*Ark of Taste Heirloom* Fiaschetto is a regional treasure of Puglia in Southeast Italy complete with a designated Slow Food presidia. These small, 2-3 oz, plum-shaped tomatoes with a slight nipple at the blossom end hang like grapes from the bushy determinate plants in such prolific quantities that we eventually had to just stop picking them because we couldn’t keep up with the processing. In Puglia it is preferred even over the more famous San Marzano as the base of passata di pomodoro, an uncooked tomato sauce that emphasizes the freshness and fruitiness of the tomatoes. Here at the farm, we put up several quarts of delicious sauce, but later found perhaps an even better use for it: drying. It is the perfect size for halving and dehydrating for enjoying in the winter months on your pastas and pizzas. The harvests are extremely early for a paste type and conveniently concentrated for processing purposes. The most productive plum/paste type we’ve grown and unlike many varieties of the hot Mediterranean south, well adapted to our climate. Determinate. 65-70 days. UO
Transplant out after danger offrost (50+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" spacing in rows 5' apart.
EMERGENCE:
10-14 days @ soil temp 70-85F
LIGHT:
Full sun
FERTILITY:
Medium-Heavy. Prefers well-drained, well-balanced fertile soil with a pH between 6.0-7.5. 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.
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.
