New Varieties
Choice Series Tomatoes
Dec
The Choice Series Tomatoes Collection includes a great variety of tomato plants that look as great as they taste. We are introducing three new varieties for 2013! Be one of the first to try these in your garden before they’re available to the general public next year. Click on the thumbnail images below to view photos larger.
“Container Choice” Tomatoes:
A red beefsteak developed just for containers, this bushy determinate plant produces enormous yields of large, bright red tomatoes weighing 5-6 ounces borne in clusters. This rugoso leaved (crinkled leaves) traditionally produced hybrid offers excellent disease resistance along with a large crop of rich flavored tomatoes. An edible ornamental that sacrifices nothing for its compact size, Container Choice Hybrid is the premier variety in the garden as well as the planter. 65 days to maturity.
Trialed right here in Connecticut in 2012. Read this review:
Finally a tomato PLANT that looks as good as the tomato tastes! I only have room for 2 tomato plants in my container vegetable garden on my deck. Because it’s part of my outdoor living room, I need to keep it neat looking which has been a challenge since tomato plants look so ugly by summer. Not Container Choice! This very vigorous plant still looks good and it’s after Labor Day. Full of dark green leaves which have protected the tomatoes from the all day sun on my deck; it grew 4 feet in a 20-inch pot. It did need a tomato cage (I bought one of those red painted ones) not only for the size of the plant but because of the weight of the tomatoes. Lots of tomatoes! As of today I have picked more than I’ve been able to use (maybe 40 or more) and have shared them with my neighbors. Next year I’ll start a few extra plants to give to them since now they want to grow them on their decks too. Thanks for this great addition to your line. – SG (New London)
“Early Choice” Tomatoes:
An indeterminate, very early maturing tomato with fruit weighing 4 ounces. Traditionally produced hybrid with excellent disease resistance. Fruit has an incredible sugar/acid flavor balance which is unique in early tomatoes. Has performed well in both coastal and dry valley areas in country wide trials. 70 days to maturity.
Trialed right here in Connecticut in 2012. Read this review:
Early Choice Tomato is incredible! The plant started bearing delicious fruit right on time (72 days from transplant) and never quit. By mid-September I had harvested over 300 ripe fruits with many green ones still on the vine when the first frost threatened. No sign of any disease until late September (early blight) which didn’t stop production at all – the plant just looked shabby by then. Finally, I think the plant succumbed to exhaustion after the third frost. I will be growing this one to show off to my other garden friends when I have ripe red delicious tomatoes at our annual 4th of July garden party! -AM (Stony Creek)
“Gardener’s Choice” Tomatoes:
An indeterminate large pink beefsteak tomato with fruit weighing 12 ounces. This Brandywine traditionally-produced hybrid has excellent disease resistance, less cracking, a large crop of beautiful pink tomatoes with that incredible Brandywine taste! This variety was selected for taste and best garden performance by a panel of master gardeners. 100 days to maturity.
Trialed right here in Connecticut in 2011. Read this review:
This improved “heirloom-type” tomato which resembles Brandywine in size, shape, color and taste, but doesn’t crack and had such a hot set that the entire center of the plant was one solid block of fruit – on each plant! It didn’t crack even in the wettest year on record. What’s not to like? I had my choice of about 30 types of tomatoes in the garden last year and this was the one I ate all summer long. -JB (Storrs)
All three were part of the 2nd Annual Great Tomato and Basil Taste at Smith Acres in Niantic. Ask them about the varieties they will be growing next year for sale and for their fields as requested by the participants.
