Kumato Tomato

[gill_s]

Hi
Your experiment is interesting.
I have some RAF seeds and haven't tried them yet. I may follow this advice and grow them next year. What concentration of NaCl did you use?
It would be interesting to try with Kumato also.
I eventually managed a healthy Fioletovyi Kruglyi plant and although late starting, it really caught up. The fruit did resemble Kumato when fully developed. It had more tendency to split than Kumato but I thought the flavour better.
Gill

Gill

[ilex]

I grow cuarentena (another variety from the marmande family like RAF), and first tomatoes are better and bigger than later ones. It is said these tomatoes taste better with cool weather. RAF is always grown and available in cool months, never in summer.

This year I grew "negro de Olmeda" which reminds me kumato quite a bit.

[MrBig46]

Originally Posted by gill_s

Hi
Your experiment is interesting.
I have some RAF seeds and haven't tried them yet. I may follow this advice and grow them next year. What concentration of NaCl did you use?
It would be interesting to try with Kumato also.
I eventually managed a healthy Fioletovyi Kruglyi plant and although late starting, it really caught up. The fruit did resemble Kumato when fully developed. It had more tendency to split than Kumato but I thought the flavour better.
Gill

Gill

I watered by NaCl fourtimes (first time 2.7.2013). I shall water the tomato RAF by NaCl tomorrow too. I give 1 teaspoon of NaCl/ 1 liter of water. This I give to one plant of tomato in 40 liters container. I cannot say, what effect had NaCl on the flavour of tomatoes, because I planted tomatoes out of NaCl in the bed and only one tomato with NaCl in container. It is important for me, that tomatoes from container smack me. I shall cultivate tomato RAF in the container with NaCl next year too.
Vladimír

[MrBig46]

Originally Posted by ilex

I grow cuarentena (another variety from the marmande family like RAF), and first tomatoes are better and bigger than later ones. It is said these tomatoes taste better with cool weather. RAF is always grown and available in cool months, never in summer.

This year I grew "negro de Olmeda" which reminds me kumato quite a bit.

One shop in Brno carries Kumato every winter. I ate Kumato never and I don´t know if his flavour is so incomparable. I ate caviar never too . Firm SEMO shops plants of original Kumato, but they are very expensive and shop this firm is 100 km from Brno. I choose in spring.
I cultivate tomato Marmade the third year in the bed (as well as RAF). The flavour is not good by me. I end with Marmade.
I read, that tomato RAF is best in the spring (plants growed in winter). But the weather in Brno is other than Almeria. Yesterday Brno 20 °C, Almeria 28 °C. And in winter?-picture. I must content with tomato RAF , which I grow in my garden.
Thank you for all your information about spanish tomatoes.
Vladimír

[ilex]

Originally Posted by MrBig46

One shop in Brno carries Kumato every winter. I ate Kumato never and I don´t know if his flavour is so incomparable. I ate caviar never too . Firm SEMO shops plants of original Kumato, but they are very expensive and shop this firm is 100 km from Brno. I choose in spring.
I cultivate tomato Marmade the third year in the bed (as well as RAF). The flavour is not good by me. I end with Marmade.
I read, that tomato RAF is best in the spring (plants growed in winter). But the weather in Brno is other than Almeria. Yesterday Brno 20 °C, Almeria 28 °C. And in winter?-picture. I must content with tomato RAF , which I grow in my garden.
Thank you for all your information about spanish tomatoes.
Vladimír

Kumato flavor is very good for a store bought tomato. Nothing to die for, there are much beter tomatoes out there, just not available at stores. When everybody is blind, one-eyed is the king.

[Durgan]

Originally Posted by ilex

Kumato flavor is very good for a store bought tomato. Nothing to die for, there are much beter tomatoes out there, just not available at stores. When everybody is blind, one-eyed is the king.

Couldn't agree more. I don't even buy store bought tomatoes off season. I have three Kumato plants grown from store bought tomatoes and the seed extracted. Sure I get a few clusters of good colour and texture but certainly nothing to brag about. Amongst a garden of various one would hardly notice them. Primarily they are too small and not prolific. Certainly Kumato don't measure up to the hype.

[MrBig46]

Ilex, Durgan- I think as well as.
Vladimír

[carolyn137]

Confession.

I cannot stand the taste of Kumato tomatoes.

This AM I was trying to find the original description that Syngenta gave when introducing them which made me laugh, as it being from the Galapagos Islands, associations with sexuality and so much more.

I couldn't find it anywhere.

But I did find a couple of links that I thought were interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumato

The above for general background.

http://www.kumato.com/en/all-rights-reserved.aspx

The above to show that Syngenta is willing to sue anyone who treds on their property rights.

I had thought it was Syngenta who introduced Kumato in the US as Rosso Bruno, but found it was a competitor, named Dulcina who did so.

I've also grown RAF, just once, I think seeds from Reinhard Kraft in Germany, but never again either.

When I think of the thousands upon thousands of great tasting varieties out there and available I just have to wonder why some folks still grow Kumato and RAF.

Yes, I know that there are many who would defend why they grow both, but I thought I'd just post to let some know that Carolyn is not one of them.

Carolyn

[Doug9345]

I think this is the story you are referring to, but it's not the original press release and most likely isn't the same article either.

http://pennyhaw.wordpress.com/2011/0...agos-tortoise/

[goodwin]

I remember hearing it was Charles Rick who observed the effect of wild Galapagos tomatoes on the mating of tortoises. That was the story or a retelling of it.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Doug9345

I think this is the story you are referring to, but it's not the original press release and most likely isn't the same article either.

http://pennyhaw.wordpress.com/2011/0...agos-tortoise/

Close Doug, but not close enough to what Syngenta initially wrote.

Carolyn

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by goodwin

I remember hearing it was Charles Rick who observed the effect of wild Galapagos tomatoes on the mating of tortoises. That was the story or a retelling of it.

Actually Dr. Rick had nothing to do with studying the mating of tortoises/tomato seeds.

What I remembered was quite different and below is an article from TGRC where it describes how he found that wild tomato seeds needed to be "processed" by going through the digestive tract of the tortoises before they would germinate.

Although not discussed in the article they later found that enzymatic treatment of the seeds allowed for good germination, no tortoises needed.

http://tgrc.ucdavis.edu/charlie.aspx

Carolyn

[gill_s]

Kumato may not be the best tasting tomato, but in our N European climate it produces consistently, is disease free, is a very good looking, blemish free tomato and keeps remarkedly well both on and off the plant. Compared to some of the other 'long keepers' I would go with it, as one of my choices, every time. It can be very sweet if allowed to get very red.

Thank you Vladimir for the NaCl information, it is worth a try. Maybe it will help flavour.

Although we are told not to use extra salt in our diets a little when eating a tomato really helps flavour. Maybe a little may help some when growing!

Gill

[ddsack]

Thanks for that, Gill! I wasn't thinking of Kumato in terms of a long keeper, but it makes perfect sense for those of us with short seasons. I saved some seed from some decent tasting grocery store fruit last winter, but never started them since I knew they couldn't compete with my usual heirlooms. But as a late started plant meant to start bearing close to the end of the season for slow ripening in storage? Will have to try that next season.

[travis]

I agree with Gil, Kumato has a few excellent qualities, among them being shelf life, crack resistance, and BRIX content.

While I'd rather not get into detail about it, Kumato's genetics might transfer beneficially and readily into someone's projects.