Copia?

Worth1 · May 4, 2007

Ok folks I have searched till I’m blue in the face to find a picture of a plant with fruit on it and cant
I have one of about three Copia plants and one is a little farther along than the others.

This thing has a huge truss loaded with tomatoes like a large cherry truss would be.
Have any of you grown copia and do they look like this.
I know I will sure be able to tell when they get ripe.
One more question what can I expect from Costoluto Genovese, as far as size and taste?
I really like this plant so far.
Here is the so called Copia picture

Attachment 434

Worth

sirtanon · May 4, 2007

Near as I can tell Worth, the tomatoes in your photo look like a smaller-fruited type. Of course, it's hard to be sure, but they certainly don't look like big beefsteaks.. especially the flowers, and that truss does indeed look cherry-like.

**nctomatoman** · May 4, 2007

Nope - that's not Copia; not even close! Copia is a flattened large beefsteak tupe that sets a few fruit per cluster. It appears to have not been fully stable when released. I managed to grow it a few years ago, and it was one of the worst flavored tomatoes I've ever had (a unanimous "spitter" at Tomatopalooza!)

**carolyn137** · May 4, 2007

One more question what can I expect from Costoluto Genovese, as far as size and taste?

****

A flattened red, around 10 oz give or take, one of many Costoluto varieties usually named for a city or region, such as genovese from Genoa and fiorentino from Florence.

Costoluto in Italian means ribbed and all of the are heavily ribbed/scalloped.

Taste? Not especially to my liking and they are usually used for sauce, not fresh eating by most who grow them. I mean not to my taste compared with so many other med reds.

And most of my tomato friends don't 'use designated sauce varieties anyway, they use the best tasting varieties they're growing.

sirtanon · May 4, 2007

One thing to keep in mind regarding the Costoluto varieties.. Genovese in particular - They tend to do best in a warmer climate. Flavors seem more intense, etc..

Might be why it didn't do that great for you, Carolyn.. NY just doesn't get the heat that we do down here in the Southwest

montanamato · May 4, 2007

In hot, dry Montana Cost. Gen. was very good....Sets lots of fruit in the heat, and decent eating fresh....It really shines if you like to cook or can though. I am growing it again this year after a 10 year absence and am looking forward to it.

Jeanne

Worth1 · May 4, 2007

Carolyn and Craig,
Thanks for the reply.
The copia plant really threw me for a loop as the only other tomato I have that would put on a truss like that is a black cherry.
I don’t think it’s a black cherry.

It looks like it may be headed towards the green zebra half from the picture I saw of it, we shall see.
As for the taste of the tomatoes, most certainly they would taste better than the store bought ones.
I guess I will find out what Costoluto well taste like here in Texas, like sirtanon said.
Thanks for the info Jeanne, it sure is doing well here.

Thanks again.

Worth

michael johnson · May 5, 2007

Try Andrey's (Green Copia) its better, it's a bit like Brad's Berkeley Tie Dye but slightly different striping colours.

dice · May 6, 2007

There are some commercial hybrids that
produce larger tomatoes on cherry-like
trusses. D. Palmer Seeds (wholesale-only
I take it) website turned up in a Google
search for something the other day, and
they had 4 or 5 cultivars like that listed
in their tomatoes (all hybrids).

May 4, 2007	#1
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Copia? Ok folks I have searched till I’m blue in the face to find a picture of a plant with fruit on it and cant I have one of about three Copia plants and one is a little farther along than the others. This thing has a huge truss loaded with tomatoes like a large cherry truss would be. Have any of you grown copia and do they look like this. I know I will sure be able to tell when they get ripe. One more question what can I expect from Costoluto Genovese, as far as size and taste? I really like this plant so far. Here is the so called Copia picture Attachment 434 Worth Last edited by Worth1; November 17, 2012 at 05:45 PM.

May 4, 2007	#2
sirtanon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ (zone 9b) Posts: 796	Near as I can tell Worth, the tomatoes in your photo look like a smaller-fruited type. Of course, it's hard to be sure, but they certainly don't look like big beefsteaks.. especially the flowers, and that truss does indeed look cherry-like. __________________ I could sail by on the winds of silence, and maybe they won't notice... but this time I think it would be better if I swim..

May 4, 2007	#3
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Nope - that's not Copia; not even close! Copia is a flattened large beefsteak tupe that sets a few fruit per cluster. It appears to have not been fully stable when released. I managed to grow it a few years ago, and it was one of the worst flavored tomatoes I've ever had (a unanimous "spitter" at Tomatopalooza!) __________________ Craig

May 4, 2007	#4
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	One more question what can I expect from Costoluto Genovese, as far as size and taste? **** A flattened red, around 10 oz give or take, one of many Costoluto varieties usually named for a city or region, such as genovese from Genoa and fiorentino from Florence. Costoluto in Italian means ribbed and all of the are heavily ribbed/scalloped. Taste? Not especially to my liking and they are usually used for sauce, not fresh eating by most who grow them. I mean not to my taste compared with so many other med reds. And most of my tomato friends don't 'use designated sauce varieties anyway, they use the best tasting varieties they're growing. __________________ Carolyn

May 4, 2007	#5
sirtanon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ (zone 9b) Posts: 796	One thing to keep in mind regarding the Costoluto varieties.. Genovese in particular - They tend to do best in a warmer climate. Flavors seem more intense, etc.. Might be why it didn't do that great for you, Carolyn.. NY just doesn't get the heat that we do down here in the Southwest __________________ I could sail by on the winds of silence, and maybe they won't notice... but this time I think it would be better if I swim..

May 4, 2007	#6
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	In hot, dry Montana Cost. Gen. was very good....Sets lots of fruit in the heat, and decent eating fresh....It really shines if you like to cook or can though. I am growing it again this year after a 10 year absence and am looking forward to it. Jeanne

May 5, 2007	#8
michael johnson Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: UK. Posts: 960	Try Andrey's (Green Copia) its better, it's a bit like Brad's Berkeley Tie Dye but slightly different striping colours.

May 6, 2007	#9
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	There are some commercial hybrids that produce larger tomatoes on cherry-like trusses. D. Palmer Seeds (wholesale-only I take it) website turned up in a Google search for something the other day, and they had 4 or 5 cultivars like that listed in their tomatoes (all hybrids). __________________ -- alias