This lovely pink-red saladette/cherry tomato is a hardy heirloom renowned for its drought tolerance and high yields.
The Nichols family in Tucson, Arizona have been saving seeds for this variety for over 50 years. Native Seed Search (Arizona), who introduced this variety to the seed trade, write: “These seeds were sent to us by the Nichols family of Tucson. Volunteer seeds that just kept coming up, they have been maintained by the family patriarch for over 50 years. This variety is well adapted to the desert; it is heat-tolerant and prefers full sunlight…and CRAZY productive.”
We will add this tomato also thrived in our short-season, Zone 4 gardens – the genetics of this tomato must be pretty mighty to be successful in both the deserts of Arizona and our cool, alpine climate.
The pink to red saladette/ cherry tomatoes (around 15 g in size), aptly called ‘rose-quartz nibbles’, by the seed savers at Good Mind Seeds, are crunchy and mild in flavour, more on the tangy side. They work well tossed in a salad, as well as cooked down for sauces and tomato soup.
The tall plants (5 ft) are robust and easy to take care of. Plants are productive mid-season right up until the first frost.
Thank you to Nancy McCormack for sharing seeds with us.
How to Plant: Start seeds indoors 6 weeks before the last frost. Plant seed 5mm (¼ inch) deep. Transplant after the danger of frost has passed/later spring.
