Tomato Rocky/ lessons on preservation vs. practicality
Sept 1, 2014 11:28:56 GMT -6
heavyhitterokra likes this
Post by macmex on Sept 1, 2014 11:28:56 GMT -6
This is a picture of Tomato Rocky, the closest thing I have to a McLaughlin family heirloom, as opposed to (Swalley family heirlooms which we received from my wife's family). I grew up in NJ. My father set the example in our family for the love of gardening. We grew most of our vegetables and fruit (23 or 24 different types of fruit on one acre!). Some of my fondest memories revolve around time spent in the garden with my Dad, and in the kitchen with Mom.
In 1973 a good friend of ours, Rocky Mastrodomenico (Mastro for short) gave my father seed of this tomato. One of Rocky's Italian friends had brought the seed back from Italy, when visiting family. He grew it in northern New Jersey and commented to friends what a great tasting tomato it was. Rocky and another friend went up to see it. When they got there, their friend wasn't in. They still went around and examined the tomato, in the garden. They were impressed. Rocky picked up a rotted fruit, from off the ground and got his own seed. A few years later he shared with my father.
My father dubbed the variety "Tomato Rocky." Rocky simply called it "that Italian tomato." Dad grew it the whole time I was in high school. But it proved susceptible to late blight and we had lots of problems with that. So, by the time I left for college he stashed his seed and moved on to other varieties.
I went through college, was married and went on to grad school (Grace Theological Seminary). In 1983 I became exceedingly interested in preservation. So, I wrote my father, asking if he still had seed to Tomato Rocky. He sent me some and I grew it in Winona Lake, Indiana. Tomato Rocky produced like gangbusters in Indiana! We had plenty of fruit for paste, fresh eating and even for drying. Tomato Rocky proved superior for drying. The flavor of this tomato, when dried, was phenomenally strong. We could eat it just like dried fruit!
But after seminary we never lived anywhere that it did particularly well. For years, I would plant this one and get back only one or two tomatoes per plant sown. It would start to set fruit and get hit hard by blight, dying after only producing a couple of fruit. In Mexico, where we spent 13 years, I only succeeded in harvesting any tomatoes, of any type, just once. Rocky wasn't among those. Fortunately I had distributed seed to others before leaving the country. When we returned to the USA, in 2001, I obtained more seed and tried again. But, again, in NJ, I only got a "dribble of a crop." Moving to Oklahoma only made our "dribble" dry up more. Tomato Rocky didn't do well in extreme heat. But I continued growing it, about every other year.
This year I did some things differently with it. First, I planted it right at the front of the garden. For some reason, anything at the very entrance of the garden does best. Perhaps the saying is true, "The gardener's foot prints are the best fertilizer for a garden." Secondly, I laid a deep leaf mulch BEFORE planting. This would prevent any splashing of soil on its leaves. And, thirdly, the plant has enjoyed milder temperatures and more abundant precipitation. I have also watered when necessary.
Here's a picture of some of the harvest.
Here's a picture of the interior of this tomato. Notice, that it is a plum shaped beefsteak. Most plums are not beefsteaks.
Okay, so what's to learn here. Well, for one, preservation sometimes flies in the face of practicality. I would never grow Tomato Rocky, as a main crop, here in Oklahoma; maybe in Northern Illinois or Northern Indiana, where I've heard glowing reports, but not in Oklahoma. Yet it is a superior tomato in certain respects. It is part of my heritage. I treasure it. I honestly don't trust others to maintain it. Others have it. Hopefully they will maintain it. But I can't count on it. Over the years I sent far too many seed samples to the Seed Savers Exchange or to other seed savers, only to have them disappear into a "black hole," to trust like that. So, if you're really interested in preservation, you should consider preserving something which isn't a super star performer, but has merit for other reasons. (Don't just go looking for a poor performer either!)
I do have hope of producing a productive cross of Tomato Rocky. I had a cross once. But the cross was worthless. But now, when I plant it, I plant it adjacent to another good plum tomato, in hopes that a cross will turn up; one which is more resistant to blight and heat. Whenever that cross appears, I will select for the traits I want. In the mean time, I will experiment with ways to produce Tomato Rocky more and more dependably.
