While many of you have already dropped seed an know exactly what you are growing this year, I am still waiting for my ground to thaw. How have you determined what it is that you will be growing? Is it new varieties, taste, past experience. a theme or experimentation? I think that this is the year that I will be growing all of those tomatoes that have been in the "Grow Again List". I am wanting a great year of tomatoes. Usually I only grow 4-5 plants from my past and all the others are new to me. I have grown tomatoes for many years now and want just one to have an oo la la year. I am going to grow all of my favorites!

This year, I mainly grow varieties that have done fine in the past, The last two years with mostly new-to-me varieties were very disappointing due to the incredible heat we had in Germany. So I decided to return to the "oldies". The oldest seeds are from 2008 (so far with no germination), but the 2009 and following seeds are doing very fine. All have come up, some even to 100% (which I did not expect). But a few new varieties will also follow, some with no info on them. I like surprises...

I only grow about 15 plants per year. Probably I grow 13 of my favorites that I grow every year and I add 2 or 3 new varieties. Rebel Yell is one that I am adding this year.

I grow around 40 tomatoes each season, plus other stuff.
I followed Craig LeHoullier and went with some of his favorites. I lurked on the old TV forum and gleaned input from Carolyn and others.
And also I did a ton of internet research which is how I discovered Wild Boar Farms, Secret Seed Cartel, etc. I’m a total sucker for anything odd or striped or unusual, lol.
Some varieties like Carbon and Solar Flare are back every year. Then I go crazy.

I draw up my garden, noting numbers of things I can plant, then fill in the letters of all the "old timers", then see how many spots I have for new ones. This year I said I was going to reduce the number of peppers, since I had way more than I needed last year, but when I counted them up, the total was only one less! But I have a bunch of new ones - last season only one new variety, so I did reduce the old varieties considerably. My problem, with many old favorites, is that I hate to grow only one, even if it will produce more than I can use, because something could kill the only one, and there's no backup. However, with all those new ones, something will take its place, if this happens, so I am going to plant only one of a number of varieties.

I do the same as brownrexx, I have room for about 16, and I need to plant a few more, so I do a few pots too, lol. It is also hedging my bets. If the garden gets a lot of disease I have a few potted plants that might be OK since they are far enough away from the garden to not get direct exposure to those plants. I usually include a couple new ones each year, but probably not this year, since I will be growing mulitple plants of Mortgage Lifter and I have always planted just one of each variety in the past.

brownrexx wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2020 5:25 pm I only grow about 15 plants per year. Probably I grow 13 of my favorites that I grow every year and I add 2 or 3 new varieties. Rebel Yell is one that I am adding this year.

You added Rebel Yell so you are now growing 14 of your favorites.

I base my decision on two things, one is the response of the rest of the family to what is growing this year and what our needs are for cooking vs fresh eating and if the kids are likely to be taking them to school as snacks. Then into the favourite list and some new ones based on what seed needs refreshing and reviews from other people

I go through my spreadsheet and try new types every year but always have some that do good here in the heat and those don't really do good unless it's a dry summer. I'm trying some hybrids this year and crossing my fingers.

Decision made with great difficulty and revisions right up to sowing! Like most of you I always plant tried and true ones plus many new ones. Marsha’s offer is a great enabler for new varieties to try. I will be growing about 45 varieties and giving 10 more to my growing buddy who has a farm.

I'm a market gardener, so after I select all the ones I just can't do without, I need to look at what sells. Anything medium-large, red or dark pink, and shaped like a tomato that grows cleanly without splitting is a pretty sure bet. But I have developed a reputation for the unusual, too, so I need to keep many of those, as well. Last year I had over 350 varieties, and despite my pledge to cut back, I expect to be near that this year, too. Some of those are accidental crosses experiments and Dwarf Project plants, but any of those that make this year's list will get a real hard scrutiny this year. I'm just getting too old to keep it up. Then there's the ones that stay or return to contribute to the Carolyn Tribute seed offering...

I grow between 40-50 plants every year, 2-4 plants of each variety. I do can my own tomato sauce & salsa. So, I look for varieties that will do well with that. I like to try new varieties every year, maybe only a couple of varieties are repeats. Last year I had a rotten year when it came to tomatoes. It was cold & wet in May & June and screaming hot & dry in July. This year I picked the majority of varieties on disease resistance & hardiness. Hopefully, it'll be a good year and I'll get a little confidence back.

