Tomato trial results

[Odsox]

For those interested in such things, I have 2 ripe tomatoes from the Matina plants that were sown on January 1st.
That beats Latah by quite a margin from sowing to picking, Latah 105 days and Matina 93 days.

I couldn't compare like for like this year as the Latah sown at the same time this year took ages to germinate and when they did, took ages to grow. The furthest forward Latah is just coming into bloom now.
The Latah times are from 2013 but grown under exactly the same conditions.

[Green Aura]

Very interesting. I'll look for some of those.

[Weedo]

I presume grown indoors?

I can't find anything on either of these varieties for Oz _ I can only find about 20 varieties compared to over 80 for the UK.
Some varieties even have different names in different states.

Any idea of an alternative name(s) for Matina

[Odsox]

Any idea of an alternative name(s) for Matina

Well now you've got me confused

I looked at the description that came with the seeds and it says "Heirloom variety of German origin", so I searched some German sites and according to this site it's alternative name is "Tamina"
Now I grew Tamina last year (and again this year) and it took over 100 days from planting out to ripe fruit compared to Matina's 93 days from sowing to ripe fruit, so I don't think that's true.
Matina is often spelt as Martina, other than that I don't know.

When my Tamina fruits in a few months time I'll compare the two and report back.

[Green Aura]

it's alternative name is "Tamina"

I hope not, they did nothing for us up here.

[Odsox]

Just picked and tasted the first one, and it was very nice with that sweet/acid taste that I like.
I can foresee me growing that variety permanently from now on with my regular maincrop tomatoes to get some early fruit, especially as it's a cordon and not a sprawling bush (like Latah).

[Green Aura]

Are you growing the pretty ones this year?

[Odsox]

Are you growing the pretty ones this year?

No, although I still have plenty of saved seed.
I may well sow some in the autumn for winter fruit though, but they were not that productive. They seemed to set a couple of trusses and then stopped until those tomatoes were picked before producing more flowers.

[Green Aura]

Hmm, I quite like that, I think. No glut. I suppose it depends on how long they'll keep producing. I might have another go with them next year too.

[Odsox]

I was looking through my garden diaries and compiled a list of tomato varieties that I've grown and noted for their earliness.
The times are from sowing germinated seed in February, to picking first ripe fruit. Bear in mind that they were all different years and so the weather probably had some bearing on the results.

Silver Fir ..... 90
Matina ........ 93
Latah ......... 105
Stupice ....... 125
Old Brookes .. 130
S. Arctic ...... 147
Tamina ....... 153

[Green Aura]

Can you collate these to tastiness (subjective, I know). I definitely need the short season varieties up here, but it's not worth the effort if the taste is poor.

If it helps - I like mine slightly acid with just a hint of sweetness and lots of tomatoeyness.

[Weedo]

Wow OS!
not only don't you sleep but you do this stuff too? Unfortunately the varieties mean nothing to me, if they exist in Oz they have other names. Tomatoes here are traditionaslly planted on Cup day which is still 6 months away so I will have time to work out what our closest variety matches are.

Unlike you, I will be growing mine in the ground, outside, under bird netting and probably with some protection to the NthWest to keep the hot winds off them. However, I am interested in how you train them - I tend to plant at 50cm spacing, stake and prune them until they are about half a metre high and then let them ramble as they see fit

[Odsox]

Can you collate these to tastiness

Indeed I can, I keep tasting and cultural notes for every tomato variety I've grown in the last 10 years, in the vain hope that I will settle on "preferred varieties" like I have with most of the other veg varieties that I grow.
Some hope ..

My list also has notes on different characteristics of same varieties grown 3 different ways; soil, pots or hydroponic.
You can choose from (in no particular order);
Totem, Paul Robeson, Aurora, Latah, Amish Paste, Tommy Toe, Floridity, Ferline, Megabite, Brandywine, Yellow Brandywine, Corazon, Rose de Berne, Stupice, Sub Arctic Plenty, Dr Carolyn, Crimson Crush, Green Zebra, Silver Fir Tree, Bloody Butcher, Black from Tula, Mountain Magic, Tamina, Old Brookes, Oregon Spring Yellow Stuffer and Matina.
If you can wait a few months I'll also have notes on; Vintage Wine, San Marzano, Marmande, Principe Borghese & Lemon Tree.

Of the ones you're interested in GA;
Silver Fir, compact bush, sweet/acid full tomato taste
Matina, cordon, sweet/acid taste
Latah, sprawling bush, sweet/acid taste
Stupice, cordon, sweet/acid taste, very quick to ripen
Old Brookes, cordon, reputed blight resistant (but not), large crop, large fruit, full tomato taste but less acid
Sub Arctic Plenty, cordon, nice size fruit, reasonable taste but no acid.
Tamina, cordon, very susceptible to blight, heavy crop of large fruit, late to ripen, very nice sweet/acid taste

[Odsox]

Unfortunately the varieties mean nothing to me, if they exist in Oz they have other names.

You might recognise a few on that list above,Weedo.
One you should recognise is "Tommy Toe" which was voted Australia's best tomato one year, unfortunately my notes say, "fruit rather small and tasteless"

I grow mine about the same distance as you. I prefer to grow only cordons which I tie to 2m canes and most varieties I limit to 7 trusses by cutting the top out. That usually prevents me from having to deal with loads of green fruit in late autumn.
This year I'm growing 30 maincrop plants with 14 varieties, most varieties for a specific use (fresh, dried, frying for breakfast, canned whole, canned chopped for soup and canned puree), and always one novelty variety.
We eat tomatoes one way or another nearly every day.

[diggernotdreamer]

Did I ever send you some seeds called Oddo, I called them that because I have no idea what they are, but people seem to love the taste, they grow very quickly and produce fruit that has a great flavour, seem to have great cold and blight resistance too