Skip to product information
Umberto- Live Plant PRE-ORDER
  • Umberto- Live Plant PRE-ORDER
  • Umberto- Live Plant PRE-ORDER
Umberto- Live Plant PRE-ORDER

Solanum lycopersicum

$4.25
Description

No shipping. Pre-orders must be picked up in person in Gainesville, Florida at GROW HUB Nursery 2900 NE 8th Avenue. 

Plants are usually available end of February through early March of 2027 depending on the season. We will email you when your order is ready for pick up. Please do not arrive until you have received our message. 

---

This is a very old Italian heirloom, supposedly named after King Umberto of Italy from the late 1800's. A rare variety! We really like this one, it's seriously productive, we pulled a lot of fruit from these plants and it is among the first to start fruiting, but doesn't quit until well into the season. The plant can get unruly and large, and will need some good sturdy support. The fruit size is a small to medium like that of a pear tomato. Some describe this as a pear tomato, and one good for fresh eating. We add that it probably shines best as a paste type. While it is perfectly suitable for fresh eating and is tasty, it shines more in the pot. Plus the volume you'll get, makes them a good candidate for making sauces!
Product details
  • One tomato plant in a 4.5" pot
  • Indeterminate. Medium-sized pear or plum/paste type like tomato. Pinkish-red
  • 75 days from transplant to harvest
  • Seeds grown in Working Food gardens at GROW HUB in Gainesville, Florida
How to grow

Transplant outdoors once the risk of frost has passed—or earlier if you’re willing to keep an eye on the forecast and cover plants when cold weather threatens. For us in North Central Florida, that's usually end of February through mid March.

When transplanting, plant tomatoes deeply. Remove the lower, tender leaves and bury the stem as deeply as you can, up to just below the lowest remaining branch. Tomatoes will develop roots along their buried stems, creating a stronger, more extensive root system.

Water plants in thoroughly when transplanting and keep them well watered, especially during the first week or two as they establish. Mulch with straw, pine needles, or leaves to conserve moisture and help prevent soil from splashing onto the foliage during rain.

For best results, stake or trellis your plants and remove lower leaves that touch or rest close to the soil. This improves airflow and helps reduce disease problems.

Learn all you need to know about growing tomatoes in our free guide: Homegrown Tomatoes in the Southeast.
How to save seeds

If you can grow a tomato, the hard part is done—saving the seeds is easy!

Harvest fully mature tomatoes, and even better, let them ripen a little longer indoors until they are just slightly overripe, while still edible. Tomatoes are mostly self-pollinating, but not always, so there is always some potential for varieties to cross with one another. To help prevent unwanted crosses, space different varieties as far apart as possible. Or, let nature make a cross for you—you may end up with a great new tomato!

You can save seed from as few as one plant, but saving from more plants is always better for maintaining genetic diversity and keeping your variety healthy over time.

Squeeze the seeds and their surrounding pulp into a jar and let them sit for 24–48 hours, depending on how quickly the fermentation progresses. Stir the mixture once a day and look for a layer of mold to form on the surface—this is normal and part of the process! Once the jelly-like coating around the seeds has broken down, rinse and strain the seeds several times with fresh water. The good, mature seeds will generally sink, while lighter, immature seeds and debris tend to float. Pour off the floating material and continue rinsing until the water runs mostly clear.

Spread the clean seeds out to dry completely on a cloth napkin or coffee filter. Avoid paper towels or newspaper, as the seeds can stick to them. Let the seeds dry for several days, then store them somewhere cool, dark, and dry. Properly stored tomato seeds can remain viable for many years.

Learn all you need to know about saving tomato seeds in our free guide: Saving Tomato Seeds

You may also like