Tony's Italian - any fans out there?

[Suze]

I grew this variety for the first time this year, and was totally bowled over by the taste. Some similarities to Prue in flavor, shape, lateish dtm, and plant habit. Fruits are a bit smaller, and plants are more wispy.

Actually, I found it to be just a notch above Prue for flavor, which I also love.

Productivity was only moderate for me for a dense/paster type (~20 fruits all said and done), but it was part of my last minute second sowing, and I did not set the plant until the first week of April. That's late to plant here.

The only person I know personally that has grown it is Carolyn. I know that she must have grown it because my seeds came from her. And I've never seen any mention of it on the various tomato forums; can't help but think this is one of those overlooked varieties for whatever reason.

Marianne carries it on her website:
http://www.mariseeds.com/2005catalog/italiancul.html

She also says "productive" in her '06 SSE listing. One other person listing it in '06, says "outstanding" (my '07 yearbook wasn't handy at the time).

Anyone else with flavor or productivity comments on this variety?

[carolyn137]

The only person I know personally that has grown it is Carolyn. I know that she must have grown it because my seeds came from her. :wink: And I've never seen any mention of it on the various tomato forums; can't help but think this is one of those overlooked varieties for whatever reason.

*****

Suze, if I could name all the ones that I think are overlooked treasures it would be a long list indeed.

This variety was first listed in the SSE Yearbook in 1988 by a SSE member from IN.

Seeds were brought to NJ in the 1920's from Sicily and the variety is named Tony for a son.

In earlier Yearbooks the list of folks growing it is long indeed.

[Grub]

As you know Suze, I'm going to give Tony's Italian a whirl.

[feldon30]

I ce-but-heart.jpg Tony's Italian. It is my favorite plum/roma/oxheart/heart/paste/...

[Suze]

Just revisiting this thread to say that, all said and done, I figure I've gotten closer to 30 fruits than the original 20 I had guesstimated.

It was the very last spring plant (other than one Sungold that's still going strong) that I left in. Just pulled it yesterday. Yes, I planted it late, but it also continued to produce late.

Flavor was top notch even with all the previous torrential downpours, but ended up being slightly better without it. It stopped raining so much here a few weeks ago -- actually, I'd love a good rain right about now.

[Grub]

Snoozy,

I'll do my rain dance if you'll do your germination dance... er, maybe I better phrase that differently .

Three days and still waiting for the birth of everything. A combination of labour pains, impatience and ridiculous expectations are conspiring against me.

Weather is warm though. and more to come, so won't be long now. Even sowed some basil in expectation.

Go Tony's Italian... any history?

Thanks for everything.

Grub

[Grub]

Actually, I see a few words on that excellent site about it.

Ernie's Plump sounds like it could be the bomb as well.

Thanks.

[carolyn137]

Go Tony's Italian... any history?


****

Grub, after Suze said I was the only one she knew who had grown it I did a post in this thread and gave the only history I knew about it, which isn't much.

[Suze]

Here's what is in the 06 and 07 yearbook (same folks listing both years):

ITAL DE E - 90-100 days, indet, plum shape, good flavor.

MD CU D - 90-100 days, indet plum-shape eating tomato, thick skinned, tendency to drop fruit when ripe, outstanding flavor, from IN AN D 88.

TN JO M - 90 days, indet, reg leaf, very fine flavored, 4-6 oz plum shape fruits w/pointed ends, plants are prolific, a superb all-around kitchen type, from IL LO N.

No history in the listings, but Marianne does have this in her online catalog:

"Outstanding flavor from these 4-6 oz scarlet plums. Originally brought to New Jersey from a Sicilian family in the early 1920's. Nice solid flesh with few seeds." But that's pretty much what Carolyn has already said.

[Grub]

Thanks for your help Carolyn and Suze.

Do you know anyone who has grown Ernie's Plump?

Ta, Grub.

[Catntree]

I've grown ernies plump. That's a fine variety. i remember quite good flavor and outstanding production.

I probably have seeds.....

[shelleybean]

Suze, I just found this. Must have just overlooked it before. Did you have any BER with Tony's Italian? Thanks.

[Suze]

Originally Posted by shelleybean

Suze, I just found this. Must have just overlooked it before. Did you have any BER with Tony's Italian? Thanks.

Michele - no, I did not. But then, I rarely have any major problems with BER, so my experience may not be typical.

[hmacdona]

I grew Tony's Italian for the first time this year and I definitely had a problem with BER. I don't normally have a problem with BER and did not have this trouble with any other tomato. I'm growing it in exactly the same conditions as my other tomato plants. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll try this one again. Probably doesn't like our growing conditions here in Calgary.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by hmacdona

I grew Tony's Italian for the first time this year and I definitely had a problem with BER. I don't normally have a problem with BER and did not have this trouble with any other tomato. I'm growing it in exactly the same conditions as my other tomato plants. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll try this one again. Probably doesn't like our growing conditions here in Calgary.

Maybe it's a bit premature to toss the bath water out with the baby, as it's said, b'c I've had varieties in the past where they only developed one year, and never again. Honest. And that would be at the same time that others grown in the same season had no BER.

Over the years it's beomce clear to me that not all varieties deal with water in particular as in transport of, and other stresses, in identical manners.

I still think that Tony's Italian is a great variety and I reread this whole thread and am glad to see that some others agree.

If a variety comes to me with great lauds and it doesn't perform the first year, for one reason or another, I always grow it again.

Heather, do you conclude that any variety that develops BER doesn't like your Calgary conditions? If so that means to me that there may be lots of varieties you only grow once since there are darn few varieties I've grown that never develop BER in one season or another.

Just trying to be helpful as well as see what your criteria are for excluding a variety from being grown again, b'c I think for each person that might be different.