Italian Heirloom - a heart tomato?

[SharonRossy]

Anyone grown this variety before? It's my first year with IH and i guess I expected it to be more robust but it's looking a bit like an oxheart. Just wondered.
Sharon

[habitat_gardener]

I'm growing it this year, too! But haven't planted yet. Soon!

Tatiana's Tomatobase says beefsteak and oblate.
http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Italian_Heirloom

Or are you asking about the wispiness of the foliage? (Too soon to tell on mine.)

[SharonRossy]

Yes, because I was surprised at the wispiness of the leaves. I know Anna Russian looks really wispy but puts out good sized tomatoes, and IH is supposed to have big fruit. So I am just a bit surprised.

[Father'sDaughter]

I grew it last year, and yes, it was more of a beefsteak in shape. The plant was fairly productive and showed some disease resistance, but it just didn't have much in the way of flavor. Given that it won first place in the SSE tasting, I'm guessing it just didn't like my growing conditions. That being said, I haven't put it on the "Never to be Grown Again" list, as I will probably give it another try some day.

[Doug9345]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

. . . I'm guessing it just didn't like my growing conditions. That being said, I haven't put it on the "Never to be Grown Again" list, as I will probably give it another try some day.

I only grew a couple of tomatoes last year, but it wasn't a fair test for any tomato because it never stopped raining last year.

[sicily]

I grew Italian Heirloom last season and loved it. It was heart shaped, got the seeds from the SSE catalogue not yearbook. It was very disease free and prolific, the flavor was great. I want to have a permanent spot in my garden for it, I planted 14 this season. I'm a sucker for hearts, it was a prolific one!!! My leaves were not that wispy type, just regular very healthy foliage. I would highly recommend it.

[kath]

I grew Italian Heirloom in 2011 and didn't think of it as heart-shaped, but the fruit in the picture I posted of it (post #60 in link below) shows more elongation than a beefsteak.

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=19189&page=2

[linzelu100]

I grow it every year.


Here is a pic. Every tomato is different, but generally they look like the pic. Some beefsteak, some heart, some lobed some sorta smooth. They all very from large medium and sometimes small. It just grows all kinds of different tomatoes, but they all taste delish cooked, very sweet. Which is why we grow them and our extended family grow them too. Good for canning and very productive.

[linzelu100]

I can't upload my pic....sorry.

[roper2008]

Mine were not heart shaped, but like Kath said, some were elongated beefsteaks.
I thought they tasted pretty darn good.

[ddsack]

I think mine were like Lindsey's - sort of lumpy, variable shapes, I don't think I saw them as oblate beefsteaks, not really hearts either. Not sure if I have pics on my other computer, will check when I have time.

[SharonRossy]

Well I can't wait till I can actually plant it and find out. Speaking f hearts, anyone try ukrainian heart?

[BucksCountyGirl]

Originally Posted by ddsack

I think mine were like Lindsey's - sort of lumpy, variable shapes, I don't think I saw them as oblate beefsteaks, not really hearts either. Not sure if I have pics on my other computer, will check when I have time.

I grew IH a few years ago and experienced the same variety in shape as above. From what I remember it was fairly early, but didn't blow me away with it's taste or production. It was not in the very best spot in the garden so YMMV!

[linzelu100]

Maybe not true hearts, but elogated beefsteaks is a better description. But they all vary so much. Growing hearts, well they sure are pretty, but dang stingy. That's why I like Italian Heirloom- so generous. I know it won SSE taste test one year and I was stunned. I think raw it tastes average at best. Weather has so much to do with it. Cooked it is delish and swet.

[SharonRossy]

Anna Russian puts out a lot of tomatoes and orange strawberry was very productive. Actually, cuore Di bue pumped out tons of tomatoes, but weren't very good. I think last year was a hard year and AR was one of my best tomatoes although it had a slow start.