Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
digit_gw

My almost Heirloom Tomato

digit
9 years ago

My "heirloom" winner: Gary O Sena.

A modern cross between Cherokee Purple and Brandywine. That gives it quite a pedigree even though it's "modern."

Cherokee Purple is usually listed as an 80 day variety, Brandywine as 85 day, plus. Gary O Sena is sometimes noted as a 68 day tomato. I don't think so ... it comes in with the Big Beef in my garden. That's usually listed at 73 days.

It has been a difficult year for my tomato plants because of the early windstorms. I've learned that when the plant is damaged, not only do the bugs move in on it but, the fruit is often malformed. The Dagma's Perfection and Casey's Pure Yellow are far from perfect and I have this unscientific notion that I shouldn't even save seed from the plants. Shoot, I got those plants in cages so the slugs would have more trouble getting at the fruit and that extra height made them more exposed to the wind!

Hunkered down sprawl and crawling out on the leeward side of the bed really helped some of the plants. The healthiest branches and nicest fruit are in the paths!

Gary O Sena gives me a taste of what folks elsewhere enjoy with their big heirloom beefsteaks. It gets started early and continues strong. Usually, there is not quite so much contrast between the green shoulders and the dusky pink but this tomato was fully ripe. Big tomato of over 8 ounces off a big healthy plant, Gary O does what I hope for, with full tomato flavor and not a hitch in about 5 growing seasons.

Steve

Comments (5)

  • david52 Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Looks pretty darn good, Steve.

    After a 2013 bumper crop, this year is nothing to brag about - I was gone most of the summer and iffy watering led to small fruits, the dreaded curly top took its toll, and then it cooled off in early Sept and they're just sitting out there green as can be.

    One out of 15 Thessaloniki succumbed to curly top, and while I do lose a plant now and again to the virus, over the past 6 years its head and tails above everything else as far as resistance.

  • digit
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I was out picking tomatoes today. That tomato patch is such a mess. There is so little foliage on the windward side of the plants (southwest) that sunscald is a real problem.

    Only one Thessaloniki plant this year. I did right by it. The accidental location is on the northeast corner. Soooo, it's been protected by the other plants and has the largest of the Thessaloniki tomatoes I've ever had . . !

    Here at home, I've got the 3 plants in that hybridizing scheme I'm letting slide this year. Anyway, they are far and away the best looking plants I've got, here in their 5 gallon pots ... and protected from that blasted wind! Bloody Butcher is having an outstanding season. The plants in the garden are doing okay, too. Of course, Casey's Pure Yellow has toppled over on them a couple of times - affording them protection.

    Steve

  • david52 Zone 6
    9 years ago

    Yup, I've got plants that grew all over the ground, so worried about slugs, I'm lifting them up onto the cattle panels which leaves them exposed to sun scald.

    /oh well.

  • mayberrygardener
    9 years ago

    Yep, I've been having lots of sunscald this year, too. And slugs, oh my! We do have chickens, but I don't let them free-range around the garden, because they KNOW what tomatoes taste like, and they LOVE THEM! However, if I take out one at a time, I can usually keep on top of her, and if I "tidbit" for her like a rooster would do, she LOVES slugs!
    However, that being said, our cherokee purples were the very first of our beefsteaks this year, they were more numerous than they've ever been, and because of their unusual color, they weren't as attractive to the squirrels, HOORAY. Glad you can finally appreciate the flavor that you hear us all raving about, Digit!

  • digit
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Two seasons with Casey's Yellow problems. Last year it was because the slugs could get at them so easily. (Chickens are not the only critters that recognize something good to eat. :o(. This year, the windstorms and fleabeetles all but wrecked the plants.

    For all the damage to Casey's, Dagma's Perfection looks worse. A lovely tomato totally hit the skids from all the foliage damage. I shoulda just pulled the plants. Maybe getting these highly desirable fruits further from the grass outside the garden would protect them more from the slugs. Finished with cages ... where's that little smiley going gaaah! and throwing his hands in the air??

    Gary O hasn't proved bullet proof and I'll try not to put the plants to that test. Still, you can see that it has vigor ... or, as Churchill would say, "vigour!"

    Personally, I'm something of a shrinking violet, just wish my garden environment better fit my delicate sensibilities.

    :) Steve