Oregon just can't match New Jersey's tomatoes (growing, fertilizer, strawberries)
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I don't know exactly what it is. Maybe it's the colder nights here in Oregon, or the low summer humidity, but no big tomatoes here in Oregon are nearly as good as the ones in NJ. There are small cherry tomatoes in Oregon that are great, but for bigger ones there's no match. New Jersey tomatoes are way better, and so are the ones I've tasted from Pennsylvania.
Anybody agree? If so, do you know why? I suspect the cold nights here. Even in summer it often gets into the 40's at night. The tomatoes here are pithy, not sweet, and with little flavor.
forgive my ignorance but isn't it kind of early for local tomatoes in the first place (assume you are talking about either growing your own or fresh from the growers and not the stuff you get at the grocery store no matter how it's labeled)? in western Oregon we do have a different climate (generally cooler days and nights during the growing season) from the east coast and because of that different tomato varieties (with likely somewhat different appearance and taste profiles) are generally recommended for growing here. if you haven't already, check out the "sunset western garden book" for it's suggestions and/or someone knowledgeable at a local nursery for what might be the best type for where you are. that said, don't think anybody ever claimed that Oregon was especially famous for tomatoes---try out filberts, pears, and apples (and wines) instead, maybe, LOL. good luck.
I think Willamette and Santiam are not bad. They were developed here.
I've lived here 33 years. No doubt there are excellent things that western Oregon has to offer. To your list I'll add strawberries, black cherries, and I even love the wild blackberries when picked at just the right time.
well, you might also consider adding sugar snap/eatable pod peas to the "pro" list of things that do very in oregon as well???? considering the list of good things to eat that our area produces, the trouble with tomatoes might seem more bearable. every state/area/what have you has things that grow well (perhaps better than other places) and things not so much (perhaps less well or just plain crappy compared to other places) and rarely can anyplace have all the good things so IMHO we do what we can as best we can working with the challenges of some things and enjoying whatever successes we do get with things like tomatoes (as you say, the cherry ones apparently do quite nicely) while admiring those places that "build" a better beefsteak tom (and enjoying our "superiority" with the stuff they can't grow quite so well or so easily). best wishes for all your growing.
I don't know exactly what it is. Maybe it's the colder nights here in Oregon, or the low summer humidity, but no big tomatoes here in Oregon are nearly as good as the ones in NJ. There are small cherry tomatoes in Oregon that are great, but for bigger ones there's no match. New Jersey tomatoes are way better, and so are the ones I've tasted from Pennsylvania.
Anybody agree? If so, do you know why? I suspect the cold nights here. Even in summer it often gets into the 40's at night. The tomatoes here are pithy, not sweet, and with little flavor.
I have no scientific proof, but my father always said it was the soil in NJ that made the tomatoes so good. He always had a huge garden, filled with several varieties of tomatoes. One of his favorites was the Super Sonic.
My husband and I took a vacation in Vermont several years ago. We stopped at a produce stand, started chatting with the owner, and found out his tomatoes were Jersey tomatoes. He said they were the best, and he made weekly trips down to Boston to pick up Jersey tomatoes. My husband thought it was the best vacation ever!
Tomatoes are like a religion in Jersey for a reason. I've sat around and listened to my grandmother and auntie go on a 10-minute rant about unacceptable tomatoes at Wendy's.
It IS the different weather, in my opinion. As well as different soil. I'm in Colorado, and my best friend in Jersey has tomato plants that are 3-4 times the size of my tomato plants, even though they were planted at the same time.
That humidity and heat and rich soil just makes for a better tomato.
yes humidity heat and rich soil and adding fertilizer at the right time makes tomatoes better and I have been growing tomatoes since I was a teenager my dad thought it important that I know how to grow good tomatoes I often wish I had asked him about that before he passed . two years ago Christmas now I sure do miss his tomatoes .
I don't know exactly what it is. Maybe it's the colder nights here in Oregon, or the low summer humidity, but no big tomatoes here in Oregon are nearly as good as the ones in NJ. There are small cherry tomatoes in Oregon that are great, but for bigger ones there's no match. New Jersey tomatoes are way better, and so are the ones I've tasted from Pennsylvania.
Anybody agree? If so, do you know why? I suspect the cold nights here. Even in summer it often gets into the 40's at night. The tomatoes here are pithy, not sweet, and with little flavor.
I've been buying mostly Oregon State University developed tomatoes from Territorialseed.com, though this year the shipping was more than I could bear so I bought at the local nursery. Some years are just better than others but I've had good luck and taste from Siletz, Oregon Spring, Beaverlodge and Gills. I haven't had the best luck with beefsteaks. Anyway, my 2 cents worth.
I've been buying mostly Oregon State University developed tomatoes from Territorialseed.com, though this year the shipping was more than I could bear so I bought at the local nursery. Some years are just better than others but I've had good luck and taste from Siletz, Oregon Spring, Beaverlodge and Gills. I haven't had the best luck with beefsteaks. Anyway, my 2 cents worth.
Thanks for the tips! A long time ago my girlfriend worked for OSU with the project of developing the Santiam tomato, and so of course I had some inside info and it was kind of exciting. It does a lot better than most, in this climate, but still not as good to my taste. Maybe next year I'll try one or two of those other kinds you suggested.
That's pretty odd. Do you also have cloudy weather in summer or are the days sunny and warm? The combination of warm days and cool nights is what produces the highest sugar levels in a fruit (including tomatoes) - if you head across the border into Canada, this phenomenon is known as Northern Vigor and is not just a marketing term. Our summer nights are also cool (mean of 48 in June, 55 in July and 51 in August) and we have great tomatoes. So, I'm very surprised to find out that Oregon tomatoes are inferior. I would guess variety and/or soil may have something to do with it. Are you talking about farmers' market tomatoes, garden tomatoes, or grocery store tomatoes?
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He said they were the best, and he made weekly trips down to Boston to pick up Jersey tomatoes.
