Amelia - VFFFNSt, TSW, Determinate, Hybrid

[jerryinfla]

I'm trialing these this season because I have root knot nematodes (RKNs) and I also have to deal with all sorts of fungal diseases and pests here in central Florida. I set out three Amelia plants - one in a container, one in a bed that I knew had RKNs and one in a new bed that I had just completed. Fruit from the container planted Amelia was the first to ripen of 12 tomatoes that I'm trialing and was also my first success growing in a container. I pulled another dead tomato plant from the bed I knew had RKNs and it had serious RKN issues so I removed the three other tomatoes from that bed - one being the Amelia and it had no RKN issues. Below is a photo of ripe, blushing and frying size green fruits I picked from the Amelia plant I pulled -- and this is what was left after we've been eating ripe fruit from it for a couple of weeks. Based on this trial, I conclude that Amelia is indeed RKN resistant, more tolerant of diseases than most other tomatoes that I'm growing, a good producer and for a hybrid doesn't taste all that bad -- not in the ballpark with some heirlooms but better than anything we've ever bought at the supermarket.

[b54red]

Amelia is a favorite of commercial growers because of its strong disease tolerance and heavy production. It is the only determinate I have ever seen where they recommend some pruning so it is obviously more vigorous than most.

I am trialing it as a rootstock to help with my awful fusarium wilt problem along with some other resistant tomato varieties. I am anxious to see how it does. I am planning on setting out a couple without grafting onto them as fall tomatoes to see how they perform in the miserable heat of mid and late summer.

Bill

[jerryinfla]

Bill - I can see why Amelia is a favorite among commercial growers. In addition to the attributes we've mentioned, it's also firm not mushy so it should travel well, it keeps longer than many other tomatoes I've trialed and it's relatively blemish free. It should be a good money maker for them. I hope it proves to be good grafting stock for you too. It will definitely be on my future grow lists.