This humble wild-type tomato from the Philippines surprised us with its huge production and low maintenance. From mid-season onwards, you will have tons of small, red, mostly scalloped fruit, but also some fruits that are rounder in shape. Its irregular shape speaks to its more wild/less cultivated ancestry. Filipino #2 has very good flavour, more on the tart side, with a bit of sweetness. It was collected in the Philippines and then donated to the US Department of Agriculture in 1961. In the USDA narrative, Filipino #2 is described as follows:
Plant vigorous, indeterminate; fruit 2 by 3 inches, flat, lobed, rough [scalloped/ ribbed] …Sets fruit in a humid, rainy climate. Has resistance to late blight.
Our seed comes from the Donald Branscomb tomato collection via Seed Savers Exchange.
Note there is another tomato called ‘Phillipine No 2’ (which we also have in our collection). Although both come from the Philippines, these are different tomatoes. ‘Philippine No. 2’ was collected earlier (in 1949 by Simon Barbadillo and then donated to the USDA) and is believed to be the variety that is responsible for the introduction of the gf gene (green flesh gene) that gave rise to many of the black, purple and brown tomato lines (Barry and Pandey 2009; Kerr 1956).
How to Plant: Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Plant seed 5mm (¼ inch) deep. Keep moist. When true leaves appear, transplant to a larger container if needed. Transplant outside after the danger of frost has passed/later spring.
