Thread: maglia rosa
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Old June 17, 2017   #8
Fred Hempel
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Sunol, CA
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A number of years ago, when we were just starting to develop our own new varieties, we used Maglia Rosa as a workhorse. The flavor was great, and a few rows of Maglia Rosa in our field worked out great. Production was early and heavy, but we were NOT pruning. They were left to form low bushes.

Later, we fell out of love with it, largely because in a system where most plants are trellised, it is a pain. It is difficult to trellis, as has been mentioned. It also has wispy foliage, and that stresses people out, when it is compared to other more typical varieties.

The other issue was one of pests and disease. When Maglia Rosa is in a decent sized field where it is amongst other tomatoes, its dense foliage and high level of branching make it a disease magnet.

Lately, however, we have changed our opinion again. We now appreciate Maglia Rosa for what it is, and what it can do. This is partly because we now know that many growers use Maglia Rosa as an early workhorse variety in diverse fields where its early productivity and flavor are valued, and the risks of disease (and being a disease magnet) are lowered.

I think it is probably best grown as a bush, as trellising is probably a waste of time with the variety. In times when heavy rains and other factors promote disease in the row, if it is planted as a low-input bush, it may make sense to just plow it under, and try again next time.

Of course it is also good as a container variety.
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