tree tomatoe from Gardeners Choice

Hello everyone: Just wondering if anyone has ever planted this tree tomatoe advertised by Gardeners Choice. It was in the Houston Chronicle Ad section today and claims to produce 60 lbs of tomatoes on a 8 ft tall tree in just 3 months. On sale 2 for 6.98. Would love to try it if this is true. Just checking to see if anyone has purchased it before. Thanks. Joann

I recieved an ad from Gurney's with a similar product. Doesn't mention a variety. Price is about the same.

I would like to know more too

Hi There,

I read a review somewhere about these tree tomatoes and it didn't sound too hot. They grew but the fruits taste different than regular garden tomatoes and are used differently. I haven't tried it myself though. I have been tempted! Here is a link I found. Scroll way down it talks about tree tomatoes.

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/tomato1.html

Let us know if you take the plunge and how it goes!
Laura

Wow 60 pounds if the tomatoe farmers find out about this they will all be switching to this for their commerical crops.

Me thinks this is shennigans let us know how this works out for you. Ernie

I don't know whether it is the case with these advertisements, but a few years ago a spate of promotions appeared about tree tomatoes - the cultivar actually being offered was the tamarillo, a distant relative of the tomatillo. I've never tasted one, but some of the California Rare Fruit Growers like them. http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/tamarillo.html

This cultivar has been around for 50-60 years. It is also known as Trip-L-Crop. Never grew it myself and Never heard any glowing reports praising it but... why not?? just for fun!
LarryD

Is this the same as the Italian Tree Tomato from Rush Industries?

Have not seen the adds so I can't tell. In recent years there has been a rash of ads for the Cyphomandra betacea
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/tree_tomato.html#Origin%20and%20Distribution
http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/tamarillo.html

And Yes, Larry the old Burgess Trip-L-Crop was featured in a zillion adds of this type in the 50's and 60's. Nothing is as good as the hype, but that old Trip_L- Crop is one of my favorite pink beefsteaks. It does not have a great deal of disease resistance so I can't grow it here, but it did well in Virginia. Huge vine, My neighbor and I tried to replicate the ad picture of the lady picking tomatoes from the second story window. By pruning to a single leader, we got them to 25 ft. Grown in cages, the vines are about the same as a Brandywine. It is a much more prolific bearer tho. Taste, one of the best in my mouth, but round red advocates with whom I shared thought it bland.

I saw an actual tree in a pot with what looked like tomatoes growing on it at a yard sale once. I guess it must have been the tamarillo.

Cindy

i too saw the add. i figure when things look to good to be true they usually aren't.

Any indeterminate tomato will reach "high in the sky". I raise tomatoes in a greenhouse. I keep them pruned to one stem. Instead of getting a ladder, these vines are carefully laid along the ground. We took the old vines out a few weeks ago. The tops were 7 feet off the ground & there was 12 ft laying on the ground. Also tomatoes don't stop growing unless they freeze or are diseased. We shut the heat off & let them freeze to kill them.
Bernie

Heres a close-up. These pics were taken Oct. 6, 2005.

Gezz, the pics made me hungry!
Bernie

Hogwash! I snookered up to the ad and was miserably disappointed. They may do Jim-dandy in a study under just right conditions, but mine yielded less than my other varieties and the taste was very mediocre!

The Climbing Trip-L-Crop {Italian Tree} seeds are sold by Totally Tomatoes. A packet of 30 seeds for $1.50.

www.totallytomato.com

Lol Janice I got 3 tomatoes and 437 bushels of vine . I only grew this because some lady I know was given two plants and wanted to share this is a positive will not grow again. Ernie

Lol Janice I got 3 tomatoes and 437 bushels of vine . I only grew this because some lady I know was given two plants and wanted to share this is a positive will not grow again. Ernie

It was my first year of gardening and I was so sure I was going to set the world on fire!!! Color me surprised!

PS - I think I got 5 tomatoes, and the "tree" grew to a whopping 3'!

Wow!

Yeah, I know! (I'm bowing at the audience over my raging success!) Can you imagine how stupid I felt? Ya lives, ya loins!

I got burned by Michigan Bulb Co. 25 years ago, so am very cautious.
Bernie

Smart man!

Lol Michagan Bulb Co got me in 1968 but not nearly as bad as gurneys gurnies mare dust you know who I mean never again for either., MBC sent me stuff for years at least 15 trying to hook me again the other is still at it but lol no no no not again. Ernie

Hey guys,

Have a current experience with them. First sent in the order with a check expecting plants and got seed pots. Called and told them how upset I was by not getting the plants, they said ok we will send you the plants. The plants arrived yesterday. Ones that still had tops on them were wilted and small. The others were broken. Planted them with care and they died in less than 24 hours. Called the company again told them how unhappy I was and that I would contact BBB about them and they said no problem the ads were on file. Then said I was a member of this site and they will refund the cost of the plants only. Providing I send in the package lable from both boxes. Hope they will make good on this promise. I will let you all know.

This message was edited Apr 5, 2006 12:50 AM

Got a reply and they sent my refund. So I guess they are an OK company. Hope others will have better success with the plants.

I've planted 5 or so seeds of Burgess Trip-L-Crop this year. My brother had ordered some of them with his seed order. Should be interesting to see how they do.