Description
The ‘Lucinda’ Date Tomato is a commercial-grade hybrid renowned for its superior flavour, high yield, and robustness, making it a professional choice for home gardening.
Vigorous Growth: It is an indeterminate variety, meaning it will continue to grow, flower, and fruit throughout the season until frost. The plant is vigorous but has short internodes, ensuring excellent production on single or double clusters of 8–10 fruits.
Fruit Quality: The tomatoes are small, bright red, and oval-cylindrical in shape. The flavour is highly desirable due to a high Brix (sweetness) level and balanced low acidity.
Consistency & Shelf Life: A key feature is the fruit’s great consistency (firmness), which gives it excellent crack tolerance and allows the tomatoes to be stored longer after picking.
Disease Resistance: This variety boasts high resistance to common issues like Verticillium, Fusarium, and Tomato Mosaic Virus (ToMV), with intermediate resistance to nematodes, contributing to reliable yields in established garden soil.
Culinary Uses: Ideal for fresh consumption—perfect for salads, snacks, bruschetta, or adding an intensely sweet, fresh flavour to sauces and pizza toppings.
Growing Guide: Tomatoes thrive in the Maltese climate, but as a heat-loving plant, timing is crucial.
When to Plant: Transplant outdoors after all danger of low temperatures has passed, typically from March through May.
Location/Sun: Requires full sun (minimum 6–8 hours a day).
Soil: Needs rich, well-drained, and fertile soil. The ideal pH is slightly acidic to neutral (around 6.0–7.0).
Spacing: Requires adequate space for air circulation and growth:
In-row spacing: 35–45 cm (14–18 inches) between plants.
Row spacing: 70–80 cm (28–32 inches) between rows.
Support: As an indeterminate variety, this plant will grow tall and continue producing until the frost kills it. Staking or Caging is mandatory to support the heavy fruit load and keep the foliage off the soil.
Watering: Water consistently and deeply, especially as the fruits begin to form and swell. Inconsistent watering is the primary cause of cracking and blossom end rot. Increase watering frequency during the hot summer months.
Feeding: Tomatoes are heavy feeders. Apply a fertiliser high in phosphorus and potassium once the first fruits set, and repeat every 4–6 weeks throughout the growing season.
Pruning: Regularly pinch out the side shoots (suckers) that grow between the main stem and the leaf branches. This directs the plant’s energy into producing fruit rather than excessive foliage, improving air circulation and yield.
Harvesting: Fruits are typically ready for harvest 90–120 days after transplanting. Pick when they achieve a uniform, deep, brilliant red colour. Harvesting is often done by picking the entire cluster (a grappolo) for better presentation and shelf life.
