Tomato VSP

I received a selection of tomato seeds from the Grow Your Own forum VSP Virtual Seed Parcel which is like an actual seed parcel but as the name implies is not real in that it does not travel from person to person. There are some extremely old heritage varieties of Tomatoes within the Tomato VSP and these are the ones that I have just sown to replenish the stocks as the seeds are getting a little old


Alaskan Fancy

 

Indeterminate variety which is excellent for those short-season summers, these are the earliest plum tomatoes available in today's market! Pear-shaped, bright red plums produce abundant yields to satisfy your salad and canning needs for the season. Its earliness does not detract one bit from its juicy flavor! Fruits are 2" x 1-1/2" and weigh about 2 oz. each.



Black + Brown Boar

 This smallish tomato has a very unique coloration. Perfectly striped with green and browns, Black and Brown Boar tomato will light up your salsa and sauces. Its flavour is very up-front, yet not to overwhelming. Sweetness, earthiness, richness and flavourful are all characteristics of this little gem. 75 Days.



Cyrils Choice

 An English family heirloom, kept alive by D. Rankilor whose brother, Cyril, grew it on his allotment before he died. Given to The Seed Ambassadors Project in 2007 by the Heritage Seed Library in England.


An early dwarf tomato that is also very productive for such small vines. Plants produce several flushes of dark red fruit, yielding later into the season than other determinate types. Fruit are little two to three bite saladettes with good sweet flavour. At 2′ tall they are good for container gardening, a little taller than Gundula. Our friend Tera, formerly of Morning Sun Nursery, used them for container sales and said they were the cutest tomato plants she had ever seen. Rugose, regular-leafed foliage give Cyril’s Choice a special style.



Egyptian

Called 'Egyptian' as it is purportedly descended from seeds found in an Egyptian tomb. As the more accepted origination of tomatoes is from South America, perhaps it is more likely the original seed was found in an Inca pyramid, and along the way the story has got a little confused! All a bit of fun really!

A reliable variety for protected growing, this produces heavy trusses of plum-shaped fruits that are deep red in colour. The flesh is extremely dense and meaty and has a lovely rich flavour. Back to 'that story', if the Egyptians had made pizza they would have used this for making the base sauce!

·         This is an indeterminate variety and best grown as a cordon (vine).

·         For best yields stop at 5th truss.

·         Suitable for protected growing only.

First In The Field

Tomato First in the Field is very good for outdoor allotment or garden growing. It is vigorous for its type and produces medium red sized fruits. Has a good following amongst amateur allotment growers.

A tall 1m high bush type variety



Kenilworth / King George

George Garratt sourced this variety from the last commercial grower who used to supply local shops in Kenilworth. A classic round 30-40mm across red tomato with a sumptuous, swee5t and herby flavour Grow as cordon



Latah Red

Pronounced “Lay-tah”, Although developed by the University of Idaho (and named after the Idaho county) it seems to have gained more of a following in the UK.


Real tomato flavour, described as bright and juicy. Low bushy determinate plants bear 2-3oz salad size fruits prolifically. Some tendency for green shoulders but acceptable in a 5 week tomato. Determinate. 50-60 days and perfectly suited for containers.



Lukullus

German commercial heirloom variety said to be developed from a cross of Danish Export and Jewel that dates back to 1906, it was once one of the most popular tomatoes in Germany. Indeterminate, regular leaf plant produces fruit 40 grams on average, small, red, round, up to 15 fruits per truss. Good fruity flavour with a little acidity, Early and productive. Seeds via Nellie-m Grapevine VSP who obtained from G.Bohl’s PSA (Private Seed Archive)



Petit Moineau

“Petit Moineau” (Little Sparrow) is a deep red currant tomato with an enormous punch in flavour. It has the strongest flavour of any currant or currant-type tomato and this is not in an unpleasant way. It is strongly acid and strongly sweet. These would just explode in a salad.

Petit Moineau is a Canadian heirloom from the Chateauguay region of Quebec. Written descriptions all state that this makes a very large and sprawling plant, which is typical of most currant varieties.


