How productive is Neves Azorean Red?

[jenn_sc]

I am growing Neves Azorean Red for the first time this year. I am wondering how many of you have grown it and how productive is was for you. I only found a couple of threads about it when I did a search.

So far, they are healthy happy-looking plants. One of them even survived our freeze a couple of weeks ago (I had it well covered and mulched) and is now the greenest, best looking plant of the lot! I am excited to be growing this variety and would love to hear more about it from folks who have grown it

Jennifer

[carolyn137]

I am excited to be growing this variety and would love to hear more about it from folks who have grown it

*****

No doubt I've grown it longer than anyone else b'c the variety originated with me, and some of the GW expats might remember that originally Brian ( from OK) referred to it as Perry's Teasum before I invited the then GW members to help me name it based on the background info I'd gotten about the variety.

It was a good thing to do b'c many folks don't really know what goes into naming a new variety and there were 22 folks who posted in that thread and as thanks I sent seeds of NAR to all of them.

Taste and productivity? Sure, I know a lot, not just based on my growing it but also from feedback from many folks, so first I'll let those who are available to post to speak to those issues.

[shelleybean]

It was late getting started for me but fairly productive for a large fruited variety. It was the last plant pulled from my garden in the fall, one of the few that didn't get TSWV last summer. It continues producing smaller fruit, about 8 ounces, until almost Thanksgiving. I hope it does well for you.

[PaulF]

I received my Neve's seeds in 2003 from Charlie Bowling of Minneapolis who received his from Carolyn.

My 2004 crop was grown in Iowa in soil I had worked on for many years. Germination was 24/24. I planted one plant outside and it gave me 50 lbs (64 tomatoes) for an average of 12.5 oz per fruit. The largest tomato was 40oz. Of the 20 varieties I grew that year, Neve's was the best producer. The flavor was outstanding as I remember.

2005 was the year we moved to Nebraska and an unimproved garden. I started late and the drought was in full force along with very high temps. Neves still did OK which was better than most that year.

After a lot of work on the soil my Ne. garden was better in 2007. Neve's was a star last year as well. 12/12 germination. The one plant produced 26 lbs on 32 tomatoes. The largest was 26 oz. the largest in my tomato patch: the average was 13oz. It compared to Cuostralee for production, weight and size. As for taste, Neve's was in the top five out of 32 varieties grown in 2007.

Neve's Azorean is one of my every year tomatoes. Thank you Carolyn (and Charlie) for another of my favorites. As you see, every year and every area will give differing results. I hope you get as much pleasure out of yours as we do.

[Tomstrees]

NAR = Neves Azorean Red:

2006:
Strong seedling turned into big plant - disease tolerant
Handled high heat - moderate to high production.
Tastey (7.5 out of 10) ...

Notes from my garden journal ...

~ Tom

[MtnMaters]

NAR gets a designated spot in my garden now. Productive, hardy plants, very little cracking or splitting on fruits,which have a somewhat long counter life for an heirloom. Stalky plants that tell the wind "Bring it!" My NAR are no pansies.I've 40 or so NAR seedlings going for distribution to tomato grower friends, mainly because it is more tolerant to the garden evils than many other heirlooms and produces pretty fruit.

Taste is subjective, but NAR would squeak into my Top 5 reds list, even if it's not a Top 25 overall in the flavor category for me.

[PNW_D]

I was one of those 22!! Thank you Carolyn.
Notes from September '03 indicate - very neat and tidy plant - one great tomato- and a goodkeeper - a real classic red - although a bit late here on the coast .......

Neves are the large reds in the centre

[nctomatoman]

I have experience from 3 seasons. First time with it was very odd - huge plant, no fruit (hardly any flowers....did I get a "mule" plant???). Tried it again in a pot on my deck, and it was really good - very large, very tasty, good yield. My neighbor had it in his garden last year from a seedling I started, and it did very well - good yield and flavor. Definitely one of the higer recommended large reds.

[gardengalrn]

I have been looking forward to a real harvest of NAR, but alas, each time I've grown it, it seems to be a stink bug MAGNET for some reason. I have had a horrible problem with stink bugs and all my mid-late season varieties suffered but none like NAR. I can't say that I've had a decent sample to speak to taste.

[michael johnson]

NAR- was one of my best flavoured tomatoes last year- really tasty and huge tomtoes on it- probably due to the fact that mine were grown in a greenhouse, But-

The plant itself was very robust and healthy all season long- but oh'-so very late in the season before it produced flowers- the plant was three foot high before a single flower truss showed-which was about early july- and then from that time on it was pumping out flower trusses and fruit none stop until the frosts.

My personal opinion is- that it needs to be started very early in the season february time-in order to get the best out of it- that late production is so good, that I feel that if it was in ideal conditions of light and heat etc it would go on for several more months pumping out tomatoes by the ton- but unfortunatly diminishing light conditions and the start of winter frosts etc, usualy finish it off just at the time when its just getting into its stride and showing off a bit with what it can do for you,

A real cracker of a tomato- its a great pity no one has improved upon its early production habits.

Maybe if someone had the right light and heat conditions to offer it- and used cuttings taken from the plant when in full production in order to get the earlier production etc,they need not ever have the bother of growing any other variety as this one meets all the things one would ever wish for in a tomato except earliness , -very good disease resistance .

[Grub]

It was very good for me... high medium producer, but there are more prolific big reds... but a very good one, indeed.

[barkeater]

I grew it 2 years ago and it was my latest to produce, well into September until I picked my first one.. That is too late for me since our "normal" frost is supposed to be about that time.

For great flavored reds at their peak in early September, I prefer Big Zac, New Big Dwarf, Polish and Ramapo.

[Suze]

When I grew it, avg production, fairly late season. Very good flavor.

[epatton]

Got some as freebies last year and loved them. Even as poor as the weather was here. One of the biggest surprise tomato plants I've had in a while.

[biermaster]

This is a new one (Thanks Carolyn) for me and here are some pictures of it in an 18 gal self watering container.