I agree Bill. I should have 2 ripe ones by the end of the week. We'll see how they taste but they are very productive so far and look very healthy. Mine are sort of a semi-determinate plant. They are not very tall and have 5 or 6 thick stems. I hope they taste good because I do like the growth habit of the plants.

What was the origin of the name for this nice looking variety?

I dunno, they may have been pretty ugly to begin with, mine look pretty good. Carolyn knows all the details I am sure, and about how some Italian brothers took over and would not let them be marketed outside of Florida. But someone probably found a way. ":^)
Bill P.

Bill P. Quote:
"The first few tomatoes that we had to eat were a little bland from all the rain water, but the Merced has actually had an excellent taste, are prolific also and the largest one so far has been 13 Oz."

I hate that waiting for a tomato to ripen and it's bland hope your pretty little Uglies are a better reward. :)

I purchased some tomatoes in the winter marked Ugly or Ugly Ripe. Not sure. At the time I thought there was only one kind so I was not real careful on the name.

I have a high interest in how these turn out. I wish I had planted a few seeds. But when it came time to plant seeds I had too many varieties and skipped on the ugly.

Does anyone know if they sell 2 kinds in the stores. Ugly Ripe and Ugly or are they only selling one kind.

Spoke to my Mom & Dad today......they bought a large Ugly tomato from Whole Food Co yesterday.........cost $4.99 a pound !!!!!!!! They said it was best tasting ever bought at a supermarket.

Glad to know they liked it, as they are growing an Ugly plant that I started for them !

The variety Ugly was named and marketed by a woman from FL. It was felt that it was one of the many Costolutos from Italy. Costoluto means ribbed in Italian.

Seeing the popularity of Ugly the Procacci Bros from Philly introduced the variety Ugly Ripe which is simply Marmande VF, a well known French heirloom.

They went further and in a nasty takeover bought out the Ugly folks.

Both varieties are grown and sold, usually grown in FL in the summer and Mexico in the winter.

Many here know of the problem that the Procacci's had in trying to convince the FL TOmato Comission that they could export the Ugly Ripes out of FL b'c the comission said that they didn't meet their specs. Long and interesting story and there are many threads here about that.

Carolyn

Bill,
I grew Ugly last year. I got the seeds from TGS. According to my notes, Ugly had below average taste with average disease issues and production. Based on my rating system Ugly got 16 pts out of a possible 30. Of course you are in TX and I'm in NH so what was mediocre for me maybe a wonderful for you. Best of luck and keep us posted on your opinion of Ugly.

>>The variety Ugly was named and marketed by a woman from FL. It was felt that it was one of the many Costolutos from Italy. Costoluto means ribbed in Italian.
>>Seeing the popularity of Ugly the Procacci Bros from Philly introduced the variety Ugly Ripe which is simply Marmande VF, a well known French heirloom.

Opps I should have done some DD , I just recently ordered seeds for Marmande ,Ugly Tomato, Costoluto Genovese Tomato.
With my limited space no use in growing the same. Out of those 3 which one would you recommend(most productive and best taste) I plant for next year?

Thanks everyone, for your response.

Will do Moosemac, I should have some opinion on taste by mid week or 4th of July. ":^)
Bill P.

Bill
Your Uglies look nice and my Rose Tomatoes are truly Ugly. Want to swap MATER names?

Opps I should have done some DD , I just recently ordered seeds for Marmande ,Ugly Tomato, Costoluto Genovese Tomato.
With my limited space no use in growing the same. Out of those 3 which one would you recommend(most productive and best taste) I plant for next year?

******

Habman, taste is individual and is genetically associated, and production is also highly variable based on so many things.

Having grown all of those you mention you're going to hate me, LOL, but I wouldn't grow any of them again. ( smile)

With maybe 5-6,000 varieties now available commercially, I'd have a good long list of others that I'd grow before I'd grow those again.

