Tomato 'Pantano Romanesco' |
Origin: Italy; Rome region
Preferred Situation: Full sun; well draining fertile acidic soil.
Harvest Date: Friday 21 September, 2012
Seed count: 15-20
Description:
75 days. A vigorous indeterminate Roman heirloom that bears good crops of meaty deep red fruit throughout the growing season. An excellent variety for both home and farmer’s market growers as it produces 12 ounce slightly ribbed fruit with a rich, intense flavour great for slicing (oooo…still warm from the garden drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, basil and feta cheese...is it lunch yet?) and for making one heck of a tasty tomato sauce whether fresh, frozen, or canned.. I have no idea why this ultimate Italian beefsteak variety is rare…perhaps too much snacking and too little seed saving!
Notes:
Open pollinated. Bigger the roots at transplant (mid May) bigger the harvest. Prune sparingly. Protect from rain; water at plant base never foliage except foliar feeds. Heavy feeder; use balanced organic fertilizer. Excess nitrogen= leaves no fruit; no calcium=blossom end rot; extreme heat=blossom drop.
Cultivation:
Sow 5 mm deep. Keep moist; plastic cover improves success. Opt. germination temp: 18-25 C. Days to germ: 5-10. All tomatoes drop their blooms when temperatures reach 85 F or greater, so make sure your tomatoes don't get over heated. Blossom end rot is a nutritional disorder where a lack of calcium causes the fruit to rot from the blossom end so be sure you use something like rock phosphate (22% calcium) when amending your tomato beds/growing medium. Use mulch to retain moisture or prevent water from splashing up on your plants as tomatoes hate having their foliage wet...NEVER WATER FROM ABOVE...its like someone splashing a cold bucket of water on you! See our tomato article under 'Confessions of a Mad Gardener' for growing information.
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