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Old January 23, 2019   #31
Fred Hempel
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I really would like to drive through central Italy with friends! It looks so beautiful. That would be a dream!

With regard to great-tasting and productive heirloom tomatoes. The most consistent ones for me have been Cherokee Purple and Captain Lucky. Though some would argue that Captain Lucky and Orange Jazz aren't true heirlooms (not old enough).
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Old January 25, 2019   #32
zipcode
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Besides that, there are only a few heirloom varieties that I would classify as "very productive" (this could be an interesting thread...).

Interesting, I would qualify many heirlooms as very productive, and honestly don't feel the need for hybrids. Last year I had an average of 7kg per one truss tomato on my balcony, which I think is a respectable amount. I know Florence is massively hot in the summer however, so it could be the difference in pollination capability (where heirlooms indeed don't shine).
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Old January 25, 2019   #33
Fritz77
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Originally Posted by Fred Hempel View Post
I really would like to drive through central Italy with friends! It looks so beautiful. That would be a dream!

With regard to great-tasting and productive heirloom tomatoes. The most consistent ones for me have been Cherokee Purple and Captain Lucky. Though some would argue that Captain Lucky and Orange Jazz aren't true heirlooms (not old enough).
Captain Lucky looks really interesting. I may try it in the future (growing list is already full for the upcoming season). I've read it's been used as a parent for crosses of many other nice tomatoes. You must be really proud of your work! Last year I grew Maglia Rosa and really liked it (the name is cool too for an Italian). This year I have Blush on my list and I just read that it was bred by your son. Is it true? Wow! Another thing to be proud of. One of my children really enjoys helping me in the garden, but I'm not in the position of teaching him anything....
I know somebody would not call those heirloom tomatoes. I will but don't tell anyone. And after all, if they grow well, look nice and taste good, does it really matter if they are heirloom tomatoes?
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Old January 25, 2019   #34
Fred Hempel
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Captain Lucky is not our tomato. It was bred by Millard Murdock. It is not available many places, and that is why we sell seeds. It has been used to develop a number of other tomatoes, including the KARMA project tomatoes that many of us are so excited to try this year.

Blush was developed out of a cross that my son wanted to make (it would not have been made otherwise). He also helped with the selections as we were dehybridizing it.

Maglia Rosa's name comes from when I googled "mottled pink" looking for a name, and this version of the Maglia Rosa came up in the results.
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Old January 31, 2019   #35
Fritz77
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Interesting, I would qualify many heirlooms as very productive, and honestly don't feel the need for hybrids. Last year I had an average of 7kg per one truss tomato on my balcony, which I think is a respectable amount. I know Florence is massively hot in the summer however, so it could be the difference in pollination capability (where heirlooms indeed don't shine).
If I ever get 7 Kg of tomatoes from one plant, I'll go on pilgrimage on foot to the most remote santcuary up in the Alps and light a 3 meter candle to the Virgin Mary.

If I ever get 7 Kg from just one truss, I'm going to become a monk.

I've been getting average-low yields (in comparison with hybrids) from 90% of the heirloom varieties I've tried so far (two that I would call more productive for me are: Rebel Yell and 1884 purple). This might be due to a combination of factors:

1) Me being a poor gardener
2) The position of my garden (full sun only a few hours a day)
3) The clay soil in which I grow
4) The hot temperatures of this area
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Old January 31, 2019   #36
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If I ever get 7 Kg from just one truss, I'm going to become a monk.
Sorry.
I wanted to say one-stem tomato (plant pruned to one stem, like I imagine you also grow since you're in Europe). Not sure how I wrote truss.
The most I got per truss was around 2.5 kg.
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