But then that's me, and I'm only trying to answer your question. ( smile) A lot depends on what you were going to grow them for, as far as usage, and what kind of varieties you prefer.

Carolyn

We may have spoke too soon JWR, take a look at the tomato on the left in . Perhaps you can make out the I.D. I put on them. ":^)

I am going to let them set on the counter for a couple of days before we do out taste testing.
Bill P.

did you pick those early. the tops look unripe. I would probably have left them on the vine a few more days.

G-Fish! Man good to hear from Ya again....Hey where did ya get your seeds for this UGLY? 2nd Q...is this the next Cherokee Purple or Mortgage Lifter? Please let us know, and Good Gardenen to Ya!

Well koreyk, many people say that there is no difference in the flavor when picked at the first blush of color, or if left till they are completely red. I would probably normally leave them longer, but with the incessant rain every day and sometimes two times per day and the early arrival of stink bugs, I did not want to take any chance on them splitting or stink bugs descending upon them. Then there is the birds that sometimes are tempted if red is left available too long to tempt them.

You might choose to leave them longer, I chose not to take chances with those that I want to try for the first time. They will be red on the kitchen counter tomorrow or the day after.
Bill P.

Hi Blane, Thanks. I got them from one of the online seed companies, seems kinda like it was Totally Tomatoes, but I can not remember for sure. I can look it up tomorrow when I am feeling better however.

No, I really do not expect the to be the next CP or ML but do not really know fully what to expect yet. Right now, my impression is that they are productive. If they taste good enough to be high up there on my taste list, they will get another trial in my garden again next year.

If you have room, give them a trial and see what you think of them.
Bill P.

on this Ugly case. I and would rate it it solid 7 out of 10 on my taste scale. It was a bit bland, but our crazy rainy weather continues. We have already had our customary half to three quarters of an inch before 9:00 A.M. I guess that in looking for the postitives I could say that it did wash any dew off the plants! ":^) I am working on an overgrown jungle out there. . And out there.

It could be that if there is anything left to produce tomatoes when the hot, dry weather comes (and it will surely come one day) and we get a bit more normal growing conditions, it could move up some on my list with a stronger, more assertive or concentrated taste.

Time will tell. I would be interested in opinions of anyone else growing them this year also.
Bill P.

weighing in on Ugly.

Well, my wife and DIL both like the taste of Ugly better than I do. Both rated the taste higher because it is sweeter than I like, more like the Cherokee Purple. Maybe that is what the appeal is for those that raved about it in Florida.
Bill P.

HI
Been reading your threds on ugly,--saw that BLACK DIRT in your garden--looks great--how did you get it.
Thanks Bill

Hi Bill, I sent you an email directly with a link in it to a thread with info on the soil, compost and mulch forum with how I make my compost and amend my garden. Thanks.
Bill P.

We tried our first Ugly (from TGS seed) today and we liked it. I thought it was on the sweet side but my wife did not. She just liked it. Bill, the inside of ours looked a little different than yours in that it had irregular seed pockets and no noticeable core. I have 2 plants in HM self-watering planters and 2 in the ground. So far so good. In the next few weeks we should be able to compare it to Big Zac, Bucks County, Polish, MP, Brandy Boy and a few others. Again, my first reaction was that it is good and on the sweet side almost a fruity taste to me.

We had 2 more today. I think this is a very good tomato. Good texture, sweet and meaty. Ugly was our first to ripen along with Moskvich and New Yorker.

G....didnt see them in Totally Tomatoes catalog. Anywhere else? I want to try them please! GG, Blane.

Thanks for your report matervator. I am glad that yours are doing well.

I am getting two or three per day that is ripening now, but mine taste too bland to me from all the rain. Hopefully, if and when it ever stops (47 days of rain officially since May 1st, and I got rain when they did not at the airport) they will begin to taste better and not so bland.

It is impossible for me to really judge anything under these conditions. My Merced is the only one that really tastes what I consider above average right now.

