Maglia Rosa is excellent for containers and small spaces - Page 7

Sydney Grower · May 29, 2016

Fred,
The inspiration for the name Maglia Rosa only clicked with me this week. Are you a cycling fan? Have you been following the Giro? Did the Amgen go anywhere near your territory in CA?
Carl

Fred Hempel · May 29, 2016

Carl,

Nothing more than a casual cycling fan around Tour de France time. Wasn't even aware of the Tour of Italy and it's Maglia Rosa when I searched google images for inspiration in naming a "mottled pink" tomato I had developed.

This vaguely striped jersey was what came up in the search... and it seemed to fit.

The Amgen does always go by here.

Sydney Grower · May 29, 2016

Thanks Fred,

Any chance we will be getting your Maglia Rosa officially in Aus before too long? So far Diggers have carried Blush, Pink Bumblebee and Sunrise Bumblebee, but I would love to see Maglia Rosa and Purple Bumble Bee (and all of your others for that matter) commercially available.

Thanks for all your hard work

Carl

Fred Hempel · May 30, 2016

Hi Carl,

It is my understanding that Diggers gets seed for all of our varieties from AP Whaley and they are now distributing Maglia Rosa seed too.

I think a few well placed requests to Diggers would probably do the trick. Tell them that MR is a unique container plant (or most often a compact bush in the field) with flavor better than Pink Tiger.

Fred

Sydney Grower · May 31, 2016

Thanks Fred,

It sounds like Diggers will release a few more of yours this Spring.

Looking forward to it

Carl

June 21, 2016

@BigVanVader

On the topic of good-tasting blue tomatoes, have you tried Jackie from doublehelixfarms.com, yet? They seem to think it tastes pretty good. I'm trying it this year, but I think I got crossed seeds, because I'm getting a plum tomato with blue shoulders instead of a cherry (but it set fruits very early; it set one fruit in the heat, too; it did drop a few blossoms, though). If it turns out to be tasty, let me know if you're interested. I guess it could be a mutant instead of a hybrid. You never know.

@Fred Hempel

I'm growing Maglia Rosa for the first time, this year. It's growing well, and setting lots of early fruit, especially for its size. I'm excited. I'm not growing it in a container, though.

maricybele · June 22, 2016

I love Magglia Rosa. There were several planted close together and with carrots at the bottom in the the same bed, last time I planted them at the giving gardens. The shape and the opalescence is so unique it is my favorite tomato to look at and it's very tasty as well and it looks stunning in salads. While the vegetation was dense, it did fine in Beaverton, Oregon. I will add that we are very fussy about how we water tomatoes, we water the soil around the roots.

NarnianGarden · June 22, 2016

My Maglia Rosa plant has the most unique growing pattern I ever saw: it is definitely having a hard time deciding whether it's a determinate or indeterminate...
Some of the flower trusses grow out of a leaf branch! Meaning, the leaf & flower truss is the one and the same...
I was foolish and nipped off some early growth, and it turned out to be a flowering / fruit-producing branch. Now the plant seems to have stopped producing any more, and what I have now is four flower trusses all together. Well, if they all set fruit, I am quite happy. But now I know that this variety needs NO pruning, and has NO main stems.

NewWestGardener · July 5, 2016

Interesting, you might have just done the right thing. I did not prune mine, and regret it. I think the plants would be more productive if I let fewer branches to grow. The problem is that I have very dense growth, but lots of weak branches with no chance of producing fruit although there are plenty of flowers, but the mother plant won't have the energy to support all the blooms. So I have clusters of small fruit, or few fruit but tons of blooms. Our summer has been really cool though, sunshine likely has something to do with it too. My plants were loaded with fruit last year, with slight pruning.

So next year, I will prune mine more, especially early in the season.

On the other hand, they are the earliest to produce in my garden, I started them really early too. And the flavor is excellent, strong taste, not mealy at all. I finally figured out what Fred was saying "peak flavor proceeds peak color". Yeah, they are great even you don't think they are ripe yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

My Maglia Rosa plant has the most unique growing pattern I ever saw: it is definitely having a hard time deciding whether it's a determinate or indeterminate...
Some of the flower trusses grow out of a leaf branch! Meaning, the leaf & flower truss is the one and the same...
I was foolish and nipped off some early growth, and it turned out to be a flowering / fruit-producing branch. Now the plant seems to have stopped producing any more, and what I have now is four flower trusses all together. Well, if they all set fruit, I am quite happy. But now I know that this variety needs NO pruning, and has NO main stems.

nancyruhl · July 7, 2016

This plant is excelling this year in its container. I continue to be very impressed with it in my second year of growing it.

