Better Boy Tomato Plants

[roadrunner]

I normally don't buy my produce plants, rather I get the seeds and sow myself, it's just cheaper. However, when I was at the nursery yesterday I came across six small (~ 4 - 6 inches, AKA 10 - 15 cm) Better Boy tomato plants for $3.49. Normally one plant costs at least $4 - 5 bucks.

Curious if anyone has any experience with this variety?

 

[Chuck]

I normally don't buy my produce plants, rather I get the seeds and sow myself, it's just cheaper. However, when I was at the nursery yesterday I came across six small (~ 4 - 6 inches, AKA 10 - 15 cm) Better Boy tomato plants for $3.49. Normally one plant costs at least $4 - 5 bucks.

Curious if anyone has any experience with this variety?

I have grown them. They are an indeterminate tomato and have a large fruit. IMO they are better suited for an area which has a cooler summer than we have in South Texas. I don't know how soon it gets above about 74F nighttime low temps in your area but this variety is mid season and the sooner it gets about this warm they will not set fruit. I have tried growing them and have grown beautiful big plants but the production is limited at best.

 

[DirtMechanic]

If you let them grow into an overhanging roof or otherwise shade themselves and the roots it helps them. I went to Parks Whopper Improved from those because of the heat and humidity fight here.

 

[Meadowlark]

In my experience, the plants with "boys" and "girls" in their name are better left on the shelves....but my experience is in East Texas.

 

[Chuck]

In my experience, the plants with "boys" and "girls" in their name are better left on the shelves....but my experience is in East Texas.

I never thought of it that way but you are correct. The seed growers are always trying to improve something but it seems to me that the original was better than the latest offering. The "boys" have larger fruit than the "girls" in most cases. Better Boy has great disease resistance but I never get diseases even on varieties that are prone to them. I wish they would come up with a non-disease resistant tomato that would set fruit in hot weather. As far is the OP is concerned in his post Better Boy is resistant to late blight. Late blight is only, AFAIK, in cooler climates where later fruit setting is common, which is the opposite of Florida and Texas.

 

[Meadowlark]

... I wish they would come up with a non-disease resistant tomato that would set fruit in hot weather. ...

Have you ever tried the Heat Master? Bonnie plants sells it and I think may have came up with it. It is a determinate hybrid tomato that sets fruit in hot weather. I use them for my August and early Sept tomato. Usually don't start them until late April. They aren't real heavy producers, but they set fruit even at 100 and 100 here.

 

[Chuck]

Have you ever tried the Heat Master? Bonnie plants sells it and I think may have came up with it. It is a determinate hybrid tomato that sets fruit in hot weather. I use them for my August and early Sept tomato. Usually don't start them until late April. They aren't real heavy producers, but they set fruit even at 100 and 100 here.

Never heard of them. I'll check into them. Thanks

 

[DirtMechanic]

I was wanting something bigger than cherries for this year and found Mountain Magic. It is a heat resistant variety also.

 

[treeguy]

Up here in civilized summers, Better Boy is a wonderful variety. Growing your own seeds with any variety is problematic because most commercial products are F1 hybrids so their seeds are not going to be what they are, they will be open-pollinated whatevers. Probably not bad, but not true to mother, either. If you self them you'll get F2's which is a crap-shoot, too.

 

[roadrunner]

I planted them near some bananas for shade, so maybe that'll help; I've found that tomatoes (here in Florida) don't really like full sun in the summer time. I'll have to look into some of these other heat tolerant varieties. Thanks all....

 

[Meadowlark]

I have an area of my garden that gets afternoon shade (after about 3:00) that I reserve for the heat resistant varieties for production in July,August and September...long after others have faded away. Works for me!

 

[DirtMechanic]

ok. what heat resistant varieties?

 

[Meadowlark]

I mentioned Heatmaster above...my personal favorite for August. Celebrity although not advertised as heat tolerant does really well for me in the heat. Bella Rosa another. An heirloom I've heard is good is the Arkansas Traveler but haven't tried it yet.

The key for late summer production for me is late afternoon shade and starting them later than others in spring,

 

[NE Ohio John]

I've grown the "boy & girl" Tomato's for a number of years. Typically they are "pretty tomato's" with no cracking and nice form...but I've found their tastes are lacking in comparison of Heirloom Varieties.

 

[roadrunner]

These tomato plants are producing big time; so much so, that I'm sick of picking them.

I don't use any x-icides, so a few have bug bites, but I don't mind, I just cut away that section...no problems, I don't mind sharing

However, the last batch I just picked today, many of them were split/cracking, I'm guessing from all the rain we had last week, with a real down pour last Thursday, which dropped well over 2 inches of rain.