Opinions on Momotaro

[barryla61]

Who has grown momotaro tomatoes? Where are you located and what did you think of them?
Thanks

[b54red]

I've grown them and they are very tasty medium sized tomatoes; but they are very susceptible to fusarium so I stopped growing them. If you don't have a fusarium problem I would highly recommend them.

[sicily]

I grew them a few years ago. I'm from Indiana. I found them to be disease prone and the flavor didn't impress me. I wasn't able to discern production because the disease did them in.

[kath]

I'm in zone 6b and grew them after I went to a local tomato taste testing in a year of record rain and they were my favorite of the MANY I tried that day. In my own garden, I found them to be annoyingly late for such a small tomato and they really lacked enough flavor to compete with the "big boys" that were ripening at the same time. I didn't have any unusual disease problems here, but won't grow them again because I like others much better that have the same number of days to maturity- and they are an expensive hybrid.

[Alpinejs]

I bought one at the local Farmer's market and found it to be fantastic. Even
to the extent of immediately earning a top ten spot with me. I hope my own
results are even close to that one.

[rnewste]

Just make sure you get the real deal F1 Hybrid seeds. Many sites are selling OP versions which are not as authentic. I'll be growing both Momotaro and Odoriko this year. F1 seeds from Kitazawa Seed Company. Momotaro is reported to be the most popular tomato variety sold in Japan.

Raybo

[Alpinejs]

I have two packets of seeds for Momotaro. One from Tomato Growers gives
no clue as to OP or F1 or whatever. The other from Winter Sown does specify
OP. So, are you saying that these won't be as good tasting as the one that
I bought at the Farmer's market. (that one was definitely among the best that
I have ever tasted.)

[rnewste]

Alpine,

Since you don't know the seed source for the Farmer's Market Momotaro tomatoes you tasted, there is no way of telling if they grew them using F1 hybrid, or OP seed. Regarding the OP seeds offered on various sites, who knows how many F(x) generations the Vendor has gone through.

As the F1 hybrid seeds are readily available from Kitazawa (and probably others), why take a chance on an unknown OP lineage if you want the "real experience"?

Raybo

[cloz]

Tomato Growers Supply lists their Momotaro as Hybrid. http://www.tomatogrowers.com/MOMOTARO/productinfo/5149/

[Marko]

I didn't have any disease issues with Momotaro, production is moderate but reliable and taste is perfect. They also have long shelf life.

[sprtsguy76]

Ray I cant wait to try these! I hope your keeping those two seeds for me warm.

Damon

[rnewste]

Damon,

I have 1 Momotaro and 1 Odoriko started for you. Will this work, or did you want a different combination?

Raybo

[Alpinejs]

Raybo.....I now have seed ordered from Kitazawa, so I will do a side-by-side
growout of all three. The only thing that bothers me now is that the seeds
that I sent out with all my Christmas cards included these seeds and raves:

Sudduth Brandywine, Cherokee Green, Marianna's Peace, Kosovo and......
drum roll.....MOMOTARO, but which seed, I am now sure. Oh well, hope they
are both pretty good.

At any rate, thanks for your alerts and input. Good ol' Tomatoville to the
rescue again!!

(Has anyone on this thread done a comparative of Momotaro OP and Hybrid? Taste??)

[doublehelix]

The OP I tried was not as sweet and was smaller. I would stick with the F1

[Bitwise Gamgee]

I grew the hybrid from TGS one year and found them to be productive, sweet, and very tasty. Mine proved to be the most disease resistant variety I grew that year ... go figure?

- Bitwise