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| I was wondering if anybody here had any experience growing this guy. I purchased it as a seedling at a reputable local nursery. It was the first year they had it, figured I'd give it a shot. Turned out to be the most vigorous grower and produced the largest, tastiest beefsteaks I've had in a few years. The deep red of the skin matched the depth of color in the flesh. It continued to produce through the fall, though late summer rains played havoc with splitting (duh, its a big juicy tomato, and I foolishly let stuff ripen on the vine). In any event, the pic is of the most gnarly of the lot (which generally tend to amuse me for some reason), but they were far from pretty even in the most well formed fruit. I'm hoping the success wasn't due entirely to our record heat this summer. Either way, a good selection that I'm pretty sure to be growing again next year. Any additional info/imput would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac226/sage721/P1000374-1.jpg |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by carolyn137 z4/5 NY (My Page) on Thu, Dec 2, 10 at 12:00
| I was wondering if anybody here had any experience growing this guy **** Yes, lots of experience b'c I'm the person who introduced it. LOL You said red but your picture of the malformed one you show is pink and it should be pink. If you're ever in doubt about the colors red and pink for a variety just peel off a piece of that fragile epidermis and hold it up to the light and if it's clear the fruit is pink, and if yellow the fruit is red. It's a good idea to compare with a know red and pink at the same time. Of course I'm biased but I think it's a great variety. For a large fruited variety the yield is excellent and so is the taste, at least to me. Here's some history for you. Where I last taught there was an adjunct who was also teaching and he knew of my interest in heirloom tomatoes and kept telling me about these huge pink ones that were grown in the hills outside of Beirut, Lebanon, where his family had a summer home. He was called home b'c his father died and the estate needed to be settled b'c the family owned many hotels along the Mediterranean. I was shocked when he returned to find that he'd taken the time to drive up into the hilltowns to bring me these seeds. His name is Omar Saab, thus the name of the variety. I'm glad you enjoyed it as many others have also done. I've linked below to Tania's wonderful tomato data base and while I first listed it in the SSE YEarbook in 1996 if you scroll down on that Omar's page you can see the huge number of commercial seed sites that now list it, so you know that lots of folks do like it b'c the demand is there. Carolyn, who likes to see some of her tomato "kids" make it big time, and this is one of them. ( smile) |
Here is a link that might be useful: Omar's Lebanese ( Tania's data base)
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| How cool! And my mistake with coloration. Your are exactly right with the pink/red thing. I had been thinking of it as red because of the flesh color, totally overlooked the epidermis trick. Cool story too. Like I had said, i kinda like the ugly ones for whatever reason. That was the only one that was quite that nasty. For the most part, they were a reasonably well formed pink beefsteak. I tend to grow pretty vertically due to a smallish garden and trying to rotate my crops as much as possible. Omar's was a great producer in a 6' home made cage, though it spilled out the top and kinda drowned out an eggplant that i apparently planted a bit too close. I ended up tying some of the really big ones to the wires, but the vines were really tough, so maybe I didn't have to. It was a big hit with the family and friends. Congrats on a kid done good. Thanks much! |
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| Omar's Lebanese was one of my favorites this past season. Plan on growing it again this year. Paul |
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| Sage, I don't know why more people don't grow this love apple! It is a monster of a tomato (I don't know why people that are interested in the real big ones don't start with this fella because it's truly a monster) with an incredible taste! It's fairly prolific too. I was wildy impressed with it when I started growing it many years ago and it has found a home in my garden ever since. Sage, I'm so glad you found it because it is just yummo! Thanks for sharing your experience... :) |
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- Posted by milehighgirl (My Page) on Thu, Dec 16, 10 at 13:13
| I grew it the first time this year, along with quite a few that Carolyn has recommended. It was supreme! I went through my garden and tasted one at a time. It turns out that I agreed with Carolyn on every one of them. From now on, if Carolyn recommends it, I won't have to guess! Thank you Carolyn!!!! |
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| It is time to order my seeds, and I CANNOT have a tomato-free summer! Last year was 3 months of near 100 degree temperature, which is a bit extreme, even here in Tulsa, but it was made worse by a lingering winter that stopped about a week before we jumped up to high heat. Not very good for growing tomatoes. So, the question. It looks like Omar's Lebanese would be a good start. I'm also considering Arkansas Traveler or Sioux or Heat Wave for a medium sized tomato, and San Marzano for a paste. Am I on the right track? Our garden is too small to grow many varieties for insurance. I'd love to hear your thoughts including any other suggestions that might be better. Flavor is of prime importance. |
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| Betsy, I can't comment on the other varieties you mentioned as I haven't actually grown them yet, but a big thumbs up to Ark. Traveler. I'm from Sacramento where I grew insane tomatoes & just assumed I was a natural gardener. Well, I'm now in KC, MO...and I'm really NOT a good gardener lol - it's just that everything grows in CA. Ark. Traveler, however, grew really well for me here my first year in KC with the really weird weather & was very very tasty. I'll be planting it again this year and due to this thread might try Omar's Lebanese as well. |
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| Thanks for the feedback KCKook. Don't doubt your gardening abilities, though, based only on last year. We don't do that very often, thank goodness. But our summers down here just south of you are typically hot enough to stop fruit set. About the only thing that will set during July and August for me are cherries. I've asked at the farmer's market what varieties they grow, and they are nice enough to share, but it seems silly to grow the same varieties when I can get those at the market. And none of the tomato farmers live in the city. We live in the heart of the urban heat island, and are several degrees warmer than the suburbs. It doesn't help. I've ordered my Omar, so I'll let you know how he does. And I think he needs an Arkansas Traveler to keep him company. |
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| Anyone have some spare seeds of an Omar for trade or the like? My wife's family on her Dad's side are from that area. JD |
Here is a link that might be useful: Pierce Farmstead
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