SAN ANTONIO – In springtime vegetable gardeners start dreaming about tomatoes. And this year Texas tomato gardeners might want to consider Tomato 444. It’s the latest plant to be designated as a Texas Superstar.
Tomato 444 is named Texas Superstar. This hybrid is resistant to many foliage diseases.
“Tomato 444 is one of the few hybrid tomato varieties which has natural plant resistant to tomato spotted wilt virus and the problems it causes,” said Dr. Jerry Parsons, horticulture specialist with Texas Cooperative Extension in San Antonio. “The fruit is large and the quality is excellent. To many people, Tomato 444 tastes better than the ever-popular Celebrity tomato. Tomato 444 definitely produces more fruit than Celebrity.”
A hybrid is a first-generation cross of two genetically different varieties, Parsons said. In order to obtain a high degree of uniformity, the parent lines are usually inbred for several generations.
Just the fact that a variety is a hybrid does not make it an automatic winner.
“The horticultural merits of a hybrid must also be proven in every growing area, just as those of any other variety released,” Parsons said.
Tomato 444 has been tested for several years by Extension, with the help of Master Gardeners and Gardening Volunteers of South Texas, and has always produced a large quality crop, he said.
Many vegetables require hand pollination to produce hybrid lines. Because labor is expensive, the price of the hybrid seed often reflects this cost, he added.
“In order to reduce costs, some companies use foreign labor and produce their seeds in South America or the Far East. Some hybrid seeds cost as much as much as three to 10 times the price of open-pollinated seed,” Parsons said. “Hybrid tomato seed can sell for over $50 for 1000 seed, so hybrids such as ‘444’ are best purchased as transplants.
“Hybrid crosses also have an additional spark called hybrid vigor. The plants grow rapidly with good uniformity,” he said. “By producing inbred lines with good disease resistance, the resulting hybrid crosses may inherit these qualities.”
Timing is important when planting vegetables.
“If it is too early to plant transplants in your area and you put them in the ground, they will be frozen,” Parsons said. “Yet transplants of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants should be established as soon in the spring as feasibly possible so they can be blooming profusely when the optimum fruit setting conditions occur.”
Or consider planting the tomato transplant in a pot.
“A plant in a pot has the distinct advantage of being portable,” Parsons said. “This means that you can move your portable plant into a protected location when cold weather occurs. The potted plant will be expanding its root system at a faster rate than those in the soil because the potting soil will be warmer and porous. Never use garden soil in a container. Instead purchase a well-draining potting mix.”
His advice: Add slow-release fertilizer pellets before planting in a gallon-size container. Keep plants in full sunlight and do not overwater.
For a complete guide for growing tomatoes, go to: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/tomato.html
The Texas Superstar effort is “one of Texas A&M University’s most innovative and successful horticultural research and Extension programs,” said Dr. Steve George, Extension horticulturist at Texas A&M Dallas and head of the Texas Superstar program. “Only the best-adapted, highest-performing and most pest-resistant plant materials are designated Texas Superstars, and should include the Texas Superstar pot label.”
Transplants of Tomato 444 plants can be bought at most local nurseries. Tomato 444 seeds are available from Tomato Growers Supply Company, http://tomatogrowers.com, Siegers Seed Company, http://www.siegers.com and Johnny’s Selected Seeds, http://www.johnnyseeds.com.
For more information on the Texas Superstar program or to find the nearest official Texas Superstar retailer, go to http://TexasSuperstar.com.
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