Gardening: Italians know their saucy tomatoes

Q: My wife and I returned from Florence, Italy. While there, I noticed a vendor with various tomato seeds in packets. I bought some but was really interested in a tomato variety called Pomodoro di Belmonte. Could you give me any information on this variety? The fruits are large (about 4 to 5 inches) and the center is red and rock solid.

A: Pomodoro is a common name of certain tomatoes grown for making sauces and to be used in fresh salads. The second part, “di Belmonte,” refers to the Belmonte-Calabrio region in Italy where it is grown.

This tomato grows very large, globe shaped fruits, which can tip the scales at 6 1/2 pounds. It has a very sweet taste but is not really that acid in flavor. The color is bright red.

This tomato resists attacks from red spider mites and aphids, but can be weakened by various fungus diseases. The fruit is termed “indeterminate.” which means the plant produces fruit that ripens over a longer period of time. In this area of Italy, there are approximately 400 hectares (approximately 1,000 acres) of these sauce tomato plants grown. They are planted out in March through July and harvested July through October. This area has a very moderate climate.

One grower in this area has produced a type of this tomato now sold in the United States under the name of Ox Heart. It is sold as an heirloom. It has its own special shape with many folds and is not entirely round. There are very few seeds in the fruit, which has a sweet flavor and is bright red.

Each of the surrounding areas of Italy produces its own sauce tomatoes, but most of these were originally grown in Sicily by way of Greeks and Romans. They were yellow and are referred to as Golden Apples.

Q: I grow a number of indoor plants, which appear to be healthy. But every plant has a white crust on the soil and it is even on the clay pot containers. I fertilize and water these plants regularly. Is it some type of disease? What should I do about it?

A: The crust is an accumulation of salts from your fertilizer and minerals in your water. This can build up over time and have some bad effects on your plants and even kill them. Remove this white build-up with a spoon and discard it. Add new soil (or media) to maintain the original level in the container to cover the roots.

You may need to flush the soil with water to leach the salts out the bottom of the container. Place the container in a sink and add water to drain out until the water comes out clear. You may not have to water the plants for almost a week. To prevent this buildup of salts you should have all your plants in containers with drainage holes in the bottom.

At least once a month, you should flush the plants as described above.

This can really be a problem if you use softened water, which contains sodium salts. Do not use this type of water to water any plants because sodium poisons plants. Use rainwater or water from a dehumidifier or distilled water.

This story was originally published December 3, 2015 at 4:47 AM with the headline "Gardening: Italians know their saucy tomatoes."