[Ivor Backache]

I have sown 3 varieties on New Years day and they are doing well. All treated the same but they are growing differently. Tamara is nearly 4 ' tall with five flowers. First truss has all set and the second nearly all set. Alicante on the other hand is a litttle shorter but has three flowers and none set. Harbinger in the smallest with five flowers but none set.

Tomatoes are in the same family as potatoes and we have earlies/second earlies /main crop. Do we have the same with tomatoes? I have never given it any thought until now.

So can anyone tell me which are the early tomato plants. They are the ones which have the shortest time between flowering and fruit. I did have a look on the internet but found nothing relative to this country. Perhaps the answer is in catalogues or just experience.

[Trillium]

I'm sure there are series of tomatoes re ripening, but I don't know exactly what it is, other than your determinate (limited size) plants tend to flower and fruit a bit earlier than the indeterminates (tall, vining types) simply due to size. You also have the very hardy types from Russia and other north countries where the plant is small and must produce quickly despite weather conditions. Not sure if I answered your question but those are definitely factors to consider.

[Ivor Backache]

Indirectly you have raised another point when you say 'plants must produce quickly' . If I grow two tomato plant the same way and stop one at say 3 trusses, will I pick tomatoes before the other plant which I would normally stop at 5 or 6 trusses.

Ideally what I am looking for here is the name of tomato seed that I can buy in this country which will ripen first. Just because I have sowed my seeds very early does not necessarily mean I will get the first fruit.

[sclarke624]

Red alert is apparently very early. Not tried these yet.
Sub artic plenty although these were mushy and awful, some people liked theres though.

[Eatyourgreens]

Without having the same definitions like "Early" "Second early", Tomatoes do come in a variety of fruiting times, and it turned out all mine were faster fruiting so I had to blag some later ones.

I am growing:

Alaskan Fancy
blooming Butcher
Silvery Fern Tree

And now in addition Ailsa Craig as a late crop.

The fastest ones I found on the net were the three above (I only wanted one early, the other two were mistakes) and on one of them it said something like "Lots of tasty fruit, but past it's best by the time the later varieties were fruiting".


Bob

[SG6]

I suspect that what you want is a classification similar to apples where they give an indication of the flowering time - for cross pollination, and for harvesting time - for munching.

The problem is that apples live out doors all the time and so different varieties experience the same conditions/seasons over time (for a similar location) and so get into a synchronisation of sorts.

I very much doubt is anything so "accurate" could be produced with what is an annual in the conditions that we give them. Simply not sufficently controlled. I may have seen something saying that chillis will fruit xx days after flowering for the various varieties. If not chillis I have no idea what it was.

All the above is probably dependant on them being sown at the "normal" time of their cycle - no idea when this is but I doubt that New Years day is it. Too cold and too dark - tomatoes aren't going to naturally start into growth on Jan 1st. Every self respecting plant will be deep asleep then.

Throw in that some have been stopped from further growth and some left to grow on and that will affect them.

Some information along these lines must exist and I suggest that you google for tomato growers and contact them. They produce tomatoes for the supermarkets and they must have information concerning planting, growing, flowering and harvest times. But that will be dependant on the temperature and conditions they are raised in - heated lighted glasshouses - very controlled.

[David.]

Red alert is apparently very early. Not tried these yet.
Sub artic plenty although these were mushy and awful, some people liked theres though.

I've grown Red Alert for around 20 years and they are always the earliest outdoor tom, and I would never bother with sub arctic plenty again.

[mumofstig]

Probably a quirk of last years terrible weather, but Red Alert were not early for me last year.....either that or they were'nt the right seeds in the pkt

[Ivor Backache]

I have read the comments by  SG6 and I think we share the same thoughts.  Yes it is cold and dark on New Years day but not in my kitchen.  I have googled tomato growers and found very little in the specific plants they grow. I suspect that the plants are grown for their colour, shape and shelf life and not their taste. This is why we have this pashion for growing tomatoes.
What I did find on growers' sites was their quest to extend the growing season. Its not a question of the early tomato -more of the late tomato and extending the season into winter. Instead of heat to grow the young plants-using heat to keep the plants growing longer.

[gobs]

Alaskan fancy is a really early cropping outdoor one.

And as some said earlier, it's thumbs down for Arctic plenty thingie here, too,  it's plenty, but heck wants them like.

[tam]

I planted tumbling toms a month apart (mid Jan & mid Feb) and they started flowering at the same time. The earlier one has more leaves but the later one is ahead on the tomato set/development.

[Howard]

Ivor, I've been researching heritage tomatoes and stumbled upon the Tomato Growers Supply Company's website.

They list an early season tom called 'Stupice' (which is pronounced Stu-peach-ka, apparently), and having popped it into Google I've a feeling it could well be what you're looking for. Available from Thompson & Morgan

[Ivor Backache]

Thank you Howard for your input. I did find this site but because it seemed have 'foreign' tomatoes and priced in $ I didn't follow it up. Thompson and Morgan have got a tremendous variety and at reduced prices. They have quite a few options for all types of tomato growers.