Gildo Pietroboni

[b54red]

Has anyone else had any experience with this variety. From what I read it is supposed to be very late; but mine was one of the earliest to set some fruit. The vine is large and the fruit look like they will be very large. So far it is one of my best looking plants and it has a decent amount of fruit already set. I'm hoping it will be as good tasting as it looks.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by b54red

Has anyone else had any experience with this variety. From what I read it is supposed to be very late; but mine was one of the earliest to set some fruit. The vine is large and the fruit look like they will be very large. So far it is one of my best looking plants and it has a decent amount of fruit already set. I'm hoping it will be as good tasting as it looks.

Yes, I grew it last summer.

But I didn't get enough seeds to SSE list or offer in my seed offer here so it's being grown this summer by I think Lee in NC, for more seeds.

large red, excellent taste and I don't recall it being all that late.

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/w...ldo_Pietroboni

My seeds from Neil Gillard, a long time tomato friend in Canada who also posts here at Tville and is mentioned in the above link.

No commercial sources to date but has been making the rounds to quite a few folks. Once I get enough seeds I'll no doubt send some to the commercial seed sites which I've been sending seeds to for many years for trial, which would include Sandhill, TGS, and more lately Adam Gleckler and Mike Dunton at Victory Seeds. I used to send elsewhere but enough is enough these days and Linda at TGS is so far behind she hasn't even gotten to ones I sent her a couple of years ago except for Orange Minsk which she loved so hopefully that one will appear possibly for 2012, maybe later, I don't know for sure b'c she has to subcontract out.

[b54red]

Thanks, Carolyn. I can say one thing about it and that is it is one impressive looking plant and the fruit are even more impressive. The only other heart I have grown with fruit this large was Donskoi and the plant was not nearly as robust. I'm hoping it will be as tasty as Donskoi.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by b54red

Thanks, Carolyn. I can say one thing about it and that is it is one impressive looking plant and the fruit are even more impressive. The only other heart I have grown with fruit this large was Donskoi and the plant was not nearly as robust. I'm hoping it will be as tasty as Donskoi.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ght=pietroboni

Here's the thread that Tania linked to at her site for this variety, going back to 2009, and you can clearly see that not all fruits are heart shaped. Neil Gillard first listed it in the SSE YEarbook as is also noted in Tania's info for this variety and in his Yearbook listing he also said not all fruits were heart shaped, and that's the same that I found as well.

And fruit sizes vary so I wouldn't necessarily look for 3# hearts OR beefsteaks, which is the other fruit form found on plants of this variety.

[b54red]

I did notice that a few of the fruits look like beefsteaks; but most seem to be hearts and very big ones.

[retiree]

Gildo Pietroboni set quickly as I recall, so was early. The tomatoes were large to

very large and most were hearts but some were beefsteak types. I wished I'd

grown it this year again but there are so many others to try. Maybe next year!

Neil G. (Canada)

[b54red]

Well I picked my first one today and it was fairly large at 20 ounces. I picked it at first blush because the dry weather we are having is causing the birds and squirrels to really go after the ripening toms. Every time I have waited for a little more color I end up with a chewed up mess. I'm also having an army worm problem so I had to spray after I picked this morning. I tried hand picking but found I don't have near enough hands for over 100 plants and the worms were really starting to do some widespread damage to both foliage and fruit.

[NewWestGardener]

I'm puzzled by my Gildo P seedlings. They appeared to be thin and weak, both leaves and stems. They are not nearly as vigorous as many of my other varieties, grown under same condition. I'm wondering if it was a mixup. What do yours look like at seedling/young plant stage? Please share your experience and observations. Thanks.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by NewWestGardener

I'm puzzled by my Gildo P seedlings. They appeared to be thin and weak, both leaves and stems. They are not nearly as vigorous as many of my other varieties, grown under same condition. I'm wondering if it was a mixup. What do yours look like at seedling/young plant stage? Please share your experience and observations. Thanks.

This is one of the most vigorous hearts I have ever seen. I have kept mine pruned to only a couple of stems because of the dense foliage. The stems are stouter than any other heart I have grown and the foliage isn't even wispy. Mine is starting to get fusarium so I will try to go out and get a picture of it for you and post it before it gets too ugly.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by NewWestGardener

I'm puzzled by my Gildo P seedlings. They appeared to be thin and weak, both leaves and stems. They are not nearly as vigorous as many of my other varieties, grown under same condition. I'm wondering if it was a mixup. What do yours look like at seedling/young plant stage? Please share your experience and observations. Thanks.

I think several folks have shared their experience with you but I'll chime in and say that it was a very vigorous plant for me.

If all your other plants look great under the same conditions then may I ask what the source of your seeds is?

[b54red]

Below are some pics I just took of my Gildo Pietroboni about 10 minutes ago.

First is the whole plant and you can see the yellowing leaves from fusarium but it has not shown any wilting yet. The plant at this point has stems reaching above my 7 foot trellis.

Second photo shows the foliage and fruit at chest height above any fusarium signs.

Third is a tomato that is definitely beefsteak in shape.

Fourth shows a cluster of hearts.