A solid, meaty beefsteak tomato.
Texto 2 (an abbreviation of Texas and tomato) impressed us with its high yields and big fruit size (up to 245g). The sturdy plants are about 2.5 ft. Taste-wise the tomatoes are on the mild side, but a pinch of salt helps.
Texto 2 is another wonderful Gleckler’s tomato from the 1950s (the famous ‘Gleckler’s Seedsmen’ from Ohio). They called it a ‘green wrap’ tomato. Here is the description from the 1957 Gleckler’s seed catalogue:
“A ‘green wrap’ tomato developed for Texas as an improvement over the much used Rutgers strain, which has become susceptible to all major diseases common to Texas. Texto 2 is also resistant to collar-rot and blossom-end rot. Fruits round to oblate, firm, medium size, smooth on both shoulder and blossom ends and dark green color in the green wrap stage. Ripe fruit is an attractive red. Indeterminate vines. Maturity is about the same as Rutgers. The advantages over Rutgers is up to 100% greater yield, higher disease resistance, less puffiness and less subject to cracking.”
‘Green wrap’ tomatoes are meant to be picked unripe/green and they will ripen inside. Texto 2 tomatoes will stay mostly green on the vine, we don’t pick too many red ones. Bring the green ones inside and let them ripen indoors, which they do within 1–2 weeks (they aren’t longkeepers).
This would be a good tomato to grow if you want to ‘control’ the ripening of your tomatoes. Pick a few, let them ripen in the house, and then pick a few more as needed.
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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.
