Dufresne

GreenThumbGal_07 · August 16, 2020

Well, I tried Dufresne (Savignac) again this year. First time in 2014, then 2018, then this year again (source last two times was Bunny Hop Seeds).
I don't know if it's the location in my yard (corner shielded from the wind, plants are in containers, ones set here get wilt) or the variety in question, but I wish it had more disease resistance. Prue and Rinaldo on either side of it got both wilt and foliar diseases, Dufresne got the wilt, but no foliar diseases (?).

If I can find a different yard location next year, I might try it again. I got only two usable fruit from it because the plant was on its way out.

The one ripe fruit (small, deep red-pink, deformed with a "nose" and some BER) was succulent, tangy-sweet, thin-skinned. I have heard such good things about this tomato and want to give it another chance.

The plant is enormous in size. It also has a tendency to have little "root bumps" (what is the technical term for that) on its upper branches, as if this variety is meant to sprawl on the ground and send out secondary roots.

davidj · August 20, 2020

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenThumbGal_07

Well, I tried Dufresne (Savignac) again this year. First time in 2014, then 2018, then this year again (source last two times was Bunny Hop Seeds).
I don't know if it's the location in my yard (corner shielded from the wind, plants are in containers, ones set here get wilt) or the variety in question, but I wish it had more disease resistance. Prue and Rinaldo on either side of it got both wilt and foliar diseases, Dufresne got the wilt, but no foliar diseases (?).

If I can find a different yard location next year, I might try it again. I got only two usable fruit from it because the plant was on its way out.

The one ripe fruit (small, deep red-pink, deformed with a "nose" and some BER) was succulent, tangy-sweet, thin-skinned. I have heard such good things about this tomato and want to give it another chance.

The plant is enormous in size. It also has a tendency to have little "root bumps" (what is the technical term for that) on its upper branches, as if this variety is meant to sprawl on the ground and send out secondary roots.

Dufresne is an heirloom variety from a man from St-Félix-de-Valois, which is a small town about 100 km north of Montréal, Québec, Canada (I live at 15 minutes from there !). Brother Savignac, from Joliette (a little bit closer to Montreal) got seeds from him in the '30s and grew it a lot and select further from it. Later in his life, Brother Savignac gave seeds to Yves Gagnon, which is a pionner in organic gardening and seed saving in Québec. Yves selected for disease resistance and decided to call this strain "Savignac". I also found this english description from a Québec seeder for you: https://www.terrepromise.ca/en/produ...fresne-tomato/

Yves Gagnon lives in St-Didace (same village than me !), which is colder than Joliette and little bit colder than St-Félix-de-Valois. We are in canadian hardiness zone 4, so spring last frost is generally between end of May and beginning of June, and first frost can be from mid to end of September. It was selected for disease resistance here and your climate and disease pressure might be different from us, I don't know.

I may still have some seeds I saved from tomatoes from plants that I grow from Yves Gagnon's seeds, or I can get some seeds from him and share with you if you'd like to try the original "Savignac" strain. Just PM me.

I have never seen a Savignac tomato with BER (and I do not irrigate my tomato plants, I just put mulch and let them get their water by themselves !) and they always give perfect round pink tomatoes.

I hope that helps !

David

imp · August 20, 2020

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidj

Dufresne is an heirloom variety from a man from St-Félix-de-Valois, which is a small town about 100 km north of Montréal, Québec, Canada (I live at 15 minutes from there !). Brother Savignac, from Joliette (a little bit closer to Montreal) got seeds from him in the '30s and grew it a lot and select further from it. Later in his life, Brother Savignac gave seeds to Yves Gagnon, which is a pionner in organic gardening and seed saving in Québec. Yves selected for disease resistance and decided to call this strain "Savignac". I also found this english description from a Québec seeder for you: https://www.terrepromise.ca/en/produ...fresne-tomato/

Yves Gagnon lives in St-Didace (same village than me !), which is colder than Joliette and little bit colder than St-Félix-de-Valois. We are in canadian hardiness zone 4, so spring last frost is generally between end of May and beginning of June, and first frost can be from mid to end of September. It was selected for disease resistance here and your climate and disease pressure might be different from us, I don't know.

I may still have some seeds I saved from tomatoes from plants that I grow from Yves Gagnon's seeds, or I can get some seeds from him and share with you if you'd like to try the original "Savignac" strain. Just PM me.

I have never seen a Savignac tomato with BER (and I do not irrigate my tomato plants, I just put mulch and let them get their water by themselves !) and they always give perfect round pink tomatoes.

I hope that helps !

David

Wow, great history & thanks for posting it, David.

davidj · August 20, 2020

Quote:

Originally Posted by imp

Wow, great history & thanks for posting it, David.

Also, for those growing pears in cold climate, you may have heard of a cultivar named "Savignac": yes, this is from the same Brother Armand Savignac, from Clerics of Saint Viator, Joliette. If I remember correctly, he received few pear grafts for trial from Ottawa, and one was well adapted to our cold climate and is now known as "Savignac pear". He was growing a lot of fruits (grapes, currants, plums, apples, ...) and vegetables.

David

GreenThumbGal_07 · August 22, 2020

"I may still have some seeds I saved from tomatoes from plants that I grow from Yves Gagnon's seeds, or I can get some seeds from him and share with you if you'd like to try the original "Savignac" strain. Just PM me."

David, sorry for the late reply, I have been away. Thank you for your generous offer. Will PM you.

August 16, 2020	#1
GreenThumbGal_07 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northern California Posts: 300	Dufresne Well, I tried Dufresne (Savignac) again this year. First time in 2014, then 2018, then this year again (source last two times was Bunny Hop Seeds). I don't know if it's the location in my yard (corner shielded from the wind, plants are in containers, ones set here get wilt) or the variety in question, but I wish it had more disease resistance. Prue and Rinaldo on either side of it got both wilt and foliar diseases, Dufresne got the wilt, but no foliar diseases (?). If I can find a different yard location next year, I might try it again. I got only two usable fruit from it because the plant was on its way out. The one ripe fruit (small, deep red-pink, deformed with a "nose" and some BER) was succulent, tangy-sweet, thin-skinned. I have heard such good things about this tomato and want to give it another chance. The plant is enormous in size. It also has a tendency to have little "root bumps" (what is the technical term for that) on its upper branches, as if this variety is meant to sprawl on the ground and send out secondary roots.

August 22, 2020	#5
GreenThumbGal_07 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northern California Posts: 300	"I may still have some seeds I saved from tomatoes from plants that I grow from Yves Gagnon's seeds, or I can get some seeds from him and share with you if you'd like to try the original "Savignac" strain. Just PM me." David, sorry for the late reply, I have been away. Thank you for your generous offer. Will PM you.