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FYI: Hot Desert Tomatoes

Every so often someone asks about tomatoes that can handle heat, something that Arizona definitely has. I ran across a catalog from the Tucson based Native Seeds/Search, people who really don't like the label "F1". See the catalog link below. It contained these seed listings for hot weather tomatoes. Tucson has an altitude of 2600 feet / 800 m and Patagonia Arizona is at 4,000 feet / 1200 m). H = High desert 3500'+, L = Low desert, S = Seed bank variety, F = Favorites

Ciudad Victoria S. lycopersicum var. cerasiforme. A weedy, semi-cultivated tomato from dooryard gardens in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas. Small round, sweet fruit are late maturing and very prolific. H L S

Flamenco: Exciting new open-pollinated tomato for the Southwest. Flamenco is a cross between Silvery Fir Tree for earliness and feathery foliage and Floridade for heat and disease resistance. The result is a semi-determinate 4' bush loaded with highly flavored 2", red round fruits. Nice acid/sweet balance and great flavor. Continues to produce in hot weather when others stop. Performed very well in our 2012 trials in both Tucson and Patagonia, Arizona. H L F

Nichols Heirloom: These seeds were sent to us by the Nichols family in Tucson. Volunteer seeds that just kept coming up, they had been maintained by the family patriarch for about 50 years. It is well adapted to the desert: heat-tolerant and prefers full sunlight. These "pink cherry" tomatoes are prolific producers. H L S F

Punta Banda: Collected on the Punta Banda Peninsula in Baja California. Plants produce hundreds of red meaty, thick skinned fruits despite heat, water stress and poor soil. Great paste tomato. Performed impressively in our 2012 trials in Tucson, producing throughout the summer despite full exposure and harsh conditions. Renowned for its early maturity. H L S F

Texas Wild Cherry: All that we really know is that seed of this tomato was collected from a patch of apparently "wild" tomatoes in southern Texas. Sprawling plants produce tons of small, tasty, cherry-type tomatoes. Early-maturing and very productive! One of the stars of our 2012 tomato trials in Patagonia, Arizona (4,000 feet/1200 m). H L S F

Here is a link that might be useful: Native seeds catalog (PDF)

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