Two big Brandywine split on the bottom overnight and they were just turning color. I picked them and brought them in. If they do not start to spoil I may try them tomorrow, but do not expect much.
Bill P.

Blane
I don't think TT has them. I got mine at Tomato Growers Supply.

I got mine at the local food store. You get a lot more seeds for less money this way. You can also pick out a nice tomato. I let it sit for a couple of weeks to fatten up the seeds inside. then cut it open and fermented all the seeds. works great. The seeds have to be pure since they were grown indoors in a greenhouse by very large grower. The tomatoes are easily available in the winter. Have not looked recently so not sure if they are around in the summer.

Come to think of it. I let that tomato sit for a long time. I wonder if you could use them as storage tomatoes or winter keepers in the fall after the freeze comes. I have to try that next year. I want a good winter keeper.

That tomato sat for a very long time and never got soft. wonders of modern corporate tomatoes.

Blane, I think that tomatovator is probably right, and I promise that I will go through my seed packets later on this morning and find where I ordered mine.

Koreg, my Ugly tomatoes are not hard, in fact they border on being too soft to suit me before being over ripe. It may be the rain, dunno.

Blane, I don't normally like posting a link to a google search result but this one may give you just about all the info that you ever wanted to know about the Ugly tomato and the melodrama surrounding it.
Bill P.

Blane, tomatovator was right. I looked up my seed packet and it was Tomato Growers Supply, or to be more specific they are listed on this page if their online catalog. Scroll down to the third from the bottom one on that page.
Perhaps that will help you find and order some.
Bill P.

I'm getting less impressed with this variety as the season goes on. The first few we had were very good and sweet. The last few were just bland. I've also noticed that most of mine do not look like the Ugly tomatoes I bought in the supermarket a couple of years ago. I few of mine look like fairly large beefsteak types but the rest are medium sized globe shaped fruit with a little point on the end. I thought they would continue to grow but they are ripening at about 8 oz. I hope the taste gets better because I have a ton of them.

Mine still look pretty much the same, however, I think that it is common for the size and number to trail off as the season wears on. The largest and most numerous come on first.

It is emerging that my wife and DIL like them better than I do, and it seems that they like the sweeter tomatoes more than I do. We have now had a couple of rain free days so I am hoping that if that will hold for a few days (although there is some chance of rain here after lunch) I might get to try some that are not so bland from excess water.
Bill P.

The name of the variety I got seed for is called Mr. Ugly but it fits the discription of Ugly fairly well. Mine are coming on early also and I like the flavor.

A few other attributes about this variety: It was previously mentioned that they are softer when ripe; definately true. They reach the deep red ripe stage rather quickly too so weekly harvesting won't be frequent enough for this variety. The good production, flavor and bright red ribbed shoulders on uniform red fruit are three points I find pleasingly drawing me to recommend that others try this variety. It's one of few varieties that really looks ripe when it is ripe.

Hey thank ya G-Fish....I need to get that catalog anyway for my 08 collection. havent used them yet, but now I will...ps..My CPurples, are the best Ive had yet, thanks Bill, and Great Gardenen to Ya!...Blane.

I will not be growing this one again. It started out so promising but now I'm pretty disgusted with the 4 plants I put in. One is dead after giving up 10 tomatoes. I really don't know why it died. It just quit growing. The other 3 are still producing but none of the tomatoes look like the Ugly tomatoes from the market. One is ripening fruits with an average weight of about 4 oz. and the other 2 have heart shaped fruit about 8 to 12 0z. in size. The taste is OK, on the sweet side and not spectacular (to me). I'll use these this year for sauce. I will not grow them again at least with the seeds these came from.

I have some Costoluto Genovese that were given to me as a present. They are hierloom decents from Thomas Jefferson's kitchen garden at Monticello. I ate my first one today. It was pretty good, a littel acidy, Probably be good used in a salsa. No where near the sweet, low acid, smooth taste of a Belgium Giant - my favorite this year.

