I am buying tomatoes for planting this season, and I am caught between three varieties – the famous money-maker, Rio grande and Marglobe. What advantages has each of these got over the other? How do you differentiate their shapes? Mukasa, Nakaseke
Answer: All these varieties have their origin in Europe. Each of them has got unique features over the other. For example, money-maker matures in 75-90 days, while Rio grande and Marglobe take 90-95 days.
However, when it comes to fruit weight Rio grande and Marglobe can weigh over 100grams while money-maker weighs 70 grammes.
The shapes of the three tomatoes also differ. Money-maker is shaped like a globe or completely circular, Rio grande is oval while Marglobe is oblate.
Money-maker and Rio grande have a thicker skin than the other two, hence giving them a longer shelf life. However, Marglobe is the best for salads because of its soft skin.
But overall, the cost of production is almost the same and they yield around the same tonnage of around 60-100 tonnes per acre.