As a rule, however, it is best to focus primarily on varieties which are best adapted to our region. Just keep in mind that some varieties will have superior traits set in a mix of inferior traits. True preservation varieties often will not compete with the latest and greatest. Still, they have value.
George
Tahlequah, OK
In 1973 a good friend of ours, Rocky Mastrodomenico (Mastro for short) gave my father seed of this tomato. One of Rocky's Italian friends had brought the seed back from Italy, when visiting family. He grew it in northern New Jersey and commented to friends what a great tasting tomato it was. Rocky and another friend went up to see it. When they got there, their friend wasn't in. They still went around and examined the tomato, in the garden. They were impressed. Rocky picked up a rotted fruit, from off the ground and got his own seed. A few years later he shared with my father.
My father dubbed the variety "Tomato Rocky." Rocky simply called it "that Italian tomato." Dad grew it the whole time I was in high school. But it proved susceptible to late blight and we had lots of problems with that. So, by the time I left for college he stashed his seed and moved on to other varieties.
I went through college, was married and went on to grad school (Grace Theological Seminary). In 1983 I became exceedingly interested in preservation. So, I wrote my father, asking if he still had seed to Tomato Rocky. He sent me some and I grew it in Winona Lake, Indiana. Tomato Rocky produced like gangbusters in Indiana! We had plenty of fruit for paste, fresh eating and even for drying. Tomato Rocky proved superior for drying. The flavor of this tomato, when dried, was phenomenally strong. We could eat it just like dried fruit!
But after seminary we never lived anywhere that it did particularly well. For years, I would plant this one and get back only one or two tomatoes per plant sown. It would start to set fruit and get hit hard by blight, dying after only producing a couple of fruit. In Mexico, where we spent 13 years, I only succeeded in harvesting any tomatoes, of any type, just once. Rocky wasn't among those. Fortunately I had distributed seed to others before leaving the country. When we returned to the USA, in 2001, I obtained more seed and tried again. But, again, in NJ, I only got a "dribble of a crop." Moving to Oklahoma only made our "dribble" dry up more. Tomato Rocky didn't do well in extreme heat. But I continued growing it, about every other year.
This year I did some things differently with it. First, I planted it right at the front of the garden. For some reason, anything at the very entrance of the garden does best. Perhaps the saying is true, "The gardener's foot prints are the best fertilizer for a garden." Secondly, I laid a deep leaf mulch BEFORE planting. This would prevent any splashing of soil on its leaves. And, thirdly, the plant has enjoyed milder temperatures and more abundant precipitation. I have also watered when necessary.
Here's a picture of some of the harvest.
Here's a picture of the interior of this tomato. Notice, that it is a plum shaped beefsteak. Most plums are not beefsteaks.
Okay, so what's to learn here. Well, for one, preservation sometimes flies in the face of practicality. I would never grow Tomato Rocky, as a main crop, here in Oklahoma; maybe in Northern Illinois or Northern Indiana, where I've heard glowing reports, but not in Oklahoma. Yet it is a superior tomato in certain respects. It is part of my heritage. I treasure it. I honestly don't trust others to maintain it. Others have it. Hopefully they will maintain it. But I can't count on it. Over the years I sent far too many seed samples to the Seed Savers Exchange or to other seed savers, only to have them disappear into a "black hole," to trust like that. So, if you're really interested in preservation, you should consider preserving something which isn't a super star performer, but has merit for other reasons. (Don't just go looking for a poor performer either!)
I do have hope of producing a productive cross of Tomato Rocky. I had a cross once. But the cross was worthless. But now, when I plant it, I plant it adjacent to another good plum tomato, in hopes that a cross will turn up; one which is more resistant to blight and heat. Whenever that cross appears, I will select for the traits I want. In the mean time, I will experiment with ways to produce Tomato Rocky more and more dependably.
As a rule, however, it is best to focus primarily on varieties which are best adapted to our region. Just keep in mind that some varieties will have superior traits set in a mix of inferior traits. True preservation varieties often will not compete with the latest and greatest. Still, they have value.
George
Tahlequah, OK
Not sure if this will work or not, If it does.... this is a picture of the paste tomato that I grow with very few seeds and wispy foliage. I have read catalog descriptions and the 'Opalka' variety seems to be the closest match.
