Chocolate Cherry on the vine

I am evaluating the tomatoes I grew this year, and having already gushed about “Orange Russian” in a previous post, I will now turn my critical eye toward two more cultivars. Both of these are new to my garden. One is performing magnificently and the other is a disappointment. The cultural conditions are the same for both, in fact, they are growing next to each other.

Chocolate Cherry:

This is a well-known heirloom, and I am happily surprised by its vigor and the proliferation and taste of the fruits. Of course, they do not taste like actual chocolate cherries, but they are definitely dark and sweet. They are also quite a bit larger than other cherry types I have grown – about 1 inch or even more in diameter. All in all, I found this to be a productive and trouble free tomato – and the fruits are delicious.

Milano:

I decided to try this plum type tomato after reading a glowing review in a seed catalog – one I trust. The seed is imported from Italy, and the fruits are supposed to be ideal for sauces and sun drying. I am also growing San Marzanos and I have already harvested two batches and made sauce. The Milanos, on the other hand, are sort of languishing. I haven’t picked a single one yet. Maybe I’m doing something wrong with these, but all the others are doing great, so I don’t think that’s the problem. I won’t bother growing these next year.