wyoming. They are early about 60 days, set fruit in cool weather, and have come back from being hail damaged so badly I doubted they would survive and give me ripe tomatoes by Sept.
Matina is another early cool tolerant one.
Moskvich is one I tried this year that also did well but was a bit later for me then Stupice.
AND SHOCK Tigerella has was so thick it survived the snow we had and is still growing!
There are at least three "Stupice" varieties. The one called just Stupice, has been around for many years, and is likely the one that most gardeners have grow. If Vladimir (MrBIg46) is here at Tomato Junction, he might be able to explain it all. I'll have Stupice (Stupike?) Sklenikove in the MMMM swap. Another one I sort of remember (just not the spelling) is Stupice Poinyi rani,

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wykvlvr
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#10

Post: # 30889Unread post wykvlvr
Sat Sep 19, 2020 1:55 pm

yep the one I have this year is the generic buy at Pinetree or even Lowes these days... Would love to run a trial here some year with all the versions to see which is best for our silly climate
Wyoming
Zone 5
Elevation : 6,063 ft
Climate : semi-arid
Avg annual rainfall = 16 inches

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Shule
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#11

Post: # 30894Unread post Shule
Sat Sep 19, 2020 6:31 pm

[mention]Tormato[/mention]
Moravsky Div is a selection from Stupice.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

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Nico
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#12

Post: # 30909Unread post Nico
Sun Sep 20, 2020 1:34 am

This thread seems interesting to me, I am looking for early varieties for the next season. According to I have read on the internet there is a variety called "sub artic".
According to the world's earliest tomato, "'Sub-Arctic' produces a 4-ounce round red berry crop approximately 42 days after planting. Has anyone grown it?
Plants have, like animals, in the degree and almost in the form, the sensitivity, that essential attribute of life.

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Tormato
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#13

Post: # 30941Unread post Tormato
Sun Sep 20, 2020 2:27 pm

I've grown it.

Sub-Arctic Plenty (full name) was about 50 DTM in my one year trial. A few may have been 4 ounces, most were about 2 ounces. Flavor, like ALL extremely early varieties in my garden, ranged from OK to poor.

In the MMMM spoiler alert there may be some very early and/or cool weather varieties found in the Determinate category, and possibly the Eastern European category. Some of that seed may have only one pack available, and might be fairly old.

I'll also mention Cole, which this year produced my earliest tomato ever, at 45 DTM. It was the first to produce, and is going to be the last to produce, too.

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Shule
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#14

Post: # 31036Unread post Shule
Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:31 pm

[mention]Nico[/mention]
I've grown Sub Arctic Plenty (from Baker Creek). It did better the year I grew it in a large container with two other container-worthy tomatoes vs. the year I grew it in the ground with black plastic with drought. It was not early either year for me, but it was very prolific the first year, with firm, oblate fruits; I think they were shiny before they ripened, too. Taste was pretty standard red tomato flavor, but not strong, but the texture was good that year. It was softer and rounder the next year (pretty much standard red tomato in all aspects that year). I'd say it was about 75 to 80 days to maturity for me. The plant was compact. Matina, Bloody Butcher, Nodak Early, and Mountain Princess were all earlier than Sub Arctic Plenty for me. Nodak Early is a relative of Sub Arctic Plenty; it was earlier with a smaller plant the first year, but much more prolific the next year (I grew it in the ground with black plastic both years).

Also note that there's a Sub Arctic Maxi with larger fruit. It's supposed to be a bit later, though.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

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tranquilDoe
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#15

Post: # 31127Unread post tranquilDoe
Tue Sep 22, 2020 12:06 pm

Awesome! Thanks, everyone!

That is crazy about Tigerella! Very exciting.
wykvlvr wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 6:17 pm Stupice is my most reliable tomato here in Wyoming. They are early about 60 days, set fruit in cool weather, and have come back from being hail damaged so badly I doubted they would survive and give me ripe tomatoes by Sept.
Matina is another early cool tolerant one.
Moskvich is one I tried this year that also did well but was a bit later for me then Stupice.
AND SHOCK Tigerella has was so thick it survived the snow we had and is still growing!

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wykvlvr
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#16

Post: # 31735Unread post wykvlvr
Sat Oct 03, 2020 7:31 am

[mention]tranquilDoe[/mention]
Remember 1 inch of snow on Sept 9th combined with 4 days of below freezing temps and last week we had 3 days of freezing temps.
My Moskvich and Tigerella were both left to sprawl on the ground.
Moskvich was not as dense as Tigerella so suffered more damage from the snow and freezing but YESTERDAY I picked the last tomato off it, malformed from poor pollination but still a ripe tomato! Alas it will be the last as that plant is now a goner with only a few leaves left alive near the ground.
BUT that silly Tigerella is so dense that only half was damaged in both the early snow and last weeks freezing. I found about 10 ripening tomatoes hiding in the bottom half which is still growing protected by the upper dead section. It is also still growing tomatoes that were pollinated before the snow. I think I may end up with close to 30 tomatoes off the Tigerella that developed since our snow on Sept 9th
Wyoming
Zone 5
Elevation : 6,063 ft
Climate : semi-arid
Avg annual rainfall = 16 inches

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PNW_D
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#17

Post: # 31798Unread post PNW_D
Sun Oct 04, 2020 11:59 am

Latah is one I grew years ago - recall it was more of a short rambler - didn't care for the flavour, but boy did I have tomatoes and early as well

https://uprisingorganics.com/vegetables ... latah.html
Zone 8b

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Tormato
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#18

Post: # 31810Unread post Tormato
Sun Oct 04, 2020 4:23 pm

I have thousands of seeds, because Latah produces like crazy, and I found the flavor borderline inedible. As soon as any other tomato variety ripened, Latah was destined for seed production only.

Selch9
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#19

Post: # 32837Unread post Selch9
Thu Oct 22, 2020 6:19 pm

Here in northwest BC, it was our wettest and second-coldest summer in recorded history, with only a few days above 25 degrees all year, and most of the time it was rainy and around 15 degrees. I consider it a sort of worst case scenario for cold, wet weather, so hopefully it at least will be somewhat useful for figuring out what can handle that kind of weather.

Outside, I had Anna Russian, Early Orange Stripe, Bloody Butcher, Mystery Keeper, Maglia Rosa, Gold Nugget, Andrina and Siletz. Only Bloody Butcher, Andrina and Gold Nugget managed to produce vine-ripened fruit, with Gold Nugget being by far the earliest and better flavoured. Bloody Butcher and Anna Russian both produced well despite the cold, and the tomatoes are ripening inside. Siletz and Early Orange Stripe both produced a few tomatoes, but all of the Siletz split. In my small, unheated greenhouse, Black Sea Man was nicely flavoured and produced well and relatively early but I wouldn't call it an early tomato. Still, I suspect that my greenhouse would be similar to a "cold season" for most other areas so you could consider it a cold season tomato.

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Tormato
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Re: Very Early and/or Cool Weather Tomatoes

#20

Post: # 32876Unread post Tormato
Fri Oct 23, 2020 5:24 pm

I'm off to go find my Fehrenheit calculator.

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