So this whole Tomayapo thing started when my neighbor kept bragging about his “super strong” tomato plants. He swore this new Tomayapo breed was unbeatable. Meanwhile, my own tomatoes always looked kinda sad halfway through summer. Got me wondering: what actually makes one tomato plant “stronger” than another? And how much of that strength holds up in my messy backyard reality? Figured I’d try comparing the claims.
Digging In and Buying Seeds
First step was obvious: grab different tomato seeds. I hit up the garden store and the supermarket. Picked a big shiny packet called “MightyTom Supremo” – looked super professional, tons of “strongest”, “giant”, “disease-proof” words everywhere. Cost a few bucks more too. Then I grabbed plain ol’ “Heirloom Beefsteak” from the bargain bin. Nothing fancy on the label, just “reliable” and “good flavor”. My mission: grow them side-by-side and see who actually survives my neglect.
Setting Up My Messy Tomato Battlefield
Cleared a patch in the yard last spring. Figured it had decent sun. Threw some generic garden soil down – didn’t buy any fancy stuff. Used the same cheap fertilizer for both. Planted both seed types at the same time, watered ’em the same lazy way with the hose. Basically, treated them both like my usual “plant it and kinda forget it” routine. Wanted to see if the “strongest” hype held up under real conditions, like when I forgot to water for three hot days.
Watching the Growth & Spotting the Differences
First weeks were slow. The MightyTom Supremo? It shot up like crazy! Taller, greener leaves way faster than the Heirloom. I was like, “Whoa, maybe this expensive stuff really is stronger!” But then summer hit proper. Got real hot. Bugs showed up. A few heavy rains came down. And things got interesting. Here’s what my eyeball test showed me:
- Tall ain’t always tough: Yeah, MightyTom grew fast and tall early on. But then it got kinda leggy and thin. A decent gust of wind bent it right over. Heirloom grew slower, but thicker stems. Didn’t flinch in the wind.
- Bug magnet vs. bug resistant?: Oh man, those shiny MightyTom leaves? Aphid heaven. Had a whole bug party on there. The Heirloom? Fewer bugs bothered it. Not immune, just less appealing apparently.
- Sunburn blues: We had one scorching week. The MightyTom leaves curled up and got these ugly pale patches. Sunburn! Heirloom leaves looked a bit tired but stayed mostly green.
- Fruit showdown: MightyTom pumped out smaller tomatoes first, kinda thick skin. Heirloom took longer, but wow, bigger, juicier looking tomatoes. Less fruit total maybe, but more impressive per tomato.
- Drama tolerance: Like I said, I forgot watering sometimes. MightyTom would wilt FAST – big dramatic droop. Made me run for the hose panicking. Heirloom? It just… toughed it out. Looked thirsty but didn’t collapse.
The Real Winner? Depends on What You Want
So, sitting here looking at both plants later in summer, here’s the deal. That “MightyTom Supremo”? It wasn’t a complete lie. It was fast, it did set fruit quickly. If you want quick tomatoes and baby your plants every single day? Maybe it wins. But “strongest”? Nope. Not in my messy, real-world yard. That cheap Heirloom? It took hits from bugs, sun, wind, my forgetfulness, and still stood there, thick stems holding up solid fruit. That felt way stronger to me. Strong isn’t always about being the first or the flashiest. Sometimes it’s just about hanging tough through whatever the garden throws at you.
