I have grown polish linguisa for the past 2 years after receiving one plant from a friend and loving it so much I've saved the seeds. Th...Read Moreis is a keeper for me and this year I'm planting it exclusively for both my daughters' and my gardens. They are delicious eating fresh, as well as being the perfect tomato for sauces and salsa.
I live in a very dry region that gets under 10" of rain a year, so additional watering is needed every few days (about 2 litres per plant) and I make sure they are planted about a foot deep with a well so there is no runoff. I space them 3' apart and place the heavy cages immediately so as to not have problems later.
My seeds are already soaking and I plan on planting them into plugs tomorrow if I see sprouting. I'm hoping to get them out into my unheated tunnel by the first of May.
Since we do have a short frost free season here I pick the majority of them green and ripen them in the house, leaving the smaller ones on the vine to continue to grow and be picked, covering them at night until hit by a heavy killing frost.
My yields have been great with amazingly big 5-6" tomatoes that have nice cylinder shapes with the pointy ends, big and meaty without a lot of seeds but I do have to be vigilant about the watering or I get some blossom end rot, but I have to say it's minimal.
Overall I give it a 10 out of 10.
This plant started out like gang busters. It did start to set fruit but ended up with alot of rotten fruit. We did get a large amount of ...Read Morehard rain, which affected all of my paste tomatoes.More so than the cherry and beefsteak types. But this one seemed to handle the extra water very pourly. I was disapointed because I was really looking forward to this tomato. I may try again but if I have other paste tomatoes that hold up better, I will stick with them.
I grow these every year. If you make sauce and want a massive paste tomato, this is the one! They are giants! I even amazed my husband...Read More and his 3 brothers who have been crop farmers all of their lives. These were about the size of a large grapefruit for me and then add the pointy end and some were even doubles (twins). Nice tomato flavor, very meaty and few seeds (great for sauce). Plants get big and tomatoes heavy, so need good staking.
I grew this last year from seed, from "Cook's Garden". I must note that this company's seed packets have very little useful information ...Read Moreon specific cultivars! In my Cape Cod garden, this plant was a disappointment, having caught some sort of icky wilt before it could yield much fruit. The fruit I got was merely average in taste and texture. I must note, however, that I gave one of my seedlings to my neighbor who planted it in a fancy container system, and Loved the plant...both the yield and the flavor. Because of this I have grown it again from last year's viable seeds...one to give to her again, and one to try in a container at my own house (not in my garden bed). I'll keep you posted, but for now, I say "Not Worth It".
New York & Terrell, TX (Zone 8b) | July 2004 | positive
Vigorous indeterminate vines bear 3 to 4 inch pointed red fruits 1 to 2 inches in diameter that are meaty enough for saucing or drying, ...Read Morebut good enough to eat out of hand of slice for salads and sandwiches.
Growing Zones: Zones 4 - 10
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Fruit Color: Red
Fruit Size: 3 - 4 in long
Fruit Diameter: 1 - 2 in
Fruit Weight: 4 oz - 8 oz
Plant Habit: Vining
Uses: Outdoor
Additional Features: Heirloom, Edible
Seed purchased from: Cooksgarden.com
They've made it dispite the fact that I've found Japanese Beetles trying to get at them. I've managed to keep them at bay using a homemade hot pepper spray. Can't wait to taste them; I've not tried them yet.
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Growing Seedlings: Don't start too early! Root-bound, leggy plants that have open flowers or fruit when planted out may remain stunted and produce poorly! Sow in flats, using soilless peat-based mix (NOT potting soil). 5-6 weeks before plants can be transplanted out after frost danger. Keep temperature of the starting mix at 75-90°F (24-32°C); tomato seeds germinate very slowly in cooler soil. When first true leaves develop, transplant into plug trays or 3-4" pots for large, stocky 7-8 week transplants for earliest crops. Grow seedlings at 60-70°F (16-21°C). Water only enough to keep the mix from drying. Fertilize with fish emulsion or a soluble complete fertilizer.
Transplanting Outdoors: Transplant into medium-rich garden or field soil 12-24" apart for determinate varieties, 24-36" apart for indeterminate, unstaked varieties, and 14-20" for staking. Water seedlings with a high-phosphate fertilizer solution. For earliest crops, set plants out around the last frost date under floating row covers (see Index) which will protect from frost to about 28°F (-2°C). If possible, avoid setting out unprotected plants until night temperatures are over 45°F (7°C). Frost will cause severe damage!
Vigorous plants start ripening early and bear right through the season. Indeterminate.
Resistant to diseases: Fusarium Wilt (Race 1), Tobacco Mosaic Virus. Does well when grown in a container. Does especially well when started in, or grown in, a greenhouse environment.
Fertilizer: Abundant soil phosphorus is important for early high yields. Too much nitrogen causes rampant growth and soft fruits susceptible to rot. Fertilize with fish emulsion or a soluble complete fertilizer.
Pruning And Staking: Variety should be staked, trellised, or caged, and pruned for best results; fruit ripens over an extended period.
Diseases: Refer to a good Extension publication or Identifying Vegetable Diseases. Learn the common tomato diseases in your area. Select resistant varieties. For prevention, use young, healthy transplants, avoid overhead irrigation, plow in tomato plant refuse in the fall, rotate crops, and **__Do not__ handle tobacco or smoke before handling these plants.** Fungicides can reduce certain diseases when properly selected and applied.
Blossom End Rot: Prevent it by providing abundant soil calcium and an even supply of soil moisture.
Insect Pests: Use rotenone to discourage flea beetles on seedlings. Tomato hornworms can be controlled with Dipel. Use BT for potato beetle larvae, and rotenone or pyrethrin for adults.
Harvest: Fully vine-ripen fruit only for local retailing or use. To deliver sound fruit, pick fruit less ripe the further the distance and the longer the time between the field and the customer.
Storage: Store firm, ripe fruit 45-60°F (7-16°C) for 4-7 days.
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Never; ever handle or use *_any kind_* of tobacco products when going near tomato plants; or handling of seeds of tomatoes. This causes them to grow weak and rot early on. It may even shock them into not producing any fruit at all. And it's a proven fact; no longer an old farmers myth.
I don't know the origen of this cultivar but it is classified as an heirloom. A giant paste tomato that can reach 10 ounces. Shaped like ...Read Morea sausage tomato with a pointy end.
I have grown polish linguisa for the past 2 years after receiving one plant from a friend and loving it so much I've saved the seeds. Th...Read More
This plant started out like gang busters. It did start to set fruit but ended up with alot of rotten fruit. We did get a large amount of ...Read More
I grow these every year. If you make sauce and want a massive paste tomato, this is the one! They are giants! I even amazed my husband...Read More
I grew this last year from seed, from "Cook's Garden". I must note that this company's seed packets have very little useful information ...Read More
Vigorous indeterminate vines bear 3 to 4 inch pointed red fruits 1 to 2 inches in diameter that are meaty enough for saucing or drying, ...Read More
I don't know the origen of this cultivar but it is classified as an heirloom. A giant paste tomato that can reach 10 ounces. Shaped like ...Read More