Your experiences with Gregori's Altai

Dunkel · June 20, 2006

I'm growing it for the first time this year and wondered what others thought about it. It is a nice strong plant with lots of flowers and 1 set fruit so far. Just wondering how the taste ranks and is it productive. Thanks In advance.

**nctomatoman** · June 20, 2006

Brings back memories! I grew it when it first became available, from High Altitude seeds back in 1990. It was one of the better varieties of theirs I tried, and it did very well in my Pennsylvania garden. Here in North Carolina, it has not fared so well - though the medium to large, oblate pink fruit are delicious (I find them quite sweet), the variety is very disease prone in my garden. I should give it another try, perhaps in a pot, next year!

jwr6404 · June 20, 2006

It performed very well for me here in the PNW. As for taste it is 2nd only to Caspian Pink,IMO.

feldon30 · June 20, 2006

Almost always comes up in any conversation about what to grow in Houston.

Grub · June 20, 2006

Hi,

Let's see now, if my memory serves me correctly, I grew it in 2004.

It produced a heavy set of pink fruits, up to 1lb, irregular sized, sometimes a tad gnarled, but early in the season, and on a RL plant with good vigour.

Flavour was very good, about 7/10, but leaning to the tart spectrum for me and perhap evens a little one dimensional when placed upon heirloom-tomato taste yardstick of life.

Still, GA is remembered fondly as one of my very first prolific OPs. And 04 was a drought year.

Enjoy. Grub :wink:

moucheur · June 20, 2006

I loved it an am growing it again. Early, large, prolific, tasty. Most of my fruits had green shoulders, so it wasn't the most perfect looking fruit in the patch. Pick when most of the fruit is ripe and just ignore the shoulders.

KCMO_Don · June 20, 2006

Hey Dunk.... Did those seeds come from me?

PaulF · June 20, 2006

I grew GA last year in a drought year. It was listed as an early variety, but was later than most of the mid-seasons in my puny tomato patch. It produced rather small, round fruits,but when it started, it kept on producing and kept on producing. Taste for me was so-so, but ended up the salad tomato we used the most primarily because it was there and other varieties were not.

Dunkel · June 20, 2006

Thanks for the postings folks! Glad to hear it's a good tastin' mater, looking at all the flowers there will be plenty!

Yes Don I believe I did. I knew I got Sasha's Altai (didn't germinate) from you but didn't remember who I got Gregori's from. Thanks again Don.

It wasn't the earliest to set fruit for me either. West Virginia Straw, German Johnson, Mountaineer Mystery and Yellow Brandywine beat it by a few days.

KCMO_Don · June 20, 2006

Hey NO PROBLEM, buddy

I had too much "stuff" on my plate this spring and didn't start ANYTHING of my own really.

I will have quite a selection next year.... I will certainly be growing all the "gems" you sent me, so thank YOU!!

As a side note, some sort of "crud" has been hammering my raised beds, but not my in-ground plants.
I think I haven't been watering enough and that's been causing stress and blossom drop.

Take care, and keep us posted on your crop!!

Deer Park · June 20, 2006

Always performs well here in Pasadena, Texas.

One of my favorites with large 1# fruit .

Michael

gardengalrn · June 20, 2006

I grew it last year and it fell to disease before I got a decent fruit to try. I'm growing it in a bucket this year and it is loaded down with med-large fruit. Seems very productive but it along with my Sophie's Choice has had some major BER issues. Hopefully I'll get one to talk about soon. Lori

Earl · June 20, 2006

Best big early I've come across. Large plant.

Mantis · June 20, 2006

One thing that stuck in my mind when I grew it last season was that the fruit had a very similar smell to tomato foliage. I am growing it again, loved it..

June 20, 2006	#1
Dunkel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: West By God Virginia Posts: 245	Your experiences with Gregori's Altai I'm growing it for the first time this year and wondered what others thought about it. It is a nice strong plant with lots of flowers and 1 set fruit so far. Just wondering how the taste ranks and is it productive. Thanks In advance. __________________ I plant... Therefore I am. - Dunkel What the country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds. - Will Rogers

June 20, 2006	#2
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Brings back memories! I grew it when it first became available, from High Altitude seeds back in 1990. It was one of the better varieties of theirs I tried, and it did very well in my Pennsylvania garden. Here in North Carolina, it has not fared so well - though the medium to large, oblate pink fruit are delicious (I find them quite sweet), the variety is very disease prone in my garden. I should give it another try, perhaps in a pot, next year! __________________ Craig

June 20, 2006	#3
jwr6404 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: University Place, WA Posts: 481	It performed very well for me here in the PNW. As for taste it is 2nd only to Caspian Pink,IMO. __________________ Jim

June 20, 2006	#5
Grub Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,722	Down Under Hi, Let's see now, if my memory serves me correctly, I grew it in 2004. It produced a heavy set of pink fruits, up to 1lb, irregular sized, sometimes a tad gnarled, but early in the season, and on a RL plant with good vigour. Flavour was very good, about 7/10, but leaning to the tart spectrum for me and perhap evens a little one dimensional when placed upon heirloom-tomato taste yardstick of life. Still, GA is remembered fondly as one of my very first prolific OPs. And 04 was a drought year. Enjoy. Grub :wink:

June 20, 2006	#7
KCMO_Don Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: KANSAS Posts: 223	Hey Dunk.... Did those seeds come from me? __________________ GIGGITY - GIGGITY

June 20, 2006	#4
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Almost always comes up in any conversation about what to grow in Houston.

June 20, 2006	#6
moucheur Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Boston, Mass. Posts: 50	I loved it an am growing it again. Early, large, prolific, tasty. Most of my fruits had green shoulders, so it wasn't the most perfect looking fruit in the patch. Pick when most of the fruit is ripe and just ignore the shoulders.

June 20, 2006	#8
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	I grew GA last year in a drought year. It was listed as an early variety, but was later than most of the mid-seasons in my puny tomato patch. It produced rather small, round fruits,but when it started, it kept on producing and kept on producing. Taste for me was so-so, but ended up the salad tomato we used the most primarily because it was there and other varieties were not.

June 20, 2006	#10
KCMO_Don Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: KANSAS Posts: 223	Hey NO PROBLEM, buddy I had too much "stuff" on my plate this spring and didn't start ANYTHING of my own really. I will have quite a selection next year.... I will certainly be growing all the "gems" you sent me, so thank YOU!! As a side note, some sort of "crud" has been hammering my raised beds, but not my in-ground plants. I think I haven't been watering enough and that's been causing stress and blossom drop. Take care, and keep us posted on your crop!! __________________ GIGGITY - GIGGITY

June 20, 2006	#11
Deer Park Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Pasadena, Texas Posts: 199	Always performs well here in Pasadena, Texas. One of my favorites with large 1# fruit . Michael

June 20, 2006	#12
gardengalrn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas, zone 5 Posts: 524	I grew it last year and it fell to disease before I got a decent fruit to try. I'm growing it in a bucket this year and it is loaded down with med-large fruit. Seems very productive but it along with my Sophie's Choice has had some major BER issues. Hopefully I'll get one to talk about soon. Lori __________________ ~Lori "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln

June 20, 2006	#13
Earl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,278	Best big early I've come across. Large plant.

June 20, 2006	#14
Mantis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Oz Posts: 1,241	One thing that stuck in my mind when I grew it last season was that the fruit had a very similar smell to tomato foliage. I am growing it again, loved it..