NarnianGarden · July 7, 2016

Lovely little sausages!!

Cole_Robbie · July 8, 2016

I call this pic "Shades of Maglia Rosa."

beck3465 · July 9, 2016

This was my first year growing Maglia Rosa and I am really impressed with both the productivity and flavor. The foiliage is so dense yet wispy it needs to come with its' own hairbush lol. Am growing it again this Fall.

NarnianGarden · July 9, 2016

Wow, Cole_Robbie. Nice haul!

What was your DTM?

Cole_Robbie · July 9, 2016

Thanks. I think it should be about 60 days, but mine took 75. I had three weeks solid of cold, wet, weather with no sunshine during that time.

June 21, 2016	#96
shule1 Guest Posts: n/a	@BigVanVader On the topic of good-tasting blue tomatoes, have you tried Jackie from doublehelixfarms.com, yet? They seem to think it tastes pretty good. I'm trying it this year, but I think I got crossed seeds, because I'm getting a plum tomato with blue shoulders instead of a cherry (but it set fruits very early; it set one fruit in the heat, too; it did drop a few blossoms, though). If it turns out to be tasty, let me know if you're interested. I guess it could be a mutant instead of a hybrid. You never know. @Fred Hempel I'm growing Maglia Rosa for the first time, this year. It's growing well, and setting lots of early fruit, especially for its size. I'm excited. I'm not growing it in a container, though. Last edited by shule1; June 21, 2016 at 10:21 PM.

May 29, 2016	#91
Sydney Grower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 122	Fred, The inspiration for the name Maglia Rosa only clicked with me this week. Are you a cycling fan? Have you been following the Giro? Did the Amgen go anywhere near your territory in CA? Carl

May 29, 2016	#92
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	Carl, Nothing more than a casual cycling fan around Tour de France time. Wasn't even aware of the Tour of Italy and it's Maglia Rosa when I searched google images for inspiration in naming a "mottled pink" tomato I had developed. This vaguely striped jersey was what came up in the search... and it seemed to fit. The Amgen does always go by here.

May 30, 2016	#94
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	Hi Carl, It is my understanding that Diggers gets seed for all of our varieties from AP Whaley and they are now distributing Maglia Rosa seed too. I think a few well placed requests to Diggers would probably do the trick. Tell them that MR is a unique container plant (or most often a compact bush in the field) with flavor better than Pink Tiger. Fred

May 31, 2016	#95
Sydney Grower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 122	Thanks Fred, It sounds like Diggers will release a few more of yours this Spring. Looking forward to it Carl

June 22, 2016	#97
maricybele Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Oregon zone 8 Posts: 99	I love Magglia Rosa. There were several planted close together and with carrots at the bottom in the the same bed, last time I planted them at the giving gardens. The shape and the opalescence is so unique it is my favorite tomato to look at and it's very tasty as well and it looks stunning in salads. While the vegetation was dense, it did fine in Beaverton, Oregon. I will add that we are very fussy about how we water tomatoes, we water the soil around the roots.

June 22, 2016	#98
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	My Maglia Rosa plant has the most unique growing pattern I ever saw: it is definitely having a hard time deciding whether it's a determinate or indeterminate... Some of the flower trusses grow out of a leaf branch! Meaning, the leaf & flower truss is the one and the same... I was foolish and nipped off some early growth, and it turned out to be a flowering / fruit-producing branch. Now the plant seems to have stopped producing any more, and what I have now is four flower trusses all together. Well, if they all set fruit, I am quite happy. But now I know that this variety needs NO pruning, and has NO main stems.

July 7, 2016	#101
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Lovely little sausages!!

July 9, 2016	#103
beck3465 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Crystal Beach, Texas Posts: 89	This was my first year growing Maglia Rosa and I am really impressed with both the productivity and flavor. The foiliage is so dense yet wispy it needs to come with its' own hairbush lol. Am growing it again this Fall.

July 9, 2016	#104
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Wow, Cole_Robbie. Nice haul! What was your DTM?

July 9, 2016	#105
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Thanks. I think it should be about 60 days, but mine took 75. I had three weeks solid of cold, wet, weather with no sunshine during that time.