Picked up a pair of tomato starts at the Desert Botanical Garden's Fall Sale.
Maya & Scions Airdrie:
"A cross between a large and very tasty pink beefsteak-Brandywine- and a very early smaller red tomato-Stupice. Jeffrey Casey has been growing out this tomato since 2004. For the last couple of years it has been coming in a week to 10 days later than Stupice. I consider this tomato to be true Classic taste. It will produce red, oblate fruits with ribbing that weigh between 6 and 14 ozs, and hang in clusters of 4-8."
And Sophie's Choice:
"An heirloom from Edmonton, Canada and introduced by Carolyn Male in 1997. Considered to be the "best choice" for an extra early tomato. This is the earliest variety to ripen for me. Strong disease resistant short determinate (24") produces an abundance of 8 to 10 oz. globes. fruit is a red-orange outside and deep red inside. Best production in cooler climates."
That true "classic taste" is what I am hoping for. Wish I'd noted the production note on Sophie earlier. Ah well. If she produces at all I'm good. {ed: We are heading into our cooler temps, now that I think about it. Hey!}
I am hoping that using locally tested varieties will get me better results than what I had been trying (up to now the best producing tomato I've grown down here was a compost seedling of a supermarket grape tomato.)
My thanks to H at HeirloomGarden.org for providing these plants and for being a low desert test garden for the rest of us transplants!
