Campari Tomato Seeds

[Smiles Jr.]

Thanks for the update, Jim. I was hoping to hear from you on these tomatoes.

I have been planting only heirloom tomatoes for several years now but I think I'll try some hybrids next spring also. I'm always wondering what I'm missing when I hear folks talk about varieties that I know nothing about.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Glad to hear it worked out well with the seeds, I saved some from store bought Campari's this year...so I'll try them out next year!

 

[897tgigvib]

Some hybrids are crosses between very similar varieties, and very little difference shows up in the F2 generation. But they continue to do the cross for some certain advantage that may not show up in all of the F2's.

This turns out to be the case with the "safeway cluster" tomatoes I've been growing. Very much the same looking tomatoes in the same shape and size cluster, but yes, a few differences I see are, the stem the clusters are on are not quite as thick and pretty, and the color does not have that extreme glossiness, but are still pretty glossy.

I don't know for sure if the Campari are hybrids or not, but I have a feeling they may be. It does seem to be common these days to develop 2 strains very similar, and key in on the targetted double dominant and double recessive traits for both parent lines to work together for targetted traits.

These breeders know they have a thorobred champion F1 and are not too concerned that F2 and beyond versions may arise from them, because the targetted traits such as extremely pretty stems, extreme glossiness, or end of season productivity of full size fruits, or other top marketting or producing traits will not show all together in very many F2 or beyond plants. Breeders can also target for hybrid vigor to only exist in the F1.

All that said, I still think it is cool to dehybridize into homegrown stable varieties what the professional breeders come up with. Some of my friends, raised in cities and suburbs, actually prefer the taste of store bought tomatoes. Ok. That's what they were raised on, it's what they are used to. To them, a Hillbilly tomato is just an ugly homegrown tomato. I could remind them ad nauseum what they miss out on, and not change their mind. On the other hand they'll never get me to eat a froggy's legs.

Dominant traits, whether they are as DD or Dr, will be expressed, but usually the DD homozygous, or double dominant, will show the trait just a little bit more. Breeders are now getrting 2 strains of the same or very similar variety, and are working both the parent lines to have homozygous DD or rr for certain traits, even if not all the traits. They then select to make sure those D's and r's are all at the right place...they can check that now on sequencing machines...and then cross them.

The 2 parent lines may even come themselves from the very same original cross. Sibling varieties.

This is all actually standard hybridizing, but only with their modern tools and planned by folks with degrees who are paid to come up with a variety that has targetted goals.

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I basically said everything twice here to try to make sure possible questions are already answered.

 

[JimWWhite]

Well said, Marshall. I think...

 

[Fred DeFelice]

Does anyone know where I can find packets of Campari tomato seeds? I've checked all the local stores and all the catalogs but can't seem to find anything on them. I've thought maybe buying a package of the tomatoes and saving some of the seeds and trying to start them but I've seen some posts where the poster claims they won't germinate or they won't be true to the parent. All I know is they are the best tomatoes for putting in a dehydrator. And they're great just by themselves or in a salad. Anyone know anything about this tomato?

Thanks!
Jim

I use the seeds from the Campari tomatoes I purchase in the super markets. Seed company’s want so much for them and you only get a few. Just be sure to rinse them off and dry them completely before planting them. You can do this with so many differently plants. Why pay more is you already have them in the fruit you buy. I’ve been doing this for years and when you find a great tasing product, save the seeds, but dry them good first before putting them in good soil and you will be amazed. I am every time they pot up. You can also freeze them after the drying process for next spring. Good luck with those favorite tasting vegatables you want to copy.

 

[Fred DeFelice]

I've been meaning to pick this thread back up and report on my findings. I did exactly the same thing and planted 12 campari tomato plants back in late April and the vines are so loaded now. I'll try to get some pics tomorrow and post them. As far as I can tell they are really the same as what you buy at CostCo or Sam's. You need to let them stay on the vine a little longer even though they look like they're ripe. I've found its best to let them go from a bright orange/red to a darker red and you'll taste the difference. The other thing I've noticed is the vines don't have the heavy foliage like other varieties have. Almost skimpy. Probably the selective processing the Europeans did to develop the variety. But they are very sweet and very tart when you bite into one. They've got less juice than most tomatoes, more like a Roma. But a lot more flavor. And another thing I've noticed is that we have had problems with tomato horn worms in past years but they've not made themselves noticeable this year with these plants. Could be a coincidence.

