Tomaccio: 9-foot plants yield tomatoes that are great for drying

A new tomato this year is the Tomaccio, which has an intense, sugary flavor when eaten fresh or dried.

Not only is the fruit supposed to be delicious, but the plant is a stunning specimen for your garden– it can grow to be nine feet tall!

The plants at Lockwood’s Greenhouses are already four feet tall, said Teresa Buchanan, general manager. They’re getting clusters of tomatoes, too.

But don’t worry, it’s not too late to plant, Buchanan said. In fact, with the cold, wet spring we had, the plants probably wouldn’t have done well if you had gotten them sooner.

The plants come in a 14-inch pot, so they’re not pot bound. You can transplant it into your garden or grow it in a pot. If you want to grow it in a pot, Buchanan suggests transplanting it into a larger pot.

The Tomaccio website recommends pinching out all side shoots every week so that only the main stem is growing. It also recommends removing the first flower cluster. For faster ripening, remove all the leaves below the ripened tomatoes.

You should harvest Tomaccio at an early stage. The tomatoes are already matured with their full flavor when they begin to turn red.

Drying directions and recipes are available on the Tomaccio website.

Lockwood’s is located at 4484 Clark St., Hamburg.

You can also get Tomaccio at Heimiller Greenhouses, 3038 Ewings Rd., Newfane.