(Lycopersicon esculentum) While the first consideration has to be flavor (of course!!), once that standard has been met, there's just something fun about giant tomatoes. This northern Italian saucer was introduced to us by a friend and former employee and has provided much joy over the past several seasons at our home farm. Named for the Piedmont spa town, Acqui Terme, renowned since Roman times for its thermal baths, these are the biggest ox-heart types we've ever seen, averaging in the 1.5-2 lb range, and practically need to be carried with two hands! They pack a lot of rich flavor in all that fruit, and the dense flesh, with very little seed and gel spaces, cooks quickly into a wonderful passata. Flavor for fresh eating is also outstanding, and the huge size makes for great meaty sandwich slices as well. For such a large tomato, it was totally reasonable in outdoor field production even in our far northern locale. Not the earliest, naturally, given its size, but it hits hard when its time comes.
80 days. Indeterminate. UO

Packet: 20 seeds

[split]

Growing Info

SOWING:

Sow 5-8 weeks before your last frost date.

Transplant out after danger of frost (45+F nighttime temps).

Note: Don't start too early or plants will be leggy and root-bound! Tomatoes do well in clay to loam soils.

PLANTING DEPTH:

1/8-1/4"

SPACING:

18-30" spacing in rows 5' apart.

EMERGENCE:

5-10 days @ soil temp 70-85F

LIGHT:

Full sun

FERTILITY:

Medium-Heavy. Prefers well-drained, well-balanced fertile soil with a pH between 6.0-7.0. Note that excess Nitrogen will encourage foliage, not fruit! Low calcium and irregular watering will result in blossom end rot.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Row cover may be used for extra warmth and possible earlier fruit set.

Irregular watering can result in blossom end rot. Even watering and supplemental calcium can help prevent this.

Plant deeply to encourage healthy root structure.

Indeterminate varieties may benefit from pruning suckers to encourage air flow, plant health, and energy towards plant top and fruit.

Determinate varieties do not need pruning.

Trellis Indeterminate varieties! We really like the Florida weave.

Tomato, 'Cuore Antico di Acqui Terme'