Any experience with Sainte Lucie tomato?

[Gardenboy]

First time growing this tomato variety this season. Even as a seedling, it had a very thick main stem and thick leaves. As it continued to grow, the main stem would twist and turn. Never seen growing habit like this before. The plant has about 12 nice tomatoes on it and continues to twist and turn. All the leaves are VERY compact and some leaves even twist downward. Very large, sometime mega blooms as well. Is this the natural way this variety grows? Any info would be helpful.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Gardenboy

First time growing this tomato variety this season. Even as a seedling, it had a very thick main stem and thick leaves. As it continued to grow, the main stem would twist and turn. Never seen growing habit like this before. The plant has about 12 nice tomatoes on it and continues to twist and turn. All the leaves are VERY compact and some leaves even twist downward. Very large, sometime mega blooms as well. Is this the natural way this variety grows? Any info would be helpful.

Yes, I have grown this variety and as you can see in the link I first listed it in the SSE YEarbook many years ago. There were 4 of us who were contacted by Norbert in France, we made sure that we didn't duplicate varieties

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

I experienced none of the problems you describe. It was a vigorous grower and fruits tended to concentrate near the bottom of the plants.

In my heirloom tomato book I indicated that there were several varieties I couldn't include for photography purposes since the summer before that I grew out everything to make sure the plants/fruits were what they should be.

On page 43 in my book I noted that Sainte Lucie was one of them that was not correct..

But it's also good to know that when I was asked to write that book I had grown only about 1300 varieties, and now it's way over 4,000 varieties, my point being are there any more recent ones that would displace any in that book.

Of course there are and many have asked me to name some,but I'm not going to do that for several reasons.

Carolyn

[gorbelly]

Maybe you got a mixed up seed for a dwarf variety?

[Gardenboy]

Thanks for the feedback..definitely not Dwarf..the plant is almost out of it's 8 ft. tomato cage and growing in all directions.

[gorbelly]

Hard to say without seeing pictures of the curled stems, etc., but a lot of nitrogen can sometimes cause extremely vigorous growth with curled stems and leaves.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Gardenboy

Thanks for the feedback..definitely not Dwarf..the plant is almost out of it's 8 ft. tomato cage and growing in all directions.

Just a couple of comments.

Varieties grown in S FL don't always grow the way they should be depending on a particular season and the weather as I have seen here and elsewhere over a many year period of time.

Sometimes it's good to be as old as I am.

Second,if you feel comfortable about sharing with us your seed source,commercial, which source,trade,swap, I think that might be another issue.

Carolyn

[Gardenboy]

Yes U are probably right Carolyn..my son brought the seeds back from France in July. Got them from a seed market. I am sure they grow differently in France than they would in USA...weather, soil and climate all has a factor.

[ddsack]

I've grown St Lucie the last couple of years. I haven't noticed anything unusual in it's growth, other than that it is a huge plant with big red tomatoes. Good production with perfectly shaped fruit without catfacing, mid to late season.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Gardenboy

Yes U are probably right Carolyn..my son brought the seeds back from France in July. Got them from a seed market. I am sure they grow differently in France than they would in USA...weather, soil and climate all has a factor.

What is a seed market?

When Norbert in France sent the seeds they turned out to be exactly as they should when grown here in the US by me.

So why,I ask,should they grow differently in France than here?

Ah sweet mystery of life at last I've found you, as the song goes.

Carolyn