Omars Lebanese

[Karla]

Hello,
Growing Omars Lebanese tomato for the first time this year.
Has anyone grown this tomato before? This variety prolific and how was the flavor?

[KarenO]

Grew it last year in the open garden. Late midseason for me, good production firm dark red beefsteaks with what I thought was a good bold traditional tomato taste. Taste is always subjective but that was my experience. I would grow it again here in zone 3
Karen

[Karla]

Thank You! Karen. The tomato plants look very healthy and growing good in my garden.
Growing Grandfather Ashlock this year too. Look forward to these new varieties this year.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Karla

Hello,
Growing Omars Lebanese tomato for the first time this year.
Has anyone grown this tomato before? This variety prolific and how was the flavor?

Karla, I think Omar's Lebanese is outstanding, and not b'c I was the one to introduce it, so here's Tania''page about it with the history, etc.

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Omar%27s_Lebanese

Actually Omar went back to Lebanon when his father died and his father had owned many hotels on the Med and there was lots of legal work to be done.

But Omar remembered how much I loved heirloom tomatoes and took the time to drive up into the hills to get me some seed of this variety that was also grown by others in hill towns.

I grew it many times after I SSE listed it, and that for seed production and even in the 2014 SSE Yearbook there are several folks still listing it.

If you look at the seed sources at the above link there are still many seed vendors selling it.

Glenn Drowns who owns Sandhill Preservation called me this AM about this and that and I mentioned to him that Linda, his wife, must not have sent in their listings to Tania, b'c Isee those listings nowhere listed, and I'm pretty sure that Sandhill also sells seeds, along with about 400 other tomato varieties, and much more.

I was the source to some of the other places who list it as well. And each year I still send the best of mynew varieties for trial to several commercial places.

Full flavored,very productive for a large fruited variety and excellent taste, now I sound like Goldilocks here, but not too sweet,not too tart,acutually perfectly balanced taste.

And no,I don't praise all the varieties where I was the first one to introduce them.

Omar was an adjunct at the place where I last taught and he knew perfectly well that I asked both faculty and students if they had any family heirlooms, and they sure did,ones from many different countries and then there was the women's basketball team, all from Latvia, so I scored some from there as well.

Carolyn

[Karla]

Sounds like a winning tomato, Carolyn.I enjoyed! your input.
I enjoy! tomatoville.

[b54red]

I have narrowed down my lest of varieties the last couple of years and though it is not one of my very favorites I grow it every year. The fruit, at least the first couple, tend to be very large. It is not uncommon for me to get at least one 2 lb fruit off a plant each year and a couple of other really big ones. I find the flavor a bit mild and sometimes the flesh is a bit mealy on the really large ones but it is very dependable producer even down here.

Bill

[Patihum]

They got a little smaller in our heat last summer but Omar kept pumping them out. Really nice flavor.

[Spartanburg123]

I am also growing these for the first time, albeit a little late. They are just now starting to flower. Robust little suckers, I'll give them that. Looking forward to many slicers come late summer!

[gssgarden]

Grew it one year. Bland flavor.

[nancyruhl]

I grew it last year and have the same opinion as gssgarden and b54red. Very pretty though.

[Spartanburg123]

Originally Posted by b54red

I have narrowed down my lest of varieties the last couple of years and though it is not one of my very favorites I grow it every year. The fruit, at least the first couple, tend to be very large. It is not uncommon for me to get at least one 2 lb fruit off a plant each year and a couple of other really big ones. I find the flavor a bit mild and sometimes the flesh is a bit mealy on the really large ones but it is very dependable producer even down here.

Bill

Bill- is this variety particularly prone to Fusarium?? I just got done reading your thread on that subject....None seen here so far but just curious! Thanks!

Darin

[Chapinz8]

This is the third time I have grown Omar's. It has always had a good yield of fruits 1 lb or more. I enjoy the taste. Mine are somewhat smoother on the stem end than some of the pics you see. I like the way they look when starting to ripen with the pale green shoulders and the red starting underneath.

[Spartanburg123]

Hey Chapin- about how many tomatoes do yours produce each? I've got high hopes for these- and I only have two. I love the heritage. Show some pictures if you can! Thanks- Darin

[Chapinz8]

I'm in the process of getting a new camera so no pics. I went out and counted, and there are 22 tomatoes on Omar's Lebanese. I have already picked two. That's a very good fruit set for me. The ones nearing maturity appear to average right at a lb. I'm fighting a little disease this year but there is none on Omars.

The one I had yesterday was a little bland compared to normal, but, it was also had more of a pink color than usual. I may have gotten a little hasty in picking. Still made a good BLT.