Chesapeake?

[attml]

I am interested to know if anyone has grown the ("Chesapeake") tomato before and what there opinion was? There wasn't a lot of information on Tatiana's Tomatobase but since it is supposed to be an old school local variety I wanted to give it a chance this year. I was able to get seeds from Heirloom Tomatoes locally here in Maryland. I saw the following description about Chesapeake in a 1958 Glecker catalog that Craig H. had posted on the same page about Rutgers. " (75 Days - Wilt resistant) A new development from the Univesity of Maryland. Vine growth indeterminate, medium size foliage ample for fruit coverage. Very prolific yielder of large size fruits of very high quality and mild flavor. Maturity a few days later than Rutgers with better red color, firmer, and having higher solids content. Although it was developed for late market in areas near the Chesapeake Bay and it's tributaries (it) has been also found adated to Delaware, Pennsylvania and it performs excellent in Northern Ohio. Here is the article where I had seen the description http://nctomatoman.topcities.com/See...leckler_10.jpg Any information or opinions would be appreciated on this variety. Thank you very much!

Mark

[stormymater]

I grow them every year - they tolerate our difficult hot, humid & droughty conditions, sandy soil & pump out awesome firm red tomatoes - old time zing similar to but better balanced than Old Brooks - I use them both when canning to improve my pastes flavor balance but prefer Chesapeake for that most awesome BLT or just T - flavor is robust enough to shine right on through. Try it, I venture you will like it - esp. w/your location!

[attml]

Thank you very much for the reply! You have me excited to try it now! Locally you always here people bragging about Anne Arundel County or Eastern Shore tomatoes and I have always wondered what variety they might be?

Mark

[stormymater]

Try DelMar sometime. Used to be available from

http://www.heirloomtomatoes.net/Varieties.html

I will grow out the few (like 3 or 4) seed I have left & keep a bunch.

Maryland has several varieties of note - Chesapeake, DelMar, Greater Baltimore... something about that soil. There are more but I am fading fast after hoeing, raking & shaping a 4" wide 125' long bed today (only 10 more to go LOL arrrgh)

Old Brooks (though not of Maryland origin) is also wonderful for "old-fashioned" taste - less sweet making it an awesome canning tomato - I love these & Chesapeake fresh & in sauce w/pastes & cherries to develop flavor.

[puttgirl]

I got some seed called "Maryland large red", I believe-does anyone have info on it? I'm very close to MD, so I've been getting more and more interested in them also.

[attml]

Storymater,

Thanks again! I am adding those names to my wishlist for next year!

Puttgirl,

Not a lot of info on Tatiana's Tomatobase but here is the listing for it http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/w...land_Large_Red

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by puttgirl

I got some seed called "Maryland large red", I believe-does anyone have info on it? I'm very close to MD, so I've been getting more and more interested in them also.

Maryland Large Red has been around it seems forevcer, first listed in the SSE YEarbook in I think the early 90's.

Chuck Wyatt, now deceased, and whose former website was noted above, lived in MD and tried to collect all the MD related varieties he could and he got seeds for this one from an SSE member in 1994 and here's Chuck's blurb about it from the 1996 Yearbook:

large indet RL plant bears average set of 10-12 oz of oblate ( flattened, CJM) fruit with good taste ( not one of chucks high level adjectives for taste, CJM) and mealy texture,

If I jump to the 2011 Yearbook only one person lists it and again says just good taste.

I get the feeling, without looking at other reports that this variety never caught on, but that doesn't mean that you might like it very much.

[attml]

My first Chesapeake seed finally popped through the soil surface yesterday. I planted 5 seeds total and have had it on the seed mat since Sunday. It is in the window sill this morning getting the bright morning sun but will go under the grow lights today. Because I planted in a large cup like I did in this case, (I planted it later than when I did my seed trays) I filled the botton 2/3's of the cup with organic soil and the top 1/3 with seed starter mix so that it gets a good clean start but gan grow into the richer soil.

[attml]

Here are a shots of the rest of the jungle as of this morning. The Chesapeake has a lot of catching up to do! I keep hoping for constant warm weather so that my plant out date of April 17th doesn't get pushed back. Unfortunately they are calling for snow here in Maryland tonight which is the 2nd latest snowfall we have had in Maryland in the last 10 years by my records.

[stormymater]

Maryland Large Red is more a canner isn't it? Some tomatoes taste better cooked or have textural characteristics that lend themselves to processing. Dunno but I wonder if that's not the case w/MLR.

LOL on the "code" ...

[Larryr]

I have never used grow lights before and was wondering about how close to put the light ?
Larryr

[attml]

Larry,

I just use 32w or 40w shop lights. Based on info I learned here on the board you put the light down to about 2 inches from the light. You just have to make sure your bilbs don't run hot because excessive heat can burn up the leaves on your plant.

[Larryr]

so you use regular shop light bulbs and not grow light bulbs
Larryr

Originally Posted by attml

Larry,

I just use 32w or 40w shop lights. Based on info I learned here on the board you put the light down to about 2 inches from the light. You just have to make sure your bilbs don't run hot because excessive heat can burn up the leaves on your plant.

[puttgirl]

Thanks for the answers. I know I'm tired of the cold-we almost broke our all time low temp. record last night in SW PA-it's only about 20 degrees right now!

[brokenbar]

I must be having senior moments...Every time I see that thread title "Chesapeake"
I think it says "Cheapskates"...dyslexic!