Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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July 9, 2011 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut
Posts: 2,570
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the appearance of tonys italian and prue right now
this is the 1st year growing tonys italian. when i read about it here i was curious and wanted to grow it because it sounds so similar to prue. i asked carolyn if there's any possibility that prue could be tonys italian or vice versa and she said they taste different and she feels they are definitely not the same tomato so i know they are not the same.
i just spent some time examining all my tomato plants, fruits and flowers and i am absolutely amazed how much tonys italian and prue look alike. they are separated by 6' so they're close enough to look at one and then shift my head and see the other. both have very sparse foliage, droopy twisted leaves and even the shape of the fruits are the same! i always plant 2 prue in 1 crw cage as the plants are so sparse and i certainly could have done the same with tonys italian, there's a lot of room in that cage! i absolutely know that i did not mix them up when i seeded or transplanted or put them into the garden i am 100% certain of that as i am very careful. yet if i had any doubt at all as to which plant was which variety of the 3 plants i have growing, i could not tell right now, they are virtually identical. i think i would know by the taste if i was uncertain because prue has a unique taste i never experienced in any other tomato. since i am the original source for prue, i feel certain i can id a prue when i eat one. this should be very interesting when tonys italian is ready to eat! btw i am growing yellow prue, i have 2 plants. one plant looks like prue and the fruits are the right shape and the other plant has oblate shaped fruits so who knows what it is! the 2 yellow prue are in 1 cage and as far from prue as possible so i can't compare them to prue or tonys italian that easily. so while the one yellow prue looks correct it's so crowded with that other plants i can't be sure it is as wispy and droopy as the prue or tonys italian but it is wispy and droopy with the correct fruit shape. tom
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July 9, 2011 | #2 |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
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http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/w...ny%27s_Italian
http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Prue Tom, the size of the two is very very different, Tony's has consistently sized fruits and shapes while Prue has variable shapes and sizes. And the origins of the two are different as well. I'm the one who got the seeds from an SSE member and started offering it in my seed offers many years ago and Suze in particular highly praised it, as I do as well, posted it as such and then many others got interested. I also listed it in the SSE YEarbook for a few years. As for taste, well, that's in the mouth of the beholder and note that Tania says it tasted to her like Prue but I don't think it does at all, but as we all know taste is both personal and perceptual. I think the taste of both is excellent and can see a use for both varieties in lots of tomato gardens. Tony's I see as more of a paste variety whereas I see Prue as a non-paste fresh use variety.
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Carolyn |
July 9, 2011 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MO z6a near St. Louis
Posts: 1,349
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I grew both Prue and Tony's Italian in 2008 and they tasted quite different to me. As I recall, early on the plants and fruits looked quite similar, but as the season matured the differences showed up.
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July 10, 2011 | #4 | ||
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut
Posts: 2,570
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Quote:
Quote:
tom
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I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life |
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July 11, 2011 | #5 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Rock Hill, SC
Posts: 5,346
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Quote:
I do grow 2 Tony's Italian per cage and intend to have at least 4 plants next time around. And don't forget Wessel's Purple Pride which was known for a couple of days as Cherokee Sausage (since it's a CP x S cross) until it was changed to WPP. That's another one I'd grow lots of, although I don't know if it would appreciate being stuck 2-to-a-cage.
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