Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners

Reviewed on 01/03/2015 by klossoke - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Howard, Maryland, United States Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days Soil Texture: Clay Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
I found it curious that the only tomato seedling to nearly wipe out in May from one cold night out of about 15 different varieties was the Polbig, which I had counted on to be early. it did survive to eventually put out a few fruit later in the season, but I will be looking for a different early variety.

Reviewed on 08/09/2014 by Sahale - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Seneca, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
I grew Polbig as my earliest tomato, transplanting it in April and protecting it with various covers to get it going. It grew well under those stressful conditions and set fruit just at the right plant size. As a determinate, it set a lot of fruit and stopped vegetative growth. The crop load is as big as you could expect from a plant this size. The fruit are very uniform, and look good as a standard supermarket slicing tomato. The first one ripened at the end of July. The downside is the eating quality. The catalog description from Totally Tomato is that it holds well on the vine, is firm and has mild flavor. All of those things are true. Unfortunately, this means that it stays hard until it is overripe and mealy. It never went through the soft stage, which I really want in a backyard tomato. Mild also means that it doesn't have much flavor, and that letting it ripen didn't make much difference. I won't be using it again as my early variety since the delicious tomatoes are only a week behind it. It does not serve my purpose at all. If you are selling tomatoes in a market where early local tomatoes get you established, and appearance is the most important character, then it should be considered.