Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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February 6, 2015 | #46 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MA
Posts: 4,959
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While the Available forum is the best place for offering seed, I do have a small supply left of Amish Paste (Scarinzi strain). Mark Scarinzi has been growing this tomato for decades. He says it grows much larger than the "regular" Amish Paste. It would be nice, if anyone would like some seeds, to do a side-by-side trial with AP.
Gary |
February 6, 2015 | #47 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western MA
Posts: 78
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February 8, 2015 | #48 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Michigan Zone 4b
Posts: 1,291
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Gary if you have a few seeds of your Amish Paste left I would like to grow it out. I can send sase. I grew Amish Paste for the first time about eleven years ago. My plants for AP were extremely productive, healthy, and the tomatoes were big and blocky shaped. They had the perfect balance of being meaty and the right amount of juice and a wonderful balanced tomato flavor. My best canning tomato. Wonderful for fresh eating also. I grew it out for three years. Sadly, I had a mishap with my saved seed (my fault, Ihad my seeds in an envelope which was put in a large picnic basket, and kept in the cool basement. Hubby set it outside without me knowing and when I discovered it much later, to my horror a field mouse had a picnic with all my packs of heirloom seeds.. except the mouse left the peppers!! ) I ordered another pack of A.P seed from the same company.. B.C, of course they had a different lot number three years later, and when I grew them out they were not the same tomato at all. They were much smaller tomatoes with a different shape. Still a productive plant, but the plant was a bit more lax also. I grew out out twenty plants and all were the same. I tried it again the following year thinking maybe the weather had something to do with it.. same small oval shaped tomatoes on every plant.. I tried seeds from someone elses stock a few years ago and was dissapointed. I recently ordered some from SSE. On the packet it says the tomato shapes vary from blocky to oval etc.. I have been searching for the original A.P with the big blocky shape for a while now.. drives me crazy..ha!! Ginny
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February 9, 2015 | #49 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: N.C.
Posts: 1,820
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Barefoot!! That's grounds for divorce and I'm sure any tomato - loving judge would agree!!....or at least sentence him to do all your seed starting, potting up, planting and care for at least 20 yrs!
Greg |
February 9, 2015 | #50 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Michigan Zone 4b
Posts: 1,291
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Quote:
On another note, I enjoy doing all my own seed saving, starting and potting up! I would not trust my babies in his care!! Ginny |
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February 9, 2015 | #51 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Michigan Zone 4b
Posts: 1,291
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Last season the tomato paste gods and mother nature were in my favor. I grew five different varieties of pastes, Romeo, Lurley's, Giant Italian, Opalka ,and Sherrill. Lurley's Paste was outstanding in size and production, the plants were very healthy. Made the best sauce. I grew out Lurley's twice before over the last few years, but the plants struggled due to an early cool season and surprise frost. Opalka and Sherrill did well in performance, while Giant Italian Paste tomatoes got blossom end rot and the plants struggled.
I am trying a new variety this year this year that I ordered from Secret Seed Cartel. It is Abbattistista Paste and Terry describes it as a semi det. , mid season variety, very large, meaty paste with few seeds and water (juice). Has an old fashioned tomato taste. Perfect sauce maker. Has anyone tried this one.?? I guess it is a pretty new variety. Ginny |
February 11, 2015 | #52 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western MA
Posts: 78
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I'm thinking about starting a few varieties next week, which would put it at about ten weeks before it hits the garden, I'm hoping that gives me a jump on the maturity time line. Hard to picture with all the snow outside, but I need to plant something soon!
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February 11, 2015 | #53 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 564
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I grew Romeo last year, seeds from brokenbar. Once set fruit, they grow and mature quickly. Several really big fruit on a single plant, with little branching. So if you grow it, you can stack the plants a lot closer than most other tomatoes, I may try 3 plant in one spot. This is based on limited growing experience (2 plants) with this variety.
But my best performer for paste, several years in a row, is Grenadaro F1, from Johnny's. I remember harvesting over 30 fruit in 1 day from one plant last year. They are also very firm, blemish free and great for cooking. I had BER the year before, but not last year. |
February 11, 2015 | #54 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: NE Texas
Posts: 425
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I'll be growing Amish Paste for my fall garden. I could give it a go. Would you like an envelope ?
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February 11, 2015 | #55 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western MA
Posts: 78
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Hmmm, now I have a new question, with limited growing space, is there an advantage to growing several plants of the same variety, over say four different types of pastes? (If that makes sense) or would it not matter?
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February 11, 2015 | #56 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MA/NH Border
Posts: 4,917
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Quote:
It depends on what your aiming for. If you're planning on canning each variety separately, then you would want to grow multiples of each. If your going to mix the varieties together, then you could even get away with one plant of each. I'm searching for four to five standard pastes that I will eventually grow at least four plants of each. Until then I'll grow just one or two plants of each variety for a couple of years to decide if it's a possible contender before I give them more spots in the garden. |
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February 11, 2015 | #57 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b
Posts: 1,302
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Quote:
Also if room the sauce tomatoes Costoluto Di Parma Costoluto Fiorentino |
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February 11, 2015 | #58 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SoCal Inland
Posts: 2,705
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I have an Amos Coli growing, several Goldmans Italian, several of Broken Bars Costoluto Genovese, and I think some Heinz 1370s which I am planning on for sauce. And of course what ever happens to be ripe when I'm cookin'
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February 12, 2015 | #59 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b
Posts: 1,302
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I tried germinating some of Broken Bar's Genovese, but none sprouted. I have 3 or 4 seeds left, and will try again this year. And like Linda a few others I'm growing for eating will be thrown in the pot from time to time.
The Costoluto plants seem to grow and produce decent. I grew one last year and also Russo Sicilian Togetta), fruit was medium to small, but it was very prolific. Fairly disease resistant too. |
February 12, 2015 | #60 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western MA
Posts: 78
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This is basically what I'm doing, so far I have romeo, Jersey devil, opalka, and redorta, I'd like to try big mama, and a few others, but I have to save room for my slicers.
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