Tomato of the Week- Stupice!

How many times, I'm sure you wonder, is this woman going to write about the Stupice (Stoo-peach-ka) variety of tomato? I make no promises this is the last time.  In fact it won't be because when they are ready this year (oh yes!) I'll be reporting about it.

I have about a hundred or so Stupice in one of the hoop houses now, fruiting and blossoming like crazy.

To say this spring has thrown off my planting schedule is a tad bit of an understatement. 

My general rule with the early Stupice is to seed them indoors on Feb 15th (check), transplant them in bigger pots March 15th (check), and plant them in the hoop house April 15th .

No check.

This year it was just too darn cold and it made more sense to keep them in the pots and keep them warm, than it did to risk total annihilation at the mercy of the elements despite the plastic protection.

I suppose I finally got them in the ground in the hoop house by May 1st or so.  

No matter. 

Now they are huge.  To wit....

Well, they are actually a bit bigger than this as of today, but Mollie has been using my camera a whole lot to take fabulous videos (see above).  So the battery is recharging right now.

Ahh, yes. Stupice. This is one charitable little Czechoslovakian tomato (rajce!). A giver. I've heard it said that it will set fruit in 38 degree F temperatures, I know it produces like mad all season, then carries on and takes just a bit more cool weather in our Canadian climate.  

It is a reasonably compact plant for an indeterminate tomato, about 4 ft tall and distinctive because of it's potato leaf, like the well- known Brandywine tomato.

I know it isn't fancy, fuzzy, stripy or anything but a simple small red tomato.  But I have huge respect and admiration for it. When other plants are thinking about growing, it surges to get that very fine flavoured fruit out to you. A workhorse. It makes me happy.   I anticipate that it will, as it is every year, be the first tomato I eat this year. It will also be the last.  There will be many in between, but truly none I enjoy quite as much.

Something about firsts.  First loves, first pets and first tomatoes.

There are other early tomatoes that I know people rave about. Latah, Early Wonder, Sophies Choice.  All good, I grow them all. 

I just like Stupice more.

My Stupice plants are sold out for this year.  Every year I grow more and more and it just seems to me that other people feel the same way as I do about them once they try them.

But tune back in again soon for a report on how the first tomato of my year tastes.  I'm anticipating rich, juicy and just darn good tomato-ey flavour.  Lots of green tomatoes...waiting for the red!


Stupice is a tomato to try.  Growing it this year?  Let me know when you bite into your first Stupice!

(AND, I still have tomato plants for sale..."lycopersicon for a loonie sale". Translated that is "a buck a tomato plant." )