Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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July 20, 2018 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,069
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Prue tastes wonderful. And a thx to Carolyn.
Carolyn, thank you for bringing Prue to my attention. I just tried my first one of the season, and it's DELICIOUS.
I was prepared to be disappointed because the plant isn't that vigorous (although the first fruit cluster is generous), the tomatoes are not particularly unusual or captivating in appearance, and this first truss is ripening unevenly/blotchily (although maybe this is just how Prue does? The insides of the tomatoes seem pretty much normal--maybe some minor white flecking due to a heat wave at a critical time of fruit development?). But when I tasted that first one, it blew me away. Even with the blotchiness and the white flecks, it's probably up there as one of the sweetest large-fruited tomatoes I've tried. Not a bland sweetness, but a sprightly sweetness. It's certainly the sweetest large-fruited red tomato I've tried. A little sprinkle of salt makes this tomato sing. I can't wait to see how later fruits taste. I'm hoping this plant ends up more productive than it's seeming right now. I get the impression that it likes to slow down vegetative growth and flower production until existing fruit are mature, because it's only now starting to form new trusses of blooms now that the first fruit truss is mostly picked. Not sure whether that's just my plant in this year's growing conditions or a trait of the variety. |
July 20, 2018 | #2 |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
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I know Prue very well,the color is red, fruits of different shapes, from beefsteaks to hearts,to elongated plum shapes can be on the same plant at the same time.
I've never seen any blotchy ripening,nor any kind of flecking,either white or gold flecking. So I don't have any suggestions for you except to ask,if you wish to do so,the source of your Prue Seeds. The original source of Prue was from Tom Galluci in CT from his former wife's grandfather. Mr Prue was born around 1900 and grew these in the 30's and 40's. Carolyn
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Carolyn |
July 20, 2018 | #3 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,069
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July 20, 2018 | #4 |
Moderator Emeritus
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[QUOTE=gorbelly;708856]My source was Victory Seeds, which is a source I trust. I'm going to chalk up the early fruit issues to the weird weather we had during spring and early summer here. It's a no-no to judge a plant by that first truss of fruit, anyway.
********* I trust Mike Dunton at Victory Seeds as well, very much so, and have sent him many varieties for trial..He was East once, going to a seminar in WNYS and stopped by here so I met him in person. I just copied this from his website about Prue (85 days, indeterminate — The medium-sized fruits are a good all type. The plants have leaves can be described as wispy, wilty and droopy and are very productive. The fruits are great flavored, red and in the interesting shape of an elongated heart with a bump or nipple on most of the fruit's blossom end. An old family heirloom introduced by Tom Gallucci of Connecticut who received the seed from his wife's grandfather, Mr. Prue of Massachusetts who was born about 1900. Each packet contains approximately 20 seeds.) Does his history sound familiar? Perhaps I was the one who sent him the seeds. But he always first grows out any seeds to see if they match the descriptions before he lists them at his website. Nothing more I can say that might be helpful unfortunately. carolyn
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July 20, 2018 | #5 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,069
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Quote:
The other questions were just me trying to figure out whether Prue was prone to these problems/growth pattern or whether it was just the wonky conditions this year that might be responsible. |
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July 20, 2018 | #6 | |
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Quote:
Carolyn
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July 20, 2018 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Ontario
Posts: 3,893
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I was just checking out another variety, and came across a comment about Prue having uneven ripening. Sorry that I didn't cut and paste it for you to see as I didn't think that this thread would come up again..... Interesting huh? I guess it depends on the weather.
Linda |
July 20, 2018 | #8 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,069
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The weather was really tough this year. It went from unseasonably cool and constant rain to a blazing heat wave. It's leveled out a bit in the past few weeks, though, although it remains a bit more hot, sunny, and dry than usual for this area. |
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July 20, 2018 | #9 | |
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Just asking since I've never heard of Prue , specifically, having uneven ripening. Weather can sometimes do it for some , especially for those who grow in northern zones where early in the season the weather flips back and forth. But to date I've never seen Prue mentioned. Carolyn
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July 21, 2018 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Floyd VA
Posts: 771
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Just FYI, I had lunch with Tom Gallucci on Wednesday when passing through CT. I've known him for several years through our mutual interest in garlic. Really nice guy.
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July 21, 2018 | #11 | |
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A YELLOW Prue showed up several years ago,or at least the person who posted thought it did, but it didn't really,just faux news. Carolyn
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July 21, 2018 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Ontario
Posts: 3,893
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Carolyn,
I am not a member of SSE. I went back and searched for what I found yesterday. Here it is, from Dice at TV: Scroll down to Message 19. Cheers, Linda |
July 21, 2018 | #13 | |
Moderator Emeritus
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In addition almost ANY variety can show uneven ripening as you indicated in your first post about this,most often it's associated with weather conditions and where being grown and how being grown, the latter referring to developing fruits being grown with direct sun on one side and none on the other side. Actually one of our TV members has a picture on his icon with a tomato that is half red and half green. Carolyn
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July 21, 2018 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Ontario
Posts: 3,893
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http://206.214.211.133/~tomatovl/sho...t=17950&page=2
So sorry that I forgot. I did the "cut", but not the "paste". It is message 19. Linda |
July 21, 2018 | #15 | |
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But when I went to read your link the whole page was BLUE and I went to message 19 anyway,read it and saw not ONE reference to Prue at all. Lots from Mark Korney about other varieties though, Normally from a link I just click back to the original post and that works fine, but this time no matter what I did I couldn't get back/ So I had to close out Tville, start it again,and there was the original PINK background. I have no explanation at all as to what happened. Why don't you try your own link and see how it goes. Carolyn
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