Tomato, ‘Piennolo Giallo’

(Lycopersicon esculentum) If you’ve ever seen pictures of rustic Italian kitchens with huge masses of tomatoes hanging by loops of twine above the counters, chances are you were looking at “Piennolo del Vesuvio.” This world-famous tomato (this listing is for the yellow version, though there is a more common red one) is grown in the volcanic soils near Napoli on the shoulder of Vesuvius. The small oval fruits have a pointed nipple at the blossom end, and their high dry content makes them perfect for long storage through the fall and winter. Harvested by the truss they are often hung in long twine loops as tomato ‘ristras’ (“piennolo” meaning “hanging” in Neapolitan dialect). Not quite as prolific as our other storage tomato, ‘Annarita,’ Piennolo (both red and yellow versions) compensates with a fantastic rich, sweet flavor that continues to concentrate over time. Our selection comes from friend and grower Hans Fama in southern California, who has been growing and promoting them for years and is typically able to store them for 6 months after harvest (up to 10 months in the best of years). We have become increasingly interested in this class of tomatoes known as “pomodoro d’inverno” in Italy. With some care both at harvest and in how they are stored, these types of tomatoes can provide fresh eating well after cold weather and frosts have ended the outdoor fresh tomato season. While canning can preserve the harvest for sauces and cooking, the novelty of fresh tomatoes in winter that haven’t been shipped from a thousand miles away is a delight.
Indeterminate. 80-85 days. UO

Packet: 25 seeds

[split]

Growing Info

SOWING:

Sow 5-8 weeks before your last frost date.

Transplant out after danger of frost (45+F nighttime temps).

Note: Don’t start too early or plants will be leggy and root-bound! Tomatoes do well in clay to loam soils. 

PLANTING DEPTH:

1/8-1/4″

SPACING:

18-30″ spacing in rows 5′ apart.

EMERGENCE:

5-10 days @ soil temp 70-85F

LIGHT:

Full sun

FERTILITY:

Medium-Heavy. Prefers well-drained, well-balanced fertile soil with a pH between 6.0-7.0. Note that excess Nitrogen will encourage foliage, not fruit! Low calcium and irregular watering will result in blossom end rot. 

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Row cover may be used for extra warmth and possible earlier fruit set.

Irregular watering can result in blossom end rot. Even watering and supplemental calcium can help prevent this. 

Plant deeply to encourage healthy root structure.

Indeterminate varieties may benefit from pruning suckers to encourage air flow, plant health, and energy towards plant top and fruit. 

Determinate varieties do not need pruning.

Trellis Indeterminate varieties! We really like the Florida weave.