gilbertie plants

slugworth · May 21, 2017

I found some gilbertie tomato plants at joblot today so I bought 2.
The description reminded me of a big family heirloom paste type I grew in the 90's but lost the seeds.Should be interesting to see if they are the same as what I grew back then. If they were originally from CT I am on the right track.

Father'sDaughter · May 21, 2017

Lucky you! I had to resort to the MMMM wishlist to get Gilbertie seeds. They didn't make the list this year, but very high probability for next year.

slugworth · May 22, 2017

It's a shame,the joblot store isn't taking care of the plants.
In a few weeks they will probably all be dead.
I got em just in time.

Fritz77 · May 26, 2017

I tried to grow gilbertie last season but it didn't work. On one hand they got a bad spot in the garden growing next to some zucchini plants that almost smothered them. Then they got some blight and started dying one after another. Only one plant barely survived and produced just 2 tomatoes which taste bland to me.
This variety won't be back in my garden.

stevenkh1 · July 30, 2017

Love love LOVE Gilbertie paste toms! I got seeds from High Mowing a few years back. They are bigger than San Marzano and dont seem to get hit with Anthracnose like my San Marzanos do.

slugworth · August 27, 2017

pitiful,nothing like the tomato I was looking for.
The only advantage is it was one of the only store bought varieties that survived the pestilence that wiped out all the other varieties.All the hybrid types(like 30 varieties) got wiped out.Only the heirlooms survived.Even my $10 grafted mortgage lifter croaked.

greenthumbomaha · August 27, 2017

Gilberte did very well for me last year. I would have grown it again had I not had other varieties to try.

That must have been a huge let down. Could it be the plant you purchased was not actually Gilberte? Its kind of an outcast to find in a discount store. Anything else that you bought there?

Do you start transplants, slugworth? I'll see if I have any seeds left in my stash from swaps years past.

- Lisa

slugworth · August 28, 2017

The plants were many,I was buying 3 at a time and had about 2 doz plus ones I gave away.
The tomatoes I had in the 90's were huge paste type,24oz minimum.
I had to look up to the plants,so they had to be 7 or 8 feet tall.
These plants barely made it past 3 feet and the tomatoes were maybe 2oz tops.
I did manage to save a few seeds and can possibly clone what is left of the plants.

May 21, 2017	#1
slugworth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: connecticut,usa Posts: 1,152	gilbertie plants I found some gilbertie tomato plants at joblot today so I bought 2. The description reminded me of a big family heirloom paste type I grew in the 90's but lost the seeds.Should be interesting to see if they are the same as what I grew back then. If they were originally from CT I am on the right track.

May 21, 2017	#2
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	Lucky you! I had to resort to the MMMM wishlist to get Gilbertie seeds. They didn't make the list this year, but very high probability for next year.

May 22, 2017	#3
slugworth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: connecticut,usa Posts: 1,152	It's a shame,the joblot store isn't taking care of the plants. In a few weeks they will probably all be dead. I got em just in time.

May 26, 2017	#4
Fritz77 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Siena-Monteriggioni, Italy Posts: 213	I tried to grow gilbertie last season but it didn't work. On one hand they got a bad spot in the garden growing next to some zucchini plants that almost smothered them. Then they got some blight and started dying one after another. Only one plant barely survived and produced just 2 tomatoes which taste bland to me. This variety won't be back in my garden.

July 30, 2017	#5
stevenkh1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 172	Love love LOVE Gilbertie paste toms! I got seeds from High Mowing a few years back. They are bigger than San Marzano and dont seem to get hit with Anthracnose like my San Marzanos do.

August 27, 2017	#6
slugworth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: connecticut,usa Posts: 1,152	pitiful,nothing like the tomato I was looking for. The only advantage is it was one of the only store bought varieties that survived the pestilence that wiped out all the other varieties.All the hybrid types(like 30 varieties) got wiped out.Only the heirlooms survived.Even my $10 grafted mortgage lifter croaked.

August 27, 2017	#7
greenthumbomaha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Omaha Zone 5 Posts: 2,514	Gilberte did very well for me last year. I would have grown it again had I not had other varieties to try. That must have been a huge let down. Could it be the plant you purchased was not actually Gilberte? Its kind of an outcast to find in a discount store. Anything else that you bought there? Do you start transplants, slugworth? I'll see if I have any seeds left in my stash from swaps years past. - Lisa

August 28, 2017	#8
slugworth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: connecticut,usa Posts: 1,152	The plants were many,I was buying 3 at a time and had about 2 doz plus ones I gave away. The tomatoes I had in the 90's were huge paste type,24oz minimum. I had to look up to the plants,so they had to be 7 or 8 feet tall. These plants barely made it past 3 feet and the tomatoes were maybe 2oz tops. I did manage to save a few seeds and can possibly clone what is left of the plants.