Tomato 'Juliet'
Lycopersicon esculentum 'Juliet'
Text by Bob Orazi
Photo by HGIC, University of Maryland Extension
With stink bug problems ahead, why not plant a thick skinned tomato like the Juliet this year?
While tomato growers suffered high fruit damage last summer from brown marmorated stink bugs, some thick-skinned varieties showed less damage. It looks like 2011 may be worse, so planting a thick skinned tomato like the Juliet may be the solution.
Juliet is about 2 to 2¼ inches long and slender like a roma. A 1999 All-America Selections winner, Juliet does it all, from salad to sauce to salsa.
When discussing small tomato varieties, cherry and grape tomatoes are mentioned interchangeably, but there is a difference. Cherry tomatoes have a thin skin and high juice content adding to their flavor but are more susceptible to cracking during hot, moist weather conditions.
The grape tomato, on the other hand, has a thick skin and low water content with the flavor of a roma tomato. It is less susceptible to cracking and has a longer storage period.
Juliet is indeterminate with a maturity date of only 60 days. To assure availability, purchase seeds now through catalogs and start indoors in late March. Transplant the young seedlings outdoors after danger of frost has passed and follow the planting guidelines on the seed packet.
Because of their indeterminate nature, they will continue to produce late into the summer and should either be staked or grown in cages.