Teresa has taken the larger ones and has started to dry them in her Excalibur dehydrator. The flavor is unbelievable. I've about worn out my salt shaker and my garden stool in the early evenings...

Pics tomorrow!

Great post for anyone wanting to grow these great tasting tomatoes. Good info Mr White and so many people are going to love the information you provided.

 

[Dave/Brutus]

I use the seeds from the Campari tomatoes I purchase in the super markets. Seed company’s want so much for them and you only get a few. Just be sure to rinse them off and dry them completely before planting them. You can do this with so many differently plants. Why pay more is you already have them in the fruit you buy. I’ve been doing this for years and when you find a great tasing product, save the seeds, but dry them good first before putting them in good soil and you will be amazed. I am every time they pot up. You can also freeze them after the drying process for next spring. Good luck with those favorite tasting vegatables you want to copy.

You said the Campari freezes well. Have you tried to make any sauce out of them? I just planted 72 Roma, but really like the Campari. I have the Roma's up to about an inch and a half, and will put them out in about two weeks. (I live in central Florida) My concern of course in the heat. My plan is to start new seeds two more times, six weeks apart

 

[so lucky]

Fred De Felice doesn't seem to be an active member anymore, but maybe someone else on here can answer your question.
Welcome, Dave/Brutus! Tell us a little about yourself and what you like to grow. I see you are in Florida. Yes, it's probably time for you to get those tomatoes out.

 

[Halife]

Does anyone know where I can find packets of Campari tomato seeds? I've checked all the local stores and all the catalogs but can't seem to find anything on them. I've thought maybe buying a package of the tomatoes and saving some of the seeds and trying to start them but I've seen some posts where the poster claims they won't germinate or they won't be true to the parent. All I know is they are the best tomatoes for putting in a dehydrator. And they're great just by themselves or in a salad. Anyone know anything about this tomato?

Thanks!
Jim

sale on internet but very expensive. Only 5 seed 9,90 euro
https://www.tomatobomo.com/en/175685-tomato-f1-campari.html

 

[ducks4you]

The bees are doing great but we did lose a hive this year. Sometimes a hive no matter how healthy it is will just die out. What I'm told happened was that it got cold for several days and nights and the workers huddled around the queen and did their thing to try to keep the hive temp to a certain degree and didn't go up a level to get honey. They'd completely devoured all the honey stored in the hive body but there were six out of nine frames immediately above them in a medium super that were full of honey they didn't attempt to get to so they basically starved to death. As I said, it happens. We still have four and we're about to go in and harvest honey once the temps look like their going to stay in the forties or higher during the night. We should get quite a bit. We've been seeing a lot of activity on sunny days with the workers coming in with their pollen sacs full. The poplar tulips and maples are in bloom now and they are going after that like crazy. But I'm coming out of hibernation and working on getting the garden ready. I've got a cart of romaine lettuce, several varieties of cabbage, and onions hardening off now and we'll be putting them in the planter boxes this weekend. I'll probably have to cover them some nights but that won't be too difficult.

I did find that you can propagate the Campari tomatoes. The seeds are not sterile as some on the internet would have you to believe. I bought a package of them at CostCo a couple of weeks ago and 'fermented' the seeds and planted 24 starter pots. All of them have sprouted up and look healthy. I hope to be able to move them out to the garden in late March. There are several good articles on various blog sites where people have propagated them from saved seeds and have gotten results and claim the fruit is exactly like the parents. It will be interesting to see how mine do. Looking forward to spring!!! Good to be back too!!!

I think that is probably the best way to go. Young tomato seeds really are hardy!
Reading about your hive I can appreciate when the local beekeeper, certified to remove hives, took the hive that had been in DD's house for maybe 5-6 years out and was happy to have more. He did this last Spring and said that he had lost a hive in the 2017-18 winter. He told them to expect some strays around the now sealed entry hole, but then decided to sweep the small swarm that was trying to get back in. He said it was a large and Very Healthy hive.