Tomatovator,
My results last year was very similar to yours. I didn't grow again this year. Started out so promising but after a few fruits lost one plant and the one that last all season the taste was average at best to me. Had been reading this thread with interest to see how others compared grown elsewhere. Jay

greenfellow Quote:
"smooth taste of a Belgium Giant - my favorite this year"

You lucky so-&-so, lol I got my order in too late this year but these will be in my garden next year and every tomato season they are just fantastic. :)

I had earlier suggested that we swap names for your Ugly's and my ugly Rose tomato. The first Rose was the Ugliest tomato I'd ever seen. The following Rose Tomatoes made the first one look like a Blue Ribbon winner at a county fair. A name swap is in order.

Jim

Without a picture of them it is hard to imagine what might be the cause Jim. Fused blooms can cause some strange shapes and if the temps were too cool during pollination that can cause some catfacing which really deforms tomatoes.

But beyond that, some tomatoes are just more beautiful than others like us folks I guess! ":^)

I guess that you could rename it the Ugly Rose of Wa
Bill P,

sunsi - "in my garden next year and every tomato season they are just fantastic. :)"

I agree! I intend to plant Belgium Giants, at least 5 plants, grown from seed. 5 Early Girl plants, mine had great flover this year, purchased plants. Maybe 2 or 3 of the Genovese Costoluto, and I might try a few plants of Brandy Wine.

fishen
tasted the first & last of my Ugly Rose Tomato's. Without exception I've never tasted a store bought tomato as bad as this Rose variety. Never again.

This is a late update on the Ugly tomatoes from my garden. After a rocky (rainy) start that caused most all the tomatoes in my garden to be bland initially, we did have some real summer weather later on, but over all I think that it was a little milder than usual. Most of my spring plants survived and revived in the fall when the weather cooled off and fall rains came.

A fellow member wanted some of the Ugly seed and I received his SASE today in the mail. Since I only have a very few seed left over from the packet that I had ordered to start mine, I went out to check the garden to see if there was one that I could get some seed from. Sure nuff, there was a red ripe one on the vine so I got some seed out of it. I have not been able to determine whether this tomato is a hybrid or an O.P. but will send some of both seeds in case he wants to try them. The seed packet that they came in does not say, which I think is a little unusual.

One thing that did impress me today was the taste of that tomato. It was as good as any tomato I have ever tasted. We have had an extended Indian Summer here with mild days and cool nights with just about the right amount of rain, so that may be what was needed. Consequently, I will be planting them again this next year.
Bill P.

Hey G-Fish, That was the answer I was lookin for! (he-he)
Ive been away the past few months due to circumstances beyond my control, however Im glad you stuck in there with this, gave us an update....Good to hear from again, and I will pursue my request for this seed.

I did manage to contact Tomatoe Growers Supply, and Got an actual Human, (magine that)...So they will send out an 07 catalog, and also an 08 catalog. Hope they will, and Have a good Halloween Bill, ....Blane.

Hi Blane, good to hear from you too. Might as well give them a try and see what you think for yourself, like they say, your mileage may vary! ":^)
Bill P.

Hey Bill, hate to bother again with another question....
But Im having a problem finding this seed at TGS.....Where again is it?

Or is it under another name? Please if ya got time...help me out.....and thanks again....blane.

I have not found it yet this year either Blane, wish that I could be of more help. Perhaps it will be in one or more of the new spring seed catalogs when they come out, or online. I guess that we will just have to wait and see if they show up.
Bill P.

I planted 4 Uglies, 2 in containers and 2 in the ground. The tomatoes I got were good but not as described. They were heart shaped and there were not that many of them. I did not complain about the seeds (because the tomatoes were tasty) but I'm thinking that if other people got the same results I did they may have. Maybe that is why they are not listed anymore???? Just a thought.