Gardadore wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 7:36 am Decision made with great difficulty and revisions right up to sowing! Like most of you I always plant tried and true ones plus many new ones. Marsha’s offer is a great enabler for new varieties to try. I will be growing about 45 varieties and giving 10 more to my growing buddy who has a farm.

That is so true! Marsha is a great enabler who has introduced interesting varieties to many of us here including me. Without her offers and descriptions of so many different tomato varieties I don't think I would ever have tried so many.

This year ...I had to experience "discipline" and cutting back free style hobbie say from 76 varieties a year
to a hard Cap of 40 varieties …. (all are now from my own collected seeds )
The choice of must haves this year left no room for new trials this year just replays and renewal of
most favorites . I use a small scribbler and previous lists on computer to make up a new list.
But I have a funny weighting consideration for the list. Some ornamental favs, Japanese mini, Russian hearts, Dwarf Project , .. some cherries , small , medium , large ….yellow , red, black etc. (I don't grow green or white toms ...just because).
I look forward to 2021 as well to try out a few new ones again.....

Gardadore wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 7:36 am Decision made with great difficulty and revisions right up to sowing! .....

Amen! I start each list a year or two before it's time to sow. Stuff I can't fit in this year goes on next year's list. I've researched hundreds of varieties so far. Some things that go into my decision to grow include:
-many other people like it.= Rose Quartz Multiflora, Stump of the World, Limbaugh's Potato Top, Bloody Butcher, Sophie's Choice.
-my sister might like it (tart, red or pink, round, suitable for containers)= Bloody Butcher, Don Camillo
-Irresistible novelty= Cosmic Eclipse, NH Pickling
-I got the seeds and it looks appealing= Feng Shui, Husky Red F1, Limbaugh, Sophie's Choice, Stump.
-I needed another great-tasting cherry in a different color so I can tell them apart.= Isis Candy Cherry.
-Requested by DH.= Sungold, Post Office Spoonful, NH Pickling.
-My mother requested it on a whim, and I just love her.= Purple Russian
-It was an extremely really worthy plant, and I have only one seed left, so I'm trying to get more seeds= Bajaja.

Nan

Put off starting seeds till too late.
Went to my favorite nursery Bloomers in Elgin Texas and bought what would do well for me in the heat today.
I had to drive a total of 150 feet in and out of my way home from work to do this.
They start all their plants on site so I dont mind paying the price for a nice plant.
All cherries or grape tomatoes.
2 plants of Sun Gold one of each Juliet and large red cherry.
Not a picky person for the most part just want a tomato or two during the season.
I'm happy to be alive and pick a tomato ever now and then to snack on.

Deciding what not to grow is the hard part! Ideally, I'd grow everything.

I usually look at productivity, earliness, rave reviews, polarized reviews, vigor, taste, heat-tolerance, all-season-ness, unusual flavors, acidic tomatoes, etc. I decide on themes, sometimes. Like, last year, I grew Jerusalem, Palestinian, and Holyland. This year I'm trying as many large cherries (0.75+") as I can, pretty much, ideally red, brown, purple, pink, anthocyanin, or bicolor ones. Plus, there are some tomatoes (not just cherries) that I just really want to grow since I think they might turn out to be great. Some, I'm growing again because I liked them before. I grow some to learn about them (well, that's pretty common to most tomatoes I grow).

Canning is a big consideration, as are hang-time, shelf-life, and fruit-to-foliage ratios.

My list is mostly based on past experience of which variety have the best flavor, then to a lesser extent, yield, disease resistance, appearance, etc.

It's not a life and death situation for me that I don't get the biggest yield (yet anyway, and hopefully not anytime soon), so flavor and a bit of novelty are what I'm after, but I'm satisfied with my current selections. Also I'm not very fond of growing hybrids and not having stable seeds. I can understand if I was a farmer, then yield and disease resistance would be top priorities.

I stick with what worked for me, so I don't grow new variety very much anymore. Maybe one or two new variety a year is enough.

Shule, I recommend Dr. Carolyn as an excellent-tasting large cherry.

What I decided my grow list was based on what we liked last year.
What we will be planting this year will be based on what germinates.