Coustralee

[dahoss2002]

Saw this one in Carolyn's book and it was recommended by a few others as well. I'm in NW Louisiana and first time trying Coustralee. This might be the largest and best tasting tomato grown in my garden to date. Many of them 1.5 lb. and some over 2 lbs. and taste is fantastic. Will be a regular in my garden.

[zipcode]

Where did you get seeds from? Tried twice already and got from orange plums to small odd beefsteaks to some weird tomato plants that didn't make any fruit. From reliable sources that have always been good. There must be something weird with this variety.
Every time I say 'whatever, I'm done with it', some praising thread reappears.

[pmcgrady]

Originally Posted by zipcode

Where did you get seeds from? Tried twice already and got from orange plums to small odd beefsteaks to some weird tomato plants that didn't make any fruit. From reliable sources that have always been good. There must be something weird with this variety.
Every time I say 'whatever, I'm done with it', some praising thread reappears.

I planted out 6 of them this year, 5 look normal, 1 is a huge potato leaf plant loaded with 1 pound unripe tomatoes.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by zipcode

Where did you get seeds from? Tried twice already and got from orange plums to small odd beefsteaks to some weird tomato plants that didn't make any fruit. From reliable sources that have always been good. There must be something weird with this variety.
Every time I say 'whatever, I'm done with it', some praising thread reappears.

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/C...b=General_Info

Tania herself sells seeds for this variety as you can see from the above link,but I have to correct something in her history and that is that Norbert from France did not just contact Craig and myself,he also contacted Joe Bratka and I think Bill Minkey as well. He sent his list and each of us decided what we wanted so there would be no duplicates.This all happened back in 1992.

The Norbert sent each of us the seeds and I can still see them on graph paper with the names below the seeds.

Joe Bratka sent all of his to me and each of us SSE listed them initially so there would be good distribution. I think we got something like 70 varieties and many of them are still in great demand by many.Some I also listed in my Heirloom tomato book as well.

The only problem I know of was that while I was the one who initially got this variety it looked to me like it was spelled Cuostralee,but then others said that wasn't possible in French and said it should be Coustralee,and so it goes.

The biggest fan of this variety that I know of for this variety is Lee Newman,who posts as Lee hereat TV and when he sees this thread I'm sure he'll chime in on his opinion.

Carolyn, just noting that if you don't want to go with buying from Tania you can always post in the WANTED seed subforum here, if a TV member and ask if anyone has any seeds to spare.

[dahoss2002]

got mine from sustainable seeds

[b54red]

Originally Posted by dahoss2002

Saw this one in Carolyn's book and it was recommended by a few others as well. I'm in NW Louisiana and first time trying Coustralee. This might be the largest and best tasting tomato grown in my garden to date. Many of them 1.5 lb. and some over 2 lbs. and taste is fantastic. Will be a regular in my garden.

I tried for a couple of years to grow it and gave plants to friends of mine to try it and none of us ever got a tomato. The reason was it had no resistance to fusarium wilt. The plants would get it earlier than just about any variety I have tried and so they were so sick by the time a few fruits set that they never got big or had a chance to ripen.

Now that I am grafting all my plants I wouldn't mind trying it again as a grafted plant and see how it does but no longer have seed. I used all the seed I had purchased or traded for and never got any fruit from which to save more.

Bill

[GaryStPaul]

Not growing it this year, but one of my favorites over the years. Tastes great.
Gary

[Jonnyhat]

I have 1 in a container, she is going slow but is setting fruit.

[seaeagle]

Delicious tomato with many softball size tomatoes.The only negative is that it loses all its taste and texture in cool weather.I know they all lose taste and some but not all lose texture, but Cuostralee was the first to go.Probably not a problem in LA

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by seaeagle

Delicious tomato with many softball size tomatoes.The only negative is that it loses all its taste and texture in cool weather.I know they all lose taste and some but not all lose texture, but Cuostralee was the first to go.Probably not a problem in LA

I hate to say it but if it was only softball sized and shaped,or even just softball sized that isn't the Coustralee that I know.

Carolyn

[seaeagle]

Well it wasn't round like a softball, beefsteak shape I guess you call them. softball size is the closest thing I could think of to compare in size to something.I never weighed a tomato in my life but this was the biggest tomato I have ever grown.And yes some may have been bigger.I really do think it was Cuostralee cause the taste was excellent and balanced just like the description.

I am gonna grow it again, had to compare the black tomatoes this year and Indian Stripe Potato is putting in a fine performance, bottom truss on one had 15 blooms and set 9 tomatoes.Carbon is showing well too as is Paul Robeson although the PR are going to be a little behind in maturity.Cherokee Purple is in last place as far as setting tomatoes and Paul Robeson will even be ripe before Cherokee Purple

Edit to say Cuostralee would have been perfect, but it did lack the old fashioned tomato bite that my taste buds like.To me it leaned a little more to the sweet side, but still an outstanding tomato

[pinklady5]

I couldn't get my Cuostralee seedlings to grow healthy so this will be probably the first time in about 5 years that I won't have them in my garden. It is one of my favorites and always set fruit though not the biggest in numbers. To me it's the perfect and most beautiful red tomato. Late to mature but usually one of the last surviving plants in my garden. I will miss it this year for sure.

[PaulF]

uo or ou (which really makes sense) it is a fine tomato, great flavor and large sized in my garden. Love it.

[Spartanburg123]

Good tomato for me this year, each are around 1 lb, but the plant is definitely blighted, in agreement with a previous post. They are quite delicious!

[dahoss2002]

Picked these on Fathers Day. About 15 this size.