The plant can be kept in bounds somewhat by reducing the growing medium. I grew this variety in a 5 gallon pot, and although the branches were still strongly horizontal, the height was limited to about 4 feet. I just used clothespins to secure the sprawling branches to the cage.


NOTE: Seeds for currant tomatoes appear to take longer than other types to germinate, so please be patient while waiting for the seedling to appear. Also, the seeds are small in general and it is difficult to sort out the “empty shells” that do not germinate.


Raspberry Oxheart

This is a Polish heart shaped tomato. The colour of the skin and flesh is somewhat raspberry pink. The juicy fruits are excellent for fresh consumption (a great slicer tomato) and for making your favourite sauce too.

Once you try this variety chances are that it will be on your to grow list year after year. The indeterminate plants produce fruits weighing up to 200g. A great variety to grow outside and a very popular tomato variety in the Balctic states and Russia so will accept cold conditions.

Keep watering in dry spells, especially when flowering and when the fruit is setting. Remove side shoots and stop the plant growth when 5 trusses have set.

Red Alert

Red Alert is an early cropping, very sweet, bush cherry tomato. Perfect for growing in containers outdoors. Height 45 cm. Small fruits and excellent sweet flavour..

Sow seeds thinly (10 mm deep) into a seed tray or in small pots or cells, covered lightly, watered and placed at between 10-18 Celsius on a windowsill, heated greenhouse or propagator. Sow February - April. Germination takes 8-11 days.

As soon as seedlings are large enough to handle, prick out. Transplant the seedlings into individual small pots, later on they might need to be re-potted if growing quickly and large. Make sure the leaves do not overlap. Temperatures during this stage should be 12-20 Celsius. Plant outside mid-May to June into final position. Beautiful edible feature in hanging baskets and tubs.

Roughwood Golden Plum

A good market tomato, which is a cross between Yellow Brandywine and San Marzano. Developed and stabilized by William Woys Weaver. Semi-determinate, regular leaf plant produces beautiful 2-inch 50mm, orange paste tomatoes that are meaty with few seeds and a delicate, fruity sweet flavour with a well-balanced low amount of acidity. A wonderful salad tomato and perfect for making golden sauces.

Varieties - Open Pollinated

Fruit Colours – Orange

Flesh Colours - Orange

Fruit Shapes - Plum/Pear/Piriform

Fruit Sizes - Small

Culinary Uses -Paste / Sauce / Canner / Salad

Maturities -Mid-season

Plant Types -Semi-Determinate

Leaves - Regular

Flavour - Sweet

Sallisaw Café

An early indeterminate plant producing cherry tomato on very productive vines that have a huge yield of 20mm bright red cherry tomatoes with a perfect combination of super sweet but slightly tart flavour. A great tomato variety for grazing and feasting as sweets through the vineyards



Stupice

Tomato 'Stupice' is a cold tolerant, 'potato leaved' variety from the Czech Republic that is suitable for growing outdoors or under glass. This early ripening variety produces clusters of medium, golf ball sized, red fruits with a lovely flavour. This heavy cropping cordon variety is delicious added to salads and sandwiches. Height: 200cm (79"). Spread: 50cm (20"). 

White Cherry

Early unique variety with ivory white fruits, medium sized cherry tomato a little larger than Snow White and is one of the best tasting and performing white cherry varieties available. The fruits ripen to a very pale yellow to almost white. The amount of exposure to the sun effects the amount of yellow, so more shading gives a whiter fruit. If there is good leaf cover, then you could expect almost snow white fruits. Indeterminate (cordon) 70 days

General Information


lycopersicon lycopersicum General Sowing information: Sow from late winter to early spring, approx.. 8 weeks before last frosts in your area sow at 20C just covering seed. Transplanting - heated greenhouse planting up in mid February, cool greenhouse plant up mid spring, outdoors early June after all risk of frost has passed. Transplant at 2 pairs of leaves to 7cm pots. Grow on and transplant into greenhouse border/pots or growbags. Sow seed for outdoor tomato in March-April transplant to 7cm pots and grow on, planting out after last frost. Feed after first truss has set and pinch out side shoots on indeterminate plants (cordon). Grow in greenhouse, plastic tunnel or outdoors in warm areas.