Introducing family heirloom - George Detsikas Italian Red

tam91 · September 4, 2014

This year, I was very excited to obtain some seed from a previously undistributed family heirloom. I received the seed from a friend of mine in Colorado. This seed came from her friend in Ontario, Canada, whose father George Detsikas had saved seeds from these tomatoes each year for decades. This seed was from the last batch that her father grew, as he passed away last year.

George was originally given the seeds over 25 years ago by an old Italian man who had brought the seeds from Italy. The family always referred to them simply as "George's Tomatoes". So I have chosen the name "George Detsikas Italian Red".

For me, even in a non-ideal location, these tomatoes were the first to ripen, and have been very vigorous and productive. They've produced good sized tomatoes, many over 1 lb. Some look to be blunt hearts, others not. They are very meaty and juicy, with a good rich old-fashioned flavor.

I have grown 3 plants in isolation, and am saving plenty of seed. Carolyn may be offering these, but I will also do a SASE offer later this fall/early winter.

ginger2778 · September 4, 2014

Tracy, they look very beautiful. Thanks for the eye candy.

Dutch · September 4, 2014

Wow, Tracy, Looks like you hit a jackpot on that one. Looks quite meaty in the pictures.
Dutch

Tracydr · September 4, 2014

Are they hearts? The one picture looks kind of heart shaped.

jhp · September 4, 2014

Looks beautiful! Very meaty looking. I bet they make good sauce! (I have a batch in the canner right now!).

Jen

KarenO · September 4, 2014

A very beautiful tomato for sure! I will watch for your seed offer. Very generous of you to share seed.
KarenO

Patihum · September 4, 2014

Appears that you have a real winner on your hands. Congratulations.

**carolyn137** · September 4, 2014

Yes, Tam told me about this one several months ago and we've been going back and forth on a proper name, and that wasn't easy.

And yes, she did send me seeds for it and Neil,one of my seed producers is getting as much seed as he can, I need to check back with him and the others who are also doing seed production for me.

Yes, Tam knew that I intended to offer it in my Jan seed offer but I didn't know she was going to make her own offer.

No problem with that since Sam (Ozark) sent me seeds for his Sweet Ozark Orange for my seed offer and also made his own seed offer.

And yes, I had one plant of it here at home that had ONE large fruit on it, my season was really awful, so not the result of the variety.

And yes, Freda brought in that fruit, and no, that one was not a heart.

The next thing for me to do was to taste it, it was on the counter with a few others, and another one I really wanted to taste was Domac, from Slovakia, so I looked for those two, they were gone,my cat doesn't eat tomatoes and when I asked Freda yesterday where they went she said they were rotten and she threw them out.

They weren't last I saw them. Ever see a grown woman cry?

Carolyn

tam91 · September 4, 2014

Oh no Carolyn! I can't believe your tomatoes were thrown out!

I'm sorry, I thought I had mentioned that I would share seed also if I managed to save enough. I did figure you wouldn't mind, since that happened with Sweet Ozark Orange - and I wasn't certain if your growers were growing these this year or not.

Tracydr - some of them seem to be blunt hearts. Others are not. It is pretty meaty.

salix · September 5, 2014

Just beautiful, congratulations. That last picture looks like a plate of watermelon!

peebee · September 5, 2014

Can't wait to try them Tracy! What a wonderful way to carry on one man's legacy.

Fusion_power · September 5, 2014

I once threw away some "rotten" tomatoes.

smirk smirk

SharonRossy · September 5, 2014

Beautiful! Would love some seeds too!
Sharon

Sun City Linda · September 5, 2014

WOW. A real beauty!

drew51 · September 5, 2014

I'm interested too. I don't like participating in big swaps, or expected to give details about a plant. So you offering seeds SASE is fine with me. Otherwise I would not obtain it. Thanks very much. I'll watch for an announcement. I grow mostly for sauce, so anything for sauce I like to try. I still want to always have new tomatoes every year. I have many seeds I want to grow, so it may be grown next year, it may not. it will be on the waiting list. I only grow about 12 plants a year. I have a lot of new sauce tomatoes to try.

September 4, 2014	#3
Dutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: S.E. Wisconsin Zone 5b Posts: 1,831	Wow, Tracy, Looks like you hit a jackpot on that one. Looks quite meaty in the pictures. Dutch __________________ "Discretion is the better part of valor" Charles Churchill The intuitive mind is a gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. But we have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. (paraphrased) Albert Einstein I come from a long line of sod busters, spanning back several centuries.

September 4, 2014	#8
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Yes, Tam told me about this one several months ago and we've been going back and forth on a proper name, and that wasn't easy. And yes, she did send me seeds for it and Neil,one of my seed producers is getting as much seed as he can, I need to check back with him and the others who are also doing seed production for me. Yes, Tam knew that I intended to offer it in my Jan seed offer but I didn't know she was going to make her own offer. No problem with that since Sam (Ozark) sent me seeds for his Sweet Ozark Orange for my seed offer and also made his own seed offer. And yes, I had one plant of it here at home that had ONE large fruit on it, my season was really awful, so not the result of the variety. And yes, Freda brought in that fruit, and no, that one was not a heart. The next thing for me to do was to taste it, it was on the counter with a few others, and another one I really wanted to taste was Domac, from Slovakia, so I looked for those two, they were gone,my cat doesn't eat tomatoes and when I asked Freda yesterday where they went she said they were rotten and she threw them out. They weren't last I saw them. Ever see a grown woman cry? Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

September 4, 2014	#9
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	Oh no Carolyn! I can't believe your tomatoes were thrown out! I'm sorry, I thought I had mentioned that I would share seed also if I managed to save enough. I did figure you wouldn't mind, since that happened with Sweet Ozark Orange - and I wasn't certain if your growers were growing these this year or not. Tracydr - some of them seem to be blunt hearts. Others are not. It is pretty meaty. __________________ Tracy

September 5, 2014	#10
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	Just beautiful, congratulations. That last picture looks like a plate of watermelon! __________________ "He who has a library and a garden wants for nothing." -Cicero

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September 4, 2014	#2
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	Tracy, they look very beautiful. Thanks for the eye candy.

September 4, 2014	#4
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	Are they hearts? The one picture looks kind of heart shaped.

September 4, 2014	#5
jhp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Danbury, CT Posts: 464	Looks beautiful! Very meaty looking. I bet they make good sauce! (I have a batch in the canner right now!). Jen

September 4, 2014	#6
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,922	A very beautiful tomato for sure! I will watch for your seed offer. Very generous of you to share seed. KarenO

September 4, 2014	#7
Patihum Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Southeast Kansas Posts: 878	Appears that you have a real winner on your hands. Congratulations.

September 5, 2014	#11
peebee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Southern CA Posts: 1,714	Can't wait to try them Tracy! What a wonderful way to carry on one man's legacy.

September 5, 2014	#12
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	I once threw away some "rotten" tomatoes. smirk smirk

September 5, 2014	#13
SharonRossy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,140	Beautiful! Would love some seeds too! Sharon

September 5, 2014	#14
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	WOW. A real beauty!

September 5, 2014	#15
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	I'm interested too. I don't like participating in big swaps, or expected to give details about a plant. So you offering seeds SASE is fine with me. Otherwise I would not obtain it. Thanks very much. I'll watch for an announcement. I grow mostly for sauce, so anything for sauce I like to try. I still want to always have new tomatoes every year. I have many seeds I want to grow, so it may be grown next year, it may not. it will be on the waiting list. I only grow about 12 plants a year. I have a lot of new sauce tomatoes to try.