Cuostralee in the northeast?

[Tomatovator]

I bought seeds for the is variety last year but didn't plant any because I was concerned about part of Carolyn's description of it in her book, "It is somewhat susceptible to foliage diseases." I seem to have some level of early blight every year but with spraying and pruning have not lost an entire plant to it. Is Cuostralee worth a try in SW PA, Zone 6 or are there more tolerant varieties I should grow instead? How prone to disease is it? Carolyn, please respond if you happen to see this (others as well if you have tried this variety). Thanks.

[bcday]

Early Blight and Septoria are a problem here every year too. I grew Cuostralee and it didn't do any worse than any other variety. It's well worth growing too, a great tomato. I think you should give it a try.

[carolyn137]

How prone to disease is it? Carolyn, please respond if you happen to see this (others as well if you have tried this variety). Thanks.

****

No more prone to foliage diseases than any other variety I've grown since the mid-80's. That I wrote that in my book for Cusotralee could have been written for all the varieties as far as I'm concerned.

There are four most common foliage diseases; Early Blight ( A. solani), Septoria Leaf Spot, both fungal, and Bacterial Spot and Bacterial Speck.

There are no varieties that I know of, either hybrid or OP, with a couple of exceptions, that have any significant tolerance to foliage diseases. There are a couple of hybrids that have some marginal tolerance to Early Blight but those are of little to no use to the home grower. According to my chat with Dr. Randy Gardener at NCSU who bred one or two of them it just means that a commercial farmer can spray every 7 to 8 days rather than every maybe 4-5 days which is a big money savings for them.

So do grow Custralee. You've seen many folks here who like it a lot, and of course I do as well.

A good spray schedule starting when plants are set out with something like Ortho Garden Disease Control should help with the fungal foliage diseases, which in most places are much more common than the bacterial ones.

There are darn few areas where the bacteria and fungi that cause these foliage diseaes are not airborne almost every year.

[barkeater]

I am trying it this year, as Sandhill lists it as 72 DTM, which is relatively early for a large tomato.

[feldon30]

Yes, I am seriously considering growing it next year. It will go head-to-head with Gregori's Altai which is also a relatively early, productive beefsteak for me in the 2 seasons I have grown it. Everyone who thinks that fall crops in S.E. Texas should be limited to cherry varieties should grow GA.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by barkeater

I am trying it this year, as Sandhill lists it as 72 DTM, which is relatively early for a large tomato.

That's what Glenn got maybe in his warm sandy soil one year but having grown it many times I see it more as a late season, say close to 80 days, variety.

I don't like the concept of stating DTM and would much prefer to see varieties listed as either early, midseason or late, giving a range for each of those classifications. Heck, depending on the weather I've had lates come in before mids and mids ripen before earlies.

Bark, it should still mature for you, though.

Feldon, having grown Gregori's Altai I don't see it as being anything like Cuostralee nor as early.

[creister]

It's a great tomato. I grew it for the first time last year. It was very productive and hardy in my garden. Will grow it again.

[Douglas14]

I think I'll give it a try next year as well. I grew it about 10 yrs. ago, and it produced one of the largest tomatoes I've ever grown. Don't remember much on taste, as I had many other varieties, and didn't take notes.

[Grub]

H-u-g-e plant as well. Always one of my biggest and baddest.

[ddsack]

Really liked it, but even in a hot summer up here, it comes in near the end of the harvest, among the very last to ripen. No way a 72 day here. BIG healthy plant though.

Dee

[Suze]

I don't keep detailed DTM records, but I really don't think Cuostralee is 72 days for me either. I want to say 75-78 days (at least), even in a warm spring.

[bcday]

I picked my first ripe Cuostralee Aug. 5 from a late May planting. A string of 7-8 oz. fruit ripened during that week and then I started getting larger ones, up to 22 oz. I notice that no one lists it at under 80 days in the SSE Yearbook and a couple of folks say over 90 days, but mine started at right around 70-75. I got my seeds from Lee and I'm pretty sure I have the real Cuostralee. I think it's worth trying yourself; DTM can be very variable from one garden to the next.

[Lee]

Yeah, 72 days would probably ocurr only in optimal growing conditions.
It is defnitely worth trying. In fact, I claim it to be the best flavored tomato around.

My original seed source was Chuck Wyatt back in 2002. After that first taste that
year, it's the only variety that has been in my garden every year!

Lee

[barkeater]

I like bcday's answer! Sounds like Coustralee may be cold tolerant like Polish, and will set well early on up north.

Of course I don't expect it in 72 days, but DTM's are good as a comparison to each other.

Soldacki is another with an early DTM I'm getting seeds for. I just don't want another super late beefsteak, like Neves Azorean Red was.

[carolyn137]

My original seed source was Chuck Wyatt back in 2002. After that first taste that
year, it's the only variety that has been in my garden every year!

****

Lee, Chuck got it from me b'c it was one of many that Bill Minkey and I got in that huge trade with the Frenchman back in 1992.

Chuck died in June of 2002 and there were quite a few mixups in what he sent out in the previous two years or so, b/c of his health problems.

If your Cuostralee matches the pictures you've seen and the descriptions you've seen elsewhere, then that's a pretty good confirmation that you have the right variety.