On the other site, someone referred to their "bulletproof" varieties. I used to have one, before I moved to the land of 100F summers. (Rose de Berne did well in part shade or full sun, producing tomatoes every week throughout the season, in a dry-summer climate with most days 70s-80s. It's a medium-size tomato that was as consistent as a cherry tomato!) I haven't found a bulletproof variety for this climate yet, though Purple Boy F1 has been pretty good the past couple years.

I define bulletproof as a dependable variety that produces a good crop, throughout the season (not all at once), is worth eating, and has behaved well for several years under different conditions.

My neighbors at the community garden like Juliet F1 and Early Girl F1, but I'm not a fan. (Though I am trying several nematode-resistant varieties this year, including Bush EG.) Juliet F1 seems to do well in this dry-summer, hot days (over 90F for 4-6 months, 10 days over 100F each month), cooler nights, climate. I've heard varying reports on EG in this climate.

Do you have a bulletproof variety for your climate?

Early Girl F1 has been my most reliable tomato. It has set when the others didn't. I prefer a larger tomato but I always plant this one to ensure I get tomatoes. It also has the advantage of producing early. For early production it ties with Bloody Butcher and does continue producing throughout the season. I just picked one about a week ago.

Juliet F1 is my most bulletproof. For slicers, Cowlicks Brandywine is darn reliable, as is Orange Russian 117. Sungold F1 always produces well, as long as I pick everything with color if rain is predicted (to head off split skins), as does Cherry Bomb F1.

Beefmaster is big, red, and evidently immune to nematodes and other diseases and maladies. It’s my wife’s favorite or near the top for flavor. Beefmaster got planted out in February 2022, produced a lot of large red tomatoes from late May or early June all through our brutal summer and only the late December 2022 18° freeze vanquished it, with plenty of immature tomatoes still developing at that time.

My buddy here grows Juliett and loves it.

That was me on the other site

As mentioned, Juliet and Anna's Multiflora.

Both are extremely productive, never have disease problems or BER, no cracks or imperfections, keep a while after picking and continue to produce during the hottest heat. And they're the first tomatoes to ripen.

Juliet is kinda boring for fresh eating, but it's excellent in sauce (basically like a Roma but without the BER and more productive). Anna's Multiflora tastes great, like an old fashioned tomato, just well balanced, and it's open pollinated.

I'm gonna throw in Stump of the World, too. 2 years ago, we had record heat. Several weeks above 100 degrees, up to 118. Most of my plants stopped doing anything, except Stump. Then last year, long cold spring, then hot hot days stunted everything, except Stump and Anna's Multiflora (Juliet would have been ok, too, probably, but I didn't grow it).

I’ve got three Stump of the World seedlings going and I’m encouraged by a report that that type could handle the heat well. I’ll likely pick up a few more potential “bulletproof” hybrids to grow out as insurance types. I’ve only got the two “N” designation tomatoes so far and that might be too few.

Big Beef and Eva Purple Ball. EVP isn't purple, as most people here probably know; it's a pink, which is clear skin over red flesh.

Juliet. Junk fresh eating but good sauce and sundrieds. Outruns the Septoria and never splits.

Mark_Thompson wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 12:21 am Juliet. Junk fresh eating but good sauce and sundrieds. Outruns the Septoria and never splits.

Juliet is really the only tomato that sets in the hot San Antonio summer. I know a lot of people slag it for taste but that's because they are comparing it to the flavor of some best flavored varieties but IMHO that is not a fair comparison. Sungold, Brandywine,Cherokee Purple et., taste better but Juliet is a great pico de gallo/sauce tomato. And I guarantee Brandywine, Cherokee Purple etc., will not set in the summer here. Heck, even hardy hybrid tomatoes like Big Beef will not set set anything in the summer.

All of my tomato varieties are gun range paper targets.

My most bulletproof have been Andiamo, Rio Grande, and recently (only one season so far) Kukaburra Cackle for pastes. All produce well into the ridiculous Texas summer, take a break, and start again in the fall. Same with Improved Porter, but they aren't as good tastewise. Big Beef is also pretty solid for slicers, and Cherokee Carbon is reliable as well.