Kosovo

[materlvr]

Hello tomato addicts! I need a memory jog.

I grew Kosovo for two years, a few years ago, and remembered it as being the best tomato I've ever grown.

Why are there no posts about Kosovo? It is never on anyone's grow lists; Can anyone tell me why? I've known it to be the most solid, tomatoey flavored, best tomato around.

I'm also growing Druzba and Box Car Willie for my main crop, but Kosovo remains my favorite, by far!

Any info?

Thanks so much!

Janie

[DeanRIowa]

I did a quick search and there are 150 threads on TV that mention "Kosovo".

I will add it to my list for next season. Thank you for the recommendation.

Dean

[Fusion_power]

Kosovo gets a place in my garden just about every year. I saved several thousand seed last year because I wanted to grow it out for a pink heart/wedge shaped tomato to sell this year.

DarJones

[geeboss]

My 2 Kosovo seedlings are growing and my Box Car Willie's are just breaking ground. So I'm glad that they are nice maters and will look forward to enjoing them this summer.

George

[tjg911]

i agree kosovo is a great tomato.

i could copy your post and re post the same question about prue. many people like it and those that do won't go a season without it but you just don't see prue mentioned that often.

so i share your curiosity but i think that for whatever reason certain tomatoes get a lot of attention while others don't. i think that new varieties get a lot of attention and often dominate threads compared to others that are not new to the general public here. i also think that certain people here can effect the interest in some varieties that keep those active.

tom

[sprtsguy76]

Kosovo is the bomb dizzle for shizzle! I grow it every year and its always in my top three!

Damon

[carolyn137]

Janie, you can't look just at thread titles to determine what might or might not be popular, you really have to look at the grow lists that folks post.

Most of the time when a specific variety is in a thread title it's b'c someone wants to know more about the variety.

As Dean said above, Kosovo is in about 150 threads here at Tville, no small amount. And most of us also list it when there's a thread asking for our favorite heart varieties.

I think I was the first person that Glenn Parker in NZ sent the seeds for Kosovo to and I listed it in the SSE YEarbook and also offered it in my free seed offers at GW before Tville opened in Jan of 2006. And I do send seeds to commercial places for trial and Kosovo was one such variety.

Many owners of commercial seed sites also get their first starts for a variety as SSE members by requesting seeds from other SSE members so listing a variety in the Yearbook helps with preservation of a variety by making it more available.

The same is true for Tom's Prue, which I also like very much, that is, I think I was one of the first he sent the seeds to for that variety and I also listed it in the SSE YEarbook and also offered seeds for it in my free seed offers and also sent it to a couple of places for trial. Ah Tom, now I'm remembering more. You also offered seeds at GW to others but there was an initial problem with germination. Remember that?

So the popularity of variety can't be equated just with a variety name in a thread title, you look for varieties in the grow lists that others put up.

[montanamato]

I only grew Kosovo once, and it was a tough season....That said, the same row had Monomakh's Hat in it (which I had grown before)....Kosovo produced a little later and not as much as MH....Most heart shaped tomatoes taste similar enough (to my tastes), so I grow the better producers....
Really like Sulia's Heart too, which is red and very sweet...

Jeanne

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by montanamato

I only grew Kosovo once, and it was a tough season....That said, the same row had Monomakh's Hat in it (which I had grown before)....Kosovo produced a little later and not as much as MH....Most heart shaped tomatoes taste similar enough (to my tastes), so I grow the better producers....
Really like Sulia's Heart too, which is red and very sweet...

Jeanne

Sulia's Heart????? Where did you come up with that one? What a surprise. But it should be PINK, not Red.

I got the seeds from Robert Richardson, an SSE member who lived in the W part of NYS, same person I initially got Chapman from all those years ago. I listed it in the 1995 Yearbook and said:

large indet, wispy leaved plant, moderate yield of huge hearts, 1-2#, very good taste.

Robert also listed in the 1995 Yearbook and said:

heirloom Italian variety from Tony Sulia, Ellwood City, PA, heart shaped, sweet, 12-16 oz.

And his original seeds fromTony gave pink fruits for him and same for me, seeds from Robert.

I just looked in the 2010 and no one lists it in the red section, but someone from GA lists it in the pink section but then says RED fruits, his source being Chuck Wyatt in 01 and Neil Lockhart lists it as a pink, seeds from me in 1995.

And Chuck got the pink seeds from me b'c I was the only source b'c Robert passed away shortly after that, and I have no way of knowing for sure that it morphed to red with Chuck. And I'm not going to go back thru my back Yearbooks to see what others say b'c I know it should be PINK.

No doubt I still have seeds for it somewhere since I've never thrown out seeds for any variety I've ever grown and saved seed from, but not too many folks would be thrilled to work with 15-16 yo seeds.

Sorry, but just seeing that variety set off a train of memories, the best of which was Robert himself, an expat from England who taught me about Bubble and Squeak and so much more. He was a hot pepper afficianado of the highest level and two of the varieties he sent me I also sent to SESE when Jeff MCCormack still owned it and they're still listed there which means that others like them as well. That's good.

[materlvr]

Thank you all for your replies! I found Kosovo to be very productive until the rat/possum found them! I probably got 35 tomatoes off one plant, and it was almost solid tomato. Marianna's Peace used to be my favorite for flavor, but if wan't very productive.

Carolyn, I've had your book for about 7 years, and consider it my bible......it's held together with a rubber band! You taught me how to save seeds (which I do every year) and have given me such tomato joy, and I thank you so much for that!

[barefootgardener]

I was really hoping to grow Kosovo this year..Heard/read a lot of great reviews on it..I received some 2004 seed from Carolyns free seed offer, but so far not one has germinated..patiently tapping my foot.. Planted Feb. 17th...

Ginny

[materlvr]

Ginny, if you are still looking for Kosovo seeds next year, I'll send you some!

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by materlvr

Ginny, if you are still looking for Kosovo seeds next year, I'll send you some!

It's a deal!!

Ginny

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by barefootgardener

I was really hoping to grow Kosovo this year..Heard/read a lot of great reviews on it..I received some 2004 seed from Carolyns free seed offer, but so far not one has germinated..patiently tapping my foot.. Planted Feb. 17th...

Ginny

Ginny, how many of the seeds that I sent did you sow and what were the conditions? I'm really surprised that you got no germination at all b'c I offered the same seeds last year and folks did get some as I recall.

I wouldn't' have thought that a one year difference would make a difference in germination, but I've said before that hearts don't have the same seed viability that non hearts do, so who knows.

What about the other seeds you got from me or did you post that in that thread and I just missed it. The kind of data you're giving me is what I need to know if I'm going to offer Kosovo or any other varieties that don't germinate well for folks in a possible future seed offer, so thanks. And I'll look in that other thread where folks are reporting germination data.

[Earl]

What about Wes? Ever tried it. Top notch, as is Kosovo.