Citron Compact and Sicilian Plum
 

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Photo of Citron Compact-they are about 3-5 oz and more yellow than the photo shows. Delicious! Sicilian Plum is about 7 oz and is great for fresh eating, using for sauce or salsa or slicing and putting on pizza.

Hi Michael,

Citron Compact is a beautiful looking tomato. Are the tomatoes in your picture from this year? If they are WOW. I did not know that tomatoes ripe so early in El Paso.

My mother's family is from El Paso (and CD Juarez and Favens). I have only been there twice. I wish that I could visit more often because I have lots of family out there.

Take care.

Angelique

Angelique-So you know about my growing conditions-hot and dry! The CC and Sicilian Plum came from my winter greenhouse. I plant in the greenhouse usually about October 1 or so, and that carries me through the winter. Plant outside the Sunday after Easter usually, then I plant fall tomatoes usually about August 1.

John-Glad to have sent you seed. CC ,in the winter for me, is about 85 days or so-the dtm is longer in the winter. During the summer, its about 75 days.

Good growing Mike ! They look great ! ~ Tom

Angelique-So you know about my growing conditions-hot and dry! The CC and Sicilian Plum came from my winter greenhouse. I plant in the greenhouse usually about October 1 or so, and that carries me through the winter. Plant outside the Sunday after Easter usually, then I plant fall tomatoes usually about August 1.

John-Glad to have sent you seed. CC ,in the winter for me, is about 85 days or so-the dtm is longer in the winter. During the summer, its about 75 days.

Michael,

I am getting ready to sow Citron Compact and your pictures are inspiring!
My Golden Dwarf Champions are almost ready for transplanting.
Did you ever do a taste comparison between the 2 ?

Thanks.
Jeanne

I also have some nice White Bush seedlings, have you grown them before?

Nice!!!

Jeanne-My wife and I have done a side by side tasting between cc and gdc. Her palate is much better than mine, and I will tell you that she likes cc bettr than gdc-I suspect the reason is that cc is more tropical fruity and sweet than gdc-at least under our growing conditions. I have heard about white bush, but never had any seed to try it. I think Bill Minkey lists it in the sse yearbook.

Michael,
My seed was from Bill and I had 100 % germination so have some spare seeds if you would like to try to plant for fall.
I am leaving town for a few days, but will mail you some if you like when I return.

Jeanne

Jeanne-I sent you a pm with my mailing address.

Hi Michael,

I forgot to ask you how tall do the Citron Compact plant get. So far, I have not grown any compact or dwarf plants. I'll have to give them a try some day.

My last trip to El Paso was about 8-9 years ago. I went in July or August. I don't remember, El Paso being too hot during my visit. Then again, I live in Roseville (Sacramento, CA) and was raised in Arcadia (San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles).

My grandmother is going to El Paso in a week (3/11). She was telling me earlier today that sometimes it snows there.

Do you have good growing conditions for peppers in El Paso? My Aunt always brings LOTS of chiles (fresh and dried for tamales, yum) and cinnamon when she visits.

Take care,

Angelique

I too have Citron Compacts ripening and can say that they do have a very tangy, citrus like flavour. Very nice.
They have a thin skin and mine have cracked easily when over watered.

Angelique-This is the chile capital of the world! Hatch is just down the road a piece. I grow chile every year. Citron Compact gets about 3 feet tall or a little shorter for me. Mantis is right, its thin-skinned and will crack with too much water. But they do taste good. Mantis, how tall is your plant? In the ground or container?

It was about 3 foot high until I chopped off all the older growth to let some new green shoots at the base take over. I have done this with four plants and two of them are flowering again.
We have started Autumn with a couple of days in the high nineties. Still plenty of time for more fruit me thinks.
Made a salsa with Citron Compact and some red tommys yesterday and the CC gave the salsa a nice fruity taste.

Mantis-thats about the height that I get in my container. Glad you like CC. I am going to grow it outside this spring-before, its always been a winter glasshouse plant. Let me know if you get fruit from cutting back-I have always thought the second blush of fruit from cutting back was not as intense.

nice! :-)

it'll be another 2-3 months before I get my first CC... can't wait - thanks for the seeds Michael!

Tania-you are certainly welcome and let me know how you like cc.

Just picked this Sicilian Plum fruit. Its 5 3/4 oz. In the SSE Yearbook for 07, Bill Minkey didn't list it-I may do so next Yearbook cause I like it. Interesting that I have had ber on my Opalka, Prue and one other paste, but havent had any on Sicilian Plum and Martino's Roma. Same exact container and growing conditions.

Aside from Color, how do Citron Compact and Dwarf Grandpa Gary Green compare? And Mike my CC are from your seeds. Haven't grown it in 10 years.

MikeInCypress

Mike-Have not grown DGGG, so I cannot answer your question. Maybe one of the other members here have and can answer. I do not even have seed anymore for CC.