"Piennolo Giallo del Vesuvio" Yellow Storage Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum

Piennolo Giallo del Vesuvio are wondrous yellow storage and paste tomatoes selected from the more common Rosso (red) variety hailing from the volcanic shoulders of Mt. Vesuvius of Campania, Italy. Piennolo means “hanging” in the Neapolitan dialect and these tomatoes are bred to be hung and stored on the truss (cluster) for up to six months. Rich in flavor straight out of the fields, but allowing fruit to further cure in storage will concentrate its complex flavor. Maximum storage will come from healthy plants, blemish free tomatoes and optimal storage conditions. So be sure to grow in healthy soil, grade your best tomatoes for storage and keep your tomatoes in cool, dry environments. Ideally, trusses are snipped whole from the vine and hung for optimal storage but we have found that individual tomatoes can be harvested with the calyx (cap) on and gently stored with good results. Take care to not bruise the tomatoes in the storage process if harvesting individually. Using a soft aerated bedding in storage may assist. Enjoy making fresh tomato sauce into the winter months with Piennolo Giallo!

Growing Instructions:

Start Indoors 6-8 weeks before transplanting to the field after chance of last frost. If growing in a greenhouse sow 8 weeks before desired transplant date.

Plant spacing: 18" apart.

Row spacing: 28" to 32" apart

*If planting multiple rows we recommend alternating row spacing at 24 inches and 48 inches. The 24 inch row will be space for a trellis and the 48 inch row will be the walking path. This not only maximizes garden space, but also allows you to trellis two rows of tomatoes on one trellis.

There are many trellising systems and ways of pruning and caring for tomatoes. We encourage you figure out what makes the most sense for you, don't be afraid to experiment. We prefer double leader pruning with an overhead T-post and wire trellis for our field tomatoes.

Give tomatoes plenty of compost at time of planting. We also recommend a fall or spring cover crop of peas or another annual legume that will fix nitrogen for the tomato crop.

Mulching tomatoes is a good idea, however mulching in mid spring will keep soil temperature cooler and may slow growth. Mulching can be done once soil has warmed. Make sure soil pH is between 5.8 and 7.0. If plant needs a growing boost, water with nitrogen tea or compost tea a few times. If trace minerals are inadequate, sprinkle a small amount of woodash or azomite in each planting hole.

Harvest:

Harvest when tomatoes turn their full color or just shy of. If frost threatens or tomatoes fall off the vine they can be ripened indoors or in a protected location though their flavor may not